2026 is shaping up to be the summer of Jem. Britta Phillips is not only returning as the voice of the iconic animated rock idol, but will also perform her first-ever concert as Jem during San Diego Comic-Con. Meanwhile, Hasbro Pulse has expanded its Music is Magic EP into a deluxe edition with the release of another lovingly reimagined classic: ｢Deception｣. 

Much of the success of this musical revival can be credited to New York born, Los Angeles based producer Skyler Cocco. Working alongside an almost entirely female creative team, she has become one of the driving forces behind the franchise’s reimagined catalogue, carefully balancing nostalgia with contemporary production.

“Reimagining any song can be tricky and I didn’t want to deviate too far from the original sound,” Cocco said during an exclusive interview with Life in Cartoon Motion. 

I’ll admit that ｢Deception｣ has never ranked among my favorite Jem songs. While it’s always been a solid pop track, even as a child I found it difficult to sympathize with Rio’s predicament. The song hinges on Jerrica feeling guilty for keeping her identity as Jem a secret, yet Rio was simultaneously carrying on a romance with both women—without realizing they were the same person. It made his heartbreak a little harder to buy, and the emotional core of the song never resonated with me as strongly as many of the series’ other classics like ｢It Depends on the Mood I’m in｣ or ｢She’s Got the Power｣. 

That’s precisely why this reimagining surprised me as much as it did.

Cocco gives the song a fresh coat of sonic paint, carefully updating its production while remaining remarkably faithful to the original. Rich vocal harmonies, polished instrumentation, and a more cinematic sense of scale breathe new life into a song I had largely overlooked for decades. Rather than trying to reinvent ｢Deception｣, she reveals the strength that was always there.

“｢Deception｣ was the most fun to make and an absolute brain workout to produce with a lot of key changes and backing vocal stacks,” Cocco explained.

That passion is evident in every second of the finished track. While I’ve enjoyed each of Hasbro’s reimagined releases, ｢Deception｣ may be Cocco’s most accomplished production yet—and proof that she was the right woman for the job.

Even Synergy would be proud.

You can stream or purchase ｢Deception｣ alongside the other 14 reimagined Jem and the Holograms tracks—as well as the Cold Slither remix of the original theme song—through most major digital retailers and streaming platforms worldwide. Audiophiles can also pick up a 24-bit/48 kHz high-resolution download through Qobuz.

There will be more Jem and the Holograms (And the complete Skylar Cocco interview soon so….

Stay Tuned!