18...
18... is the debut studio album by Chinese singer and songwriter G.E.M., released on October 27, 2009, by Forward Music, Hummingbird Music and Sony Music. The album contains twelve songs that spans various genres and styles such as pop, R&B, soul, and rock ballads. Produced by Lupo Groinig, its lyrics were predominately written by G.E.M. with collaborators such as Anie Fann and Mini Choi.
18... features the songs "All About U", "A.I.N.Y", and "Mascara". The Taiwanese edition of the album was released in May 2010, which features a Mandarin version of "Where Did U Go" from G.E.M..
Background
The album title 18...' refers to G.E.M.'s age at the time, and records her mood, love, and views on the world and her own life when she was 18. All the songs in the album were either written or co-written by G.E.M. herself. In addition, the album cover, related visuals and music videos were shot in Japan, and some of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles, USA.Songs
G.E.M. said that when she first heard the demo of "All About U," she did not feel very strongly about it. It was not until she listened to it repeatedly on the flight to Los Angeles for recording that she gradually appreciated the charm of the song and began to write the lyrics. “A.I.N.Y." is a song that G.E.M. wrote out of fantasy while taking a shower, not her emotional experience; the song's concept is ”Even though I need you, I still have to leave you". "Mascara" was a song written by G.E.M. after she experienced her first heartbreak. "G.E.M. " is an interactive song; G.E.M. invited all employees of her company to record it together, and then compiled it into a theme song to introduce the meaning of her English stage name. "18" is a commemorative song written by Deng Ziqi to commemorate her adulthood, expressing this once-in-a-lifetime mood in the form of self-recording and singing.When the album was first released in mainland China and Taiwan, G.E.M. specially adapted the track "Where Did U Go" into Mandarin and wrote "Endless Tenderness" based on her second relationship.