JS refers to more than one artist: 1) JS a.k.a. Johnson Sisters: 2) JS a.k.a. Justin and Sophia: a Taiwanese sibling duo 1) JS a.k.a. Johnson Sisters: Born and raised in Los Angeles, sisters Kim and Kandy Johnson started singing together as The Johnson Sisters, drawing their inspiration from the church choirs they’d graced since they first learned to sing. After establishing themselves as a successful neighborhood act, they made the move to professional studio work, singing backup for a diverse group of acts, including Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson and Sting. Then the Johnson sisters met The Isley Brothers. Ronald Isley was so taken by the sisters talents that he invited JS to contribute backing vocals to The Isley Brothers’ Eternal (2001) and Body Kiss (2003) and assumed the role of the duo’s manager, which led to their landing a record deal with Dreamworks. For the most part, the album uses the duo’s solid, gospel-inspired voices as a mouthpiece for the musical vision of executive producer/songwriter/producer R. Kelly. Eight of the the songs on ‘Ice Cream,’ including the title track, the album’s first single. These tracks are basically the same post-Teddy Riley sleepy bedroom R&B that R. Kelly has been propagating for the past decade or so—high-tech, smooth, and polished, blatant come-ons draped in seductive mood. The albums remaining tracks were produced by Tim and Bob (best known for Sisqo’s multiplatinum “Thong Song”), and by RL and Walter Milsap. Each brings their own subtle sonic ambience to the the tracks without spoiling the mood. For us, singing together is as easy as breathing, says Kim Johnson, one half of the sister duo JS. Weve been doing it for so long its like shorthand we operate on instinct with each other; its the most natural thing in the world. They began their career as children, and after more than a decade of tandem vocal expression, JS is ready to unveil their debut album, Ice Cream (set for release July 29, 2003, on DreamWorks Records). Helping Kim and her sister Kandy reach this milestone were producers R. Kelly, Tim and Bob, and RL and Walter Millsap. R. Kelly is also one of the discs executive producers, along with Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers. Isley who invited JS to contribute backing vocals to The Isley Brothers Eternal (2001) and Body Kiss (2003) is JS manager as well. These girls are gonna take it over trust me, he assures. They are not like any other group out there. Ive worked with them for four years and with this album, theres no one who can touch them. Mark my word: JS will have a real impact. Theyve got the talent. Isley appears on the Ice Cream cut Handle Your Business. Ice Cream, the first radio track off the CD, was produced, written and arranged by R. Kelly (as were Love Angel, Bye-Bye, Slow Grind, Half, Stay Right Here, Sister and Ice Cream [Remix]). Kim and Kandy trade verses on the song, which, despite its frosty subject matter, sizzles with seduction; as Kandy says, Its cool and hot at the same time: Come and get a scoop of my ice cream, baby/ JS got the flavors that I know will drive you crazy. In this sense, Ice Cream showcases JS transformation from girls to young women. After all, they achieved their initial acclaim as youngsters. Born and raised in Los Angeles, JS started singing together as The Johnson Sisters. The siblings began performing at weddings and banquets, in malls and at talent shows. Anywhere there was a boombox and three people to hear us, Kim jokes, we were there. Early on, JS had the opportunity to perform with some gospel legends, including Andrae Crouch and Shirley Caesar. Gospel definitely plays a part in our music, affirms Kandy. Its the root of so many types of music we love jazz, pop, R&B so borrowing elements of that sound was inevitable for us. But weve always sung a wide cross section of music; we draw on much more than gospel alone. As Kim and Kandys reputation for vocal excellence and professionalism grew, their career took off. They performed on BET, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Ally McBeal; they supported Erykah Badu in concert and sang with Barbra Streisand for President Bill Clinton. Moreover, their voices are the foundation of the theme song to NBCs One World, and Kim was featured on the Amistad soundtrack. Amistad is one of the things Im most proud of, she says. Its a true American story, signifying so much: overcoming obstacles, freeing yourself from bondage, finding inner strength. And working with icons like Steven Spielberg and John Williams that just blew me away! The sisters continued to build on their momentum, perfecting their technique and singing backup for an A-list of recording artists, including Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson and Sting. Then the Johnson sisters met The Isley Brothers. We were so honored when Ronald Isley took a special interest in our career, Kim says. He really believes in us. You step back and look at his success and how important The Isley Brothers have been and how hard Ronald works who better to emulate than him? In addition to The Isley Brothers, JS cite performers like Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin as role models (not coincidentally, all of these artists also began singing in church, then crossed stylistic boundaries into R&B and pop). Theyre the best at what they do, Kim notes. When you listen to a song by Aretha or Whitney, you really feel the emotion coming across in their voices. JS endeavored to achieve a similar depth of connection with their debut, which led them to a renowned cadre of collaborators. Ronald Isley introduced us to R. Kelly, Kim explains, and he fell in love with our sound and said he wanted to work with us. We couldnt believe how fortunate we were. Longing to explore a variety of sonic vistas, the ladies also sought out Tim and Bob (known for Sisqos multiplatinum single Thong Song, in addition to projects with TLC, 112 and Boyz II Men) and RL and Walter Millsap. (RL is also known as Robert Huggar, lead singer for the group Next and songwriter/producer for Usher, Luther Vandross and Jaheim, among others). Each producer brought out our best, Kim continues. Because when you deal with the best, you better be giving your best. The best is something JS have always felt compelled to give. Its what theyve always done and what they always plan to do. We have an eye on longevity, Kim confirms. We were born to do this, and we want to do it as long as God allows. 2) JS a.k.a. Justin and Sophia: a Taiwanese sibling duo One of Taiwan's most talented and underrated vocal groups, sibling duo - Justin and Sophia. JS finally releases a full-length album after a string of EPs in the past two years. One of their song was 杀破狼 (sha po lang), featured in the tv series 仙剑奇侠传. JS' new album 'You are the most beautiful scene in my life' Following up the duo's earlier JS EP Trilogy, the theme of their new album is "traveling love trilogy", integrating the experiences, observations, and sentiments gained from past travels and romances. Their trilogy of plugs is formed by "Love Backpacker", "Parallel Line", and title track "You are the Most Beautiful Scene in My Life".
