Album- Neon
Artist- Jay Sean
Once upon a time British singer songwriter Jay Sean was one
of the rising stars of the worldwide music scene, with such hit songs as Down
and Do You Remember. But with an album that didn’t match up to the stars
singles success, and the long period between that release and a brand new
album, Jay Sean has seemingly gone back down to the bottom of the music pile,
with his latest record Neon only reaching 116 on the Billboard 200 and not even
charting in his native country. But is Neon really that bad an album
Track 1- Neon
Title track and opening number Neon is a typical
relationship driven pop number that is built around a simple guitar refrain and
continuous drumbeat. The song finds Sean in a seemingly euphoric state where
this girl makes his world seem like everything is neon, a sweet if bland pop
message that is made equally more inoffensive by Sean’s simple vocal
performance, which shows off some of his range nicely but also feels a bit
boring in terms of the vocal layering and the slight use of Auto Tune. The
production of the track seemingly tries to make this a powerful number, but
unfortunately the drums and guitar just feels like a sound that was too easily
created and lacks the originality that would make this a more exciting album
opener.
3/5
Track 2- Luckiest Man
Another firmly pop driven affair, Luckiest Man is a
straightforward love song from Sean where he sings of feeling lost after losing
this girl, as when they were in that relationship he was really lucky. The
message might be sweet and will please some of Sean’s female fans, but
ultimately the lyrics of the song are based in bland clichés that make this a
limp love song. The production value is powerful but the mixture of piano,
heavy bass and slight synth touches feels like a simple love song sound
designed to be something that would produce commercial success. Vocally,
however, Sean is on better form, giving us a vocal based a little more in his
higher register and which showcases the singer to better effect.
3/5
Track 3- Words
Beginning with a light vocal ‘ooh’ from Sean that signals
this is another typical pop track, Words is another more guitar driven piece
that is meant to act as more of a stadium sized stomper than the previous
tracks. The song’s lyrics do tread into cliché sounding territory, but the
message of being careful with the words you say as others can perhaps
misinterpret them and be hurt is a strong message that is here wrapped around a
catchy chorus. The songs light essence also allows for the singer to show off
his vocal power and create a vocal performance that really builds and grabs the
listener’s attention. The production does fail the song a little as the stadium
sized pop sound edges towards commercial One Direction cast off territory, but
this does bring the record into slightly stronger territory.
3.5/5
Track 4- Where You
Are
Neon’s lead single, Where You Are is ultimately a light pop
affair that could have been written and sung by a number of artists. The lyrics
find Sean singing of how this girl is great and how he just wants to be where
she is, but the lyrics are really bland and so heavily clichéd that you have a
hard time believing him. Sean’s voice is charismatic but not enough to hide boy
band clichés in the song, particularly in terms of the awful ‘yeahs’ and
‘oh’s’. The tracks production is equally bland, with the light pop guitar riff
and the bass just having this just there tone that doesn’t excite the listener
and makes the song an all-round no impression leaver.
2/5
Track 5- Guns and
Roses
Guns and Roses finds Sean in another state of boy band
driven guitar fodder, opening with an annoying ‘oh woah’ beginning that is pure
stupidity. The song focuses on Sean singing of this girl who can drive him out
of his mind, but if this girl loves him then it is worth it in the end. The
singer’s soft voice brings out the love based sentiment nicely, but every lyric
of the track seems like it has been pooled from the sea of past pop love songs.
Keeping the production based in this guitar loop is nice in creating a soft
setting that allows the lyrical message to shine, but it is also a sound that
shows that Sean is missing a few boy band members.
2.5/5
Track 6- Mars
(featuring Rick Ross)
With Mars the album is finally changed up to feature more of
a rumbling RnB sound. The production of the track is slick with a snappy bass
foundation and fluttering electro swirls that creates this seductive tone for
the song. The seductive essence of the track is also brought out by Sean’s
great use of his falsetto, where he is just really charismatic and lovely to
hear. The track finds Sean asking this girl if he can take her to mars because
he is high on her love, but the lyrics definitely just wash over you against
the vocals and production. However Rick Ross does provide a slick rap for the
bridge that gives the track a nice urban flavour, making this a welcome change
in the record.
3.5/5
Track 7- Miss Popular
Sticking with the more RnB driven vibe. Miss Popular finds
the singer telling this girl that he would wait on a girl like her, because she
is apparently just great. The song buys into that cliché of a beautiful girl
having guys lining up for her, but with the singer’s light vocal tone you can
kind of believe that he can be the man for such a girl. The rumbling drum beats
and guitar undertones creates a sound that keeps the track ticking along, but
it isn’t a sound that keeps you really invested in the song, nor does it sound
in any way original.
3/5
Track 8- Close to You
Once again the record is changed to more of a dance pop
orientated set with Close to You, a song that finds Sean telling this girl of
how he wants to get closer to her, because he can’t get her out of her mind.
