Anthems is the debut studio album by actress and singer Kerry Ellis which was released on 13 September 2010 by Decca Records.

Produced by rock musician Brian May, the album comprises eleven tracks that tap into all the different areas that Ellis had been part of in her professional career between the years 2000 and 2010.

May stated, "From the moment I first heard Kerry sing, I was entranced, and felt the conviction that I would one day make her album.

The hard thing was to find the right medium to harness that amazing voice – the material and arrangements had to be worthy, and a musical style evolved to capture her unique magic."

He quickly snapped her up to star in the Queen musical We Will Rock You in 2002, and it was in between rehearsals and performances that the two of them found the time to begin work on some new ideas.

A lot of performers now go in and do their vocals and leave it to the team to put it together, whereas I've been part of the whole creation and the production side of it; I've had a say in everything so I really feel that it is my album.

[5] The album opens with a distinctive Middle Eastern vibe from the Brian May-penned track "Dangerland", one of the two original songs to appear on Anthems, and then moves into the title song, a rock-tingled version of "Anthem" from the musical Chess, which was inspired by her involvement in Chess in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2008.

The second original song "I Can't Be Your Friend (This Can't Be Over)" is the album's third track while the subsequent Wicked tracks "Defying Gravity" and "I'm Not that Girl", possessing new rock-driven arrangements, reference her three-year stay in the musical and were also included on her first EP Wicked in Rock (2008).

When I was younger I always wanted to sing, perform and be in shows but I think the rocky side of me has always been there, it's just my route to it took the long way round," Ellis reminisced.

[2] After singing next track "You Have to Be There" (a song from the musical Kristina) to surprising reception at a public event in 2009, Ellis decided it should be included on Anthems.

Similarly, May encouraged that a cover of The Feeling's "Love it When You Call" be included after her fan base "erupted" when hearing Ellis sing it at her 2009 one-woman show.

Eighth track "Save Me", originally a Queen song, was first recorded by Ellis to front May's Save Me campaign that called on the British public to consider how their vote would affect the welfare of animals while "Diamonds are Forever", the album's ninth track, was included after Ellis sang it at the 2009 Henley Festival; English lyricist Don Black especially adapted some of the song's lyrics for her.

[7] It was made available to pre-order at online retailers like Amazon and Play.com in April 2010, and later on the UK's iTunes music store in August 2010.

[23][24] Charity performances, titled Anthems: The Concert, at the Royal Albert Hall supported this debut studio album.