Joss Stone ‘Introducing’ her true self

updated 7:27 p.m. ET May 9, 2007

NEW YORK - When Joss Stone hit the stage at a concert hall recently, it was clear long before she opened her mouth that something had changed.

Gone were the long gypsy skirts and T-shirts she favored only a couple of years ago. Gone even was the English-born singer's trademark long, wavy blonde hair and bare feet.

Instead, Stone wore eye glitter, a white miniskirt, thigh-high boots and a shimmering, clingy tank top. Her hair was dark with pink streaks and it was big — kinked out to an inch of her life.

"I need a little lovin' at least two times a day," she purred, kicking off "Tell Me 'Bout It," the first single from her new album. "So when I call you, boy, you better run here right away."

Pardon?

The vampy outfit, the too-much-information lyrics, even naked photos for the CD — all triggered a question: What happened to our lovable, soul singing hippie chick?

"People grow. It's OK to grow," she says later in an interview in a Times Square hotel. "Some people find that difficult to grasp. It's like, 'You're not allowed to change. That's not fair. We like you like this.' But I don't. So let me expand and express myself."

"I can be whatever," she adds. "I can wear shoes or don't wear shoes. I can tie my hair up or wear it down. It doesn't matter. That's all a visual anyway."

That new visual coincides with the release of the just-turned 20-year-old's third CD, a declaration of independence underlined by its title "Introducing Joss Stone."

"It is me introducing myself as a singer, songwriter, producer — as a full artist, not just a singer anymore," she says. "Musically, it's more me."

That means a dose of sex, '70s-style R&B and infectious beats — all guided by veteran producer Raphael Saadiq. It's the album she says she always wanted to make but didn't have the power.

"I spoke to my dad the other day and he said, 'Joss, I'm just listening to your album and it's funny because the first two were like glass-of-wine-at-night kind of albums. This one, I get up in the morning and I put it on and I wake up to this. It's fresher,'" she says. "I'm like 'Yeah dad, that's because the first two were made by 70-year-olds and this one's made by a 19-year-old.'"

So far, Americans seem like the new stuff. "Introducing Joss Stone" debuted at No. 2 with sales of 118,000, the highest-charting new entry ever by a British female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era.

"She single-handedly wrote and co-arranged every song on this album," says Chris Anokute, senior director of A&R Capitol Music Group, which owns her label, Virgin. "She is the executive producer on the record. At 19 years old to executive produce a record? That's rare."

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