The lyrics are more effective with this track, with the repetition in the
chorus actually sounding really catchy, whilst Sean’s vocal performance is
great has he gives us a lilting performance that is imbued with this sense of
charisma and which nicely utilises his falsetto in places. The stomping electro
rhythms also create a much more interesting tone that finds the singer almost
giving us a euphoric dance track that is actually fun to move around to.
3.5/5
Track 9- Deep End
The electronic based sound is kept going with Deep End, but
this time the bass is made a bit more forceful, and the work can almost be seen
to have a dubstep edge. Here we find Sean singing about how he doesn’t want to
spend another moment without this person and just wants to dive into the deep
end with them. The metaphor laden lyrics are quite catchy even if Sean relies
on clichés, whilst vocally things are nice as the singer’s voice shows a little
bit more depth, with the layering of his voice in the chorus making for a
catchier listen. The way that the production builds up into this stomping dance
breakdown after the chorus makes for a more dynamic song that sees the singer
fit into a much more interesting pop mould.
3.5/5
Track 10- Worth It
All
After the heavy dance pop edge of the last track the singer
transports us back to more acoustically driven RnB pop with Worth It All, a
song that focuses on Sean telling this girl that if they just keep going
through the motions with their relationship, then it will be worth it in the
end. The lyrical message is just a soppy idea embedded in so many pop clichés
it is terrible, whilst the blend of clattering beats and a simple piano line
creates such a typical RnB pop sound for this kind of track that I wouldn’t be
surprised if someone claims Sean has ripped them off. The songs only saving
grace is the singer’s light and slightly charismatic vocal, but even at this
stage is voice is too familiar and the type of performance he gives feels like
the same delivery for a number of songs.
2/5
Track 11- Passenger
Side
Beginning with this moody arrangement, Passenger Side is a
dark and sensual RnB track that finds the singer being more explicit. Sean
still plays the love struck man in terms of the lyrics depicting him as this
guy who wants this girl back in his life, but the song has much more of a
sexual innuendo laden quality. The singer’s vocal performance is also stronger
in terms of the layering of his voice giving the song a slightly rougher
texture in a way, whilst the bridge also sees Sean giving us quite a slick rap
style performance. The clattering bass and stuttering rhythm creates a cool RnB
flow to the song that is much more interesting than some of the other
production on the album.
3.5/5
Track 12- All on Your
Body (featuring Ace Hood)
Continuing with the sex based material, All on Your Body
finds Sean telling this girl to call him up for a good time, with this girl
being so great. The lyrics are catchy in their way but once again the clichés creep
in, whilst Sean also comes across as a bit egotistical. Vocally things are
slick and smooth, but there are a few Auto Tune moments that are just annoying.
Ace Hood provides a typical rap, and whilst the clunky beats and snappy dance
tone of the production is vibrant and more attention grabbing than some of the previous
material, the song is another track that seems like it has just been designed
for chart success.
3/5
Track 13- Breakadawn
The slinky, clicky beats of the production creates a cool
RnB flow to Breakadawn, but on the whole the song is really poor. Here we find
Sean singing of how he and this girl are just going to be having sex till the
break of dawn, with the whole lyrical composition sounding stupid, egotistical and
over repetitive. Busta Rhymes also provides an annoying rap that just washes
over you, and whilst the vocals are once again slick, they don’t do anything to
keep you interested in the song. The track also feels silly coming right after
the similarly positioned All on Your Body, so Sean just sounds like he can’t
make different music.
2.5/5
Track 14- Sucka for
You
If the change in sound on this record wasn’t enough, Sean
decides to go for it again with Sucka for You, a pop song that has a slight
reggae tinge. The song finds Sean telling us of how he is apparently a sucker
for this girl who is a bad person, with the whole lyrics having that foolish
man and femme fatale narrative idea that feels like the singer is just ripping
off a bunch of Hollywood films. The slight reggae tinge to the song with the
snappy beats also doesn’t do anything for the track, rather just feeling like
the singer want’s to cover all his musical bases so people will buy the record,
which ultimately just makes the record stupid.
2/5
Track 15- Universe
Final track Universe ends the album in a really clichéd way,
as Sean treats us to a soppy, acoustic led love ballad. The song finds the
singer telling this woman of how he loves her and how she is still so beautiful
to him, with this girl apparently being the centre of his universe. It is a
terrible male pop statement that is complete with a terrible ‘na na na’ hook,
and although Sean has a charismatic vocal style, the songs bland qualities are
unavoidable. The guitar riff is equally as stupid, and therefore it will only
be the singer’s female fans who love bland pop music that will like this track.
2/5
Final Review
Basically, Neon is a really bad pop and RnB album that is
embedded within a flurry of truly awful pop clichés, whilst the singer also
comes across as just choosing particular sounds so that his songs can cater to
different audiences and have commercial success. Sean does have a charismatic
voice, but more often than not he comes across like an ex boy band member who is
missing his fellow members for the work to sound good. Even at its best the
production of the album sounds unoriginal, and so it makes perfect sense that
Jay Sean has gone into relative obscurity in the mainstream charts.
3/10
Best Track- Deep End
Worst Track- Universe
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