On 28 November, Hasbro Pulse released a deluxe version of their 40th anniversary Jem EP, and turning it on is like opening a neon time capsule under a blacklight of nostalgic sound — the perfect companion to what’s already been released.

The set gathers all eight of the recent reimaginings, adds the sparkly mashup-mirage ｢Glitter & Guitars: The Truly Outrageous Jem Remix｣, and rounds things out with the full suite of instrumental versions, which leaves this collection feeling full, bright, and ready to strut into any 80s-themed slumber party or Stranger Things marathon. (Note: besides the new mash-up, only the instrumental of ｢Glitter & Gold｣ was previously unreleased.)

For fans (like me) who have already snapped up every ruby-anniversary release Hasbro has offered, this deluxe album doesn’t necessarily rewrite the songbook — but it doesn’t need to. The fact that it even exists at all is totally rad, and the celebration extends beyond the digital! Multiple vinyl variants, shining like collector’s candy, can be picked up in store or delivered straight to a doorstep.

The real magic behind the music is the fact that Hasbro reached out to the original singing voice of Jem, Britta Phillips, and brought her back into the studio for these releases. ｢She’s Got the Power｣ remains my favorite. It’s such a fantastic song, and from the first note, it’s just… magic.

For so many 80s babies, these were the first pop songs that taught us what feeling could sound like. Jem wasn’t just an animated singer performing songs aimed at children. These were real songs, written by real songwriters (Anne Bryant, Barry Harman, Ford Kinder), and there was emotional electricity that, for me, has charged an entire lifetime of imagination.

Even now, I find myself returning to these songs whenever I need a lift or a little escape hatch — and Jem unfailingly deliver. They’re sugar-coated sonic Xanax, shimmering reminders that joy can be loud, sincerity can be electric, and nostalgia can be the gentlest medicine — and clearly, I’m not the only one who thinks so.

With the first press hitting not one but two of Billboard’s Top 50 charts, it says something about the desire to finally have an actual soundtrack for the series — which, until now, aside from a few cassette tapes released with the original doll line, has never truly hit the airwaves. Fans need this music.

This deluxe EP may not have every song I want, but it’s brilliant — and truly, truly, truly outrageous!

There will be more Jem and the Holograms soon so…

Stay Tuned!