Jessie J- Who You Are (Platinum Edition) Album Review

Album- Who You Are (Platinum Edition)

　

Artist- Jessie J

Another example of how the Brit Critics Choice Award really does get it right when it comes to the most promising new artist, the 2011 recipient has had massive global success and sixth top ten singles and a million selling debut album in the UK alone. But does this album really deserve all the hype and success? Or is it really just an example of how when the critics say listen and buy this, the public are all too willing to do exactly what they say?

　

Track 1- Price Tag (featuring B.O.B)

The opening track is a proper feel good track with such a catchy chorus and sound that you cant help but really love it. Lyrically the track is really smart but simple and effective, talking about how we need to forget all the money issues and costs of today’s world and just live life, with Jessie talking about how she wants to make the world dance. The song features a powerful vocal from Jessie, with her light tone bringing a nice groove to the song, particularly in terms of the word repetition. The track sits on a bed of slinky guitars and a vintage backbeat that have cool reggae vibe an make for a great up tempo mood, happy mood. The B.O.B feature is cool and gives bit of swag to the track, plus provides a great bridge that makes for a strong, get up and dance right now finish.

5/5

Track 2- Nobody’s Perfect

This track brings us down to a more mid tempo setting and is a bit more raw in that it is lyrically about the end of this relationship in which Jessie has basically messed up and she just wants to be forgiven, as she has realised nobody is perfect. The song is production wise given a powerful base and clattering drum beats and string moments that are strong but don’t feel as powerful as the previous track. However vocally she lets rip more in this song, particularly in terms of the bridge and final chorus, and so an essence of believability to the song. It’s not bad but I would recommend getting the single version of the song instead as that features heavier beats and a re-recorded vocal that makes for a more polished and all-round nicer sounding song.

3/5

Track 3- Abracadabra

The up tempo record comes back with this shiny, Americanised number that is another brilliant collaboration with producer Dr. Luke. The songs lyrics may be a little clichéd but they definitely have a sense of charm about them, with Jessie talking about this person who is so good she just is so in love and what tem to stay and she just has to have them, using magic to get her way. The song maybe clichéd but the vocals are brilliant, with the layered pre chorus being cute and quirky and the chorus being really punchy but light and just immediately catchy, with the hook being nice and simple. Dr. Luke uses a powerful bass and some subtle synths that just give bouncy, up beat sound and so you cant help but smile.

4/5

Track 4- Big White Room (Live)

One of the most emotional and personal songs on the record is a stripped back affair inspired by when Jessie was in hospital and she saw a young male friend of hers praying to God, but who sadly died during an operation the next day. All about how wishing to not be in this place of illness and just wishing to be free to live life. The song is set over simple acoustic guitar and is backed emotionally by a powerful vocal that is full of licks and trills that many singers would be envious off cause she pulls it off so well.

4/5

Track 5 Casualty of Love

This track is a soft pop number with a sing along chorus and a bordering on soulful kind of feel. The track is according to Jessie about finding your inner strength, but lyrically it just doesn’t feel as snappy and catchy as the previous numbers. And although her soft vocals and powerful tone is strong and does have that kind of uplifting quality, the track features very Alicia Key’s esque in tone, particularly in terms of the piano instrumentation in the background. So whilst she says she had to fight for the song to be a record, its similarities with the work of other artists and pretty much all-round you can just skip it nature makes it seem like those who were against it being on the record were totally right.

1.5/5

Track 6- Rainbow

With a powerful trippy beat that makes for a very much RnB vibe to the track, this mid tempo number is a kind of Price Tag 2.0 in my opinion in terms of its just bask in the amazing quality of the world and get up and dance. The songs production features powerful clattering beats that just give a really great groove to the song, and here her powerful vocals really shine well and feel really inspiring. The tracks lyrics employ the use of imagery and are all about how there are many different types of people in the world and we are just part of this rich tapestry of life, like a rainbow. It’s a simple but strong ideology that is pulled off with pizzazz in terms of the catchy chorus.

3.5/5

Track 7- Who’s Laughing Now

Took to the bosoms of many listeners as an anti bullying anthem, this track is lyrically all about he people who bullied Jessie for her music earlier in life and who now show interest in her cause she Is “famous”. But whilst the song is definitely strong and very resonate with many listeners, the song also is a little bit awkward in that it feels a little bit too personal, with Jessie being a little catty towards those people who mocked her. Yet with some cool hip hop kick beats and flourishes of piano that are combined with a strong vocal and diva-esque ad libs that are really strong, we can forgive her cattiness and just sing along with her.

2.5/5

Track 8- Do It Like A Dude

With a strong pop and RnB sound that feature some great rock guitar riffs, this debut single of Jessie’s is a powerful tongue in cheek but empowering number where we find Jessie talking about how she can just be as cool and commanding as any dude in the world. Its strength lies in how it’s empowering but it isn’t an annoying I hate men stereotype of a song. The production is commanding, and the vocals have cool swag and potent tone that really makes you think she is speaking the truth. It may be sonically different but it still sounds great on the record.

4/5

Track 9- Mamma Knows Best

Described by Jessie as being about self esteem and making a comeback, this high energy bluesy jazz number finds the singer talking about how her mother (and father) are always their to just pick her up when she’s down, whilst also telling her guy to just leave. The songs big band sound really fits well with her strong vocals which feature a lot of ad libs and a vocal that is really just quirky but also effortlessly cool. It’s not as catchy as it could be but it has enough lights energy and forcefulness in sound to make for a good track.

3.5/5

　

Track 10- L.O.V.E

This track is really embodied within its title. It’s sweet, cute and heartfelt and