Norah Jones Takes Bigger Songwriting Role On New Album
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
AP Music Writer

Norah Jones

Fans of Norah Jones will get a little more insight into the Grammy-winning singer when she releases her new album, “Not Too Late,” in January: For the first time, she has written or co-written all the songs.

“I think it reflects more sides of my personality than my first two records did. It has different sides to it, it has a lot more variety to it,” the 27-year-old singer said in a recent phone interview with The Associated Press.

Jones’ first record, a mix of jazzy, folky tunes, 2002’s “Come Away With Me,” was a runaway success and sold more than 8 million records in the United States, fueled by the smoky tune “Don’t Know Why,” which she didn’t write.

Her sophomore album, “Feels Like Home,” featured more of Jones’ songwriting talents. But “Not Too Late,” due out Jan. 30, is the first time she has had a hand in all the songs.

“The main reason I didn’t do it before is because I didn’t have the songs!” Jones said with a laugh.

But she’s been spending more time over the last few years working on songs.

“Songwriting was a newer thing for me in the past five, six years. I’m just excited that I have these songs. I’m really proud of them, I do feel they’re a little different than the songs I wrote on my first two records,” she said.

Jones said her new songs are a bit more intimate, with a bit of humor, but still retain the laid-back feel of her previous records.

“It has more of a playfulness to it,” she said. “There’s different elements we haven’t used in the past, like horns.”

She also has been experimenting with different styles of music; she’s been spotted in a New York City club playing with a punk band, and Jones and her friends released an album comprised of mainly country covers.

Jones’ music hasn’t been the only thing she’s been working on lately. She also has a starring role in the upcoming film “My Blueberry Nights,” with Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz.

She said the movie was a welcome diversion: “I’ve been playing music since I was a little kid ... it’s fun to do something different.”

But while Jones said she’d love to do another film, she isn’t planning to quit her day job.

“I’m not going to be making a bunch of movies,” she said. “I don’t consider myself a double threat or anything. It was a great opportunity...something fun to try.”