Album- Alive
Artist- Jessie J
Jessie J as undoubtedly become one of the biggest female
stars to come out of the UK, being the first female to have six top ten hits
from her debut album in the UK and achieving worldwide success. Yet with her
new record the singer has stated that she is more mature, reflecting this in
the records sound and showing her listeners where she is in her life now. The
album also kind of steps away from the slightly cartoonish image that led the
singers Who You Are album era. But is the album really all that it is painted
out to be, or has the singer just created a subpar record that tries to be
awesome and fails to meet expectations.
Track 1- It’s My
Party
Opening track It’s My Party is a stomping, pure pop number
which features a vocally feisty Jessie J singing about her musical ‘haters’
over vibrant guitar riffs and thumping drum beats. The tracks production gives
the song a perfect lift up your spirits energy that is infectious, although the
sound is perhaps a bit too familiar when reflecting on the similarity between
this and the singers hit single Domino. Vocally the singer layers her voice
with attitude, with the two moments of her just talking being biting additions
to the track that make this a song perfect to listen to if you are sick of the
way some people treat you. And while the lyrics are in many ways more personal
in terms of her music and celebrity lifestyle, the chorus is a pure catchy pop
moment with a defiant statement centrepiece that people will identify with, and
so all the components add up for a track to just dance along to and go a bit
crazy to.
3.5/5
Track 2- Thunder
Thunder is another stomping tune
but has more of a hopeful essence and a more emotional resonance than the
previous track. Over glittering synths Jessie J sings of how this person is
like thunder to her in terms of how they bring her out of the dark places and
bad attitudes she finds herself in, with the metaphorical imagery being powerful
and making for a sweet but strong love song. The chorus is once again a catchy
pop number, and vocally the song is great in terms of the way that the singer
controls her voice in the verses and then builds up to really unleash her vocal
power in the chorus, and even more powerfully in the bridge. The tracks synth
based sound with the stomping bass nicely compliments the tracks lyrical
message, and what is lovely about this song also is that although it is
produced by two hit making producers of the moment, Stargate and Benny Blanco,
it doesn’t have that I can easily identify who produced this track quality that
can sometimes be quite annoying, and really seems to remain true to who Jessie
J is as an artist.
3.5/5
Track 3- Square One
From the sweetness of the previous track we enter into more
emotionally powerful territory with Square One, a mid tempo track that finds
Jessie J singing of how she doesn’t want to go back to a place where it feels
like her relationship with this person has just started. The lyrics of the song
are quite touching in their simplicity and honesty, with the chorus having this
pleading tone and simplicity that is infectious to listen to. Jessie J is once
again vocally great, with this song really allowing her to show off the ability
she has vocally in terms of holding notes and really layering the lyrics with
emotion through her voice. The Auto Tuned male vocal moments act as this cool
emotional counterpoint to Jessie’s vocals and add to the songs appealing tone,
whilst the guitar and bass heavy sound production wise is superb in capturing
the intensity of the songs message, with the guitar riffs in the final chorus
being of an epic texture that makes for a fine finish to the track.
3.5/5
Track 4- Sexy Lady
After the emotional intensity of the previous track we go
into more confident territory with Sexy Lady, and as well as this we also go
from a pop track with an RnB lilt to a more pure pop moment. An inspirational
track, Sexy Lady is lyrically focused on the idea of women being confident in
any and every way and just showing their sexiness because they can, with the
song’s lyrics being simple but attention grabbing and inspirational. The song
vocally has a cool attitude that is inspirational in its own way because
vocally the singer instils confidence into her female listeners and also shows
off her own sexiness. But for me the best part of this song has to be the
production, as the guitar riffs that act as the main body of the songs sound
grab your attention from the beginning, and it is a sound that never wavers in
its infectious energy. And with the absolutely amazing guitar solo before the
last chorus, this is just a great pop number which although it largely only
appeals to women, I think it should just be released as a single just because
it sounds so great.
4.5/5
Track 5- Harder We
Fall
Continuing with the guitar based sound that the previous
track had, although with a lighter texture, Harder We Fall is another confident
and inspiring pop number that has a bit of a folksy quality as well. The song
focuses on how people make mistakes but you just have to live life and
understand that mistakes are made, but life is great, and you just have to pick
yourself up and try again. The way the track dips in the intensity in sound from
just this light guitar riff, to heavy bass drum, to this awesome gospel feel,
the song has this ethereal tone that is infectious, and although the chorus
isn’t as catchy as the previous tracks, the simplicity and honesty of the
message is once again very appealing. Vocally the song also is quite inspiring,
making this a good tune in that it shows Jessie J is an artist who wants to be
positive and make a difference in the world, which is great.
3.5/5
Track 6- Breathe
Co-written with girl of the moment Sia Furler, Breathe is a
heavy and also light, emotional music piece that features poetic lyrics and a
forceful bass heavy sound mixed with gentle piano to really bring out the power
and emotion of the track. Here Jessie J sings of how this person can breathe
with her if they just love her, with the catchy chorus being infectious in its
emotional intensity, and overall the lyrics are of a good quality,
particularly in terms of their poetical feel. Vocally the singer allows for the
power of her voice to really convey the intensity of the tracks lyrics,
particularly in term of the simple but powerful line ‘love me’. My only issue
with this track is that the blend of synths, piano and heavy beats is nice but
is perhaps just a touch too harsh, with the beats of the production edging into
dubstep territory that makes the track feel like it is trying to fit into a
current trend.
