Jewel is responding to the war in Iraq rather unpredictably -- by going electronic.

"During the Second World War, big band music was at its zenith," the Alaskan singer/songwriter said recently. "I knew we were headed to war, and I wanted to make a record that was fun, that made you have the same feelings as big band music and just makes you want to lose yourself in rhythm and feel passionate and young."

Jewel is still finishing the as-yet-untitled project but has set a June 3 release date and is issuing the first single, "Intuition," this week.

Cuban-American Lester Mendez (Shakira, Enrique Iglesias) is producing the album, which also features a collaboration with Will Smith's former music maker DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Jewel's first foray into electronic music came last year, when a remix of "Serve the Ego," from 2001's This Way, reached #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music Club chart.

"I loved hip-hop and rap when I was first exposed to it in the '80s," Jewel explained in a statement. "I loved the beats, and I loved the artists who had the ability to be very lyrical with those beats. I also like the hypnotic nature of dance music. There is something very primordial about it.

"So you are going to hear my love of all these types of music on the new album, and I tried to combine them in a way that makes sense. You have folk melodies against hip-hop beats against a French accordion against hand clapping and whistling solos, but it still really sounds like me."

Jewel has also been writing her third book, a collection of "sexy love poems," and she's been staging contests around the country to discover emerging talent. The finalists, listed on www.soulcitycafe.com, will compete for an opening slot on her next tour.

In the meantime, since she has an aunt and uncle in the Marines, Jewel is closely following the conflict in Iraq.

"I'm glad people are talking about it now," she said. "It's gotten to where it's frightening to see how little people are being encouraged to speak against it. I wish it wasn't happening, but I'd hate for the troops to feel unsupported. I don't make the decisions. It's frustrating."