3.5/5
Track 7- I Miss Her
Remaining emotionally intense but perhaps going one step
further, I Miss Her is probably Jessie J at her most vulnerable and personal
within this record. The song was inspired by someone close to the singer who is
affected by an illness, with the singer expressing her sadness and love for
this person as she misses her because she feels like this illness has taken
away the person she once knew. The emotional honesty of the lyrics is
beautiful, and vocally the singer warbles and sings with such strength that
things are so sincere, painful and powerful that it just makes this a song that
really shows how amazing Jessie J is as a vocalist and how she will definitely
go down in history for her voice. Backed by simple and equally powerful piano
and string production, this is a vulnerable but stunning musical moment.
4/5
Track 8- Daydreamin
From the pain and simplicity of the last track we enter into
more funky, synth pop based vibrancy with Daydreamin, a track that feels quite
influenced by 80’s music. The song focuses on Jessie J telling us and this
person of how she has these feelings for them that makes her be in this state
of daydreaming, with the singer wanting this persons love but also kind of
wanting them to say that it isn’t going to happen. The vocal layering of the
song nicely brings out the tracks message and at this point you really
understand how great Jessie J is because she really does convey her feeling not
just through her great and catchy lyrics but through her awesome voice. The
stomping groove of the production with the quirky synth notes makes for a funky
tune that you can slide and dance along to in a state of you daydreaming along
with Jessie.
3.5/5
Track 9- Excuse My
Rude (featuring Becky G)
Featuring a hip hop tinged sound with snappy beats and a
forceful attitude. Excuse My Rude is a feisty moment from the singer that feels
like a cousin of her debut single Do It Like a Dude, although this time she is
focusing on relationships. The song finds the singer telling this person that
she Is sad things have turned out this way but because of what they have done
she has to express the fat that she hates them. The repetition in the verses
could be potentially annoying for some but the quirk of those sections makes
the forcefulness of the chorus a bit more powerful, and whilst she doesn’t sing
in the high register, powerful way of some of the former album tracks, the song
is still vocally great in that she brings the songs aggressive and also
slightly heartbroken message out through her vocal tone. The production is
equally forceful and catchy, and with a vibrant, snappy and equally catchy rap
section from rising star Becky G, I wouldn’t be surprised if this became a
single in the future.
3.5/5
Track 10- Wild
(featuring Big Sean & Dizzee Rascal)
The song that started of the whole album and marked a new
chapter for the singer musically, Wild is a feisty, vibrant dance pop number
with a little bit of a hip hop twist. The tracks lyrics find the singer exclaiming
of being amazed at her life and feeling that in her fantasy she is running
Wild, with the lyrics featuring a ridiculously catchy chorus and having that
nice quality of feeling like a love letter to her fans, but also having that
quality of being relatable to people in different ways. The addition of two
rappers on the track is perhaps a little excessive, but the way Dizzee Rascal
and Big Sean compliment each other in terms of their American and British
energy and sound is great, and somehow the excessiveness doesn’t feel that bad.
And with addictive beats that add to the songs power in capturing your
attention, it is definitely the best choice for lead single.
4/5
Track 11- Gold
Going back to more of a pop orientated sound, Gold is a
another song that could equally feel like a love letter to the singers fans and
how much she is grateful for her success, as the singer sings of how being in
this magical moment where this person/s make her feel like gold because of the
love that is shown for her. The catchy chorus is made greater in terms of the
way the singer really holds various notes and the way that at times her voice
is layered to great effect, making the song having this light, ethereal tone
that is awesome to hear. The mid tempo sound of the track with light guitar
riffs and shimmering synths just adds to the songs ethereal quality, making
this a song that could be great to listen to in the morning and make you feel
positive about life.
3.5/5
Track 12- Conquer the
World (featuring Brandy)
Featuring a guitar based sound with heavy drum beats and RnB pop quality, Conquer the World finds
the singer asking her lover to not give up and fight for love, because together
they are unstoppable. The message is sweet and simple and catchy, and the song
works great in terms of the blending if Jessie’s vocals with one of the singers
idols, Brandy. The song really suits Brandy but doesn’t feel like we are seeing
Jessie J compromise who she is as an artist, and instead it is just this
awesome conglomeration of two awesome vocalist. The tracks sound is simple but
equally powerful and nicely allows the singers two vocals to shine in a great
way, so that this is just an all-round lovely duet.
3.5/5
Track 13- Alive
Ending the record is title track Alive, which is a song that
is all about positivity and which seems designed to be a great, crowd pleasing
song destined to be sung live. Here the singer basically sings about
celebrating life and fighting the hard times to be in a state of throwing your
hands up and showing the world that you are truly alive. The message is
potentially clichéd but the singer manages to pull it off, and vocally the
light positivity of the message is brought out to great effect. The punchy
sound of the track with the slightly funky synths and great dance like
breakdown of the middle section is a pleasure to listen to, making this a
lovely finish to the record.
3.5/5
Final Review
Written and largely produced over the space of five weeks in
comparison to the seven years that resulted in her first studio album, Alive is
definitely a different musical chapter in the singers career, But the fact that
this record was produced in such a shorter time frame doesn’t mean that we are
given a substandard record, but rather we are given a record that still feels
relevant to the singers previous album and shows things that we expect from the
singer, but also shows artistic growth and a greater understanding of Jessie J
as an artist. The eclectic nature of the singer is still very much present but
compared to her last album things feel that bit more cohesive despite that
eclectic style, and each song is great in terms of the catchy lyrics and superb
quality of the production. But what is definitely the best element of the
record is Jessie J’s voice, which is so powerful and emotive it is just a
pleasure to listen to, and just makes for a great record.
8.5/10
Best Track- Sexy Lady
Worst Track- Breathe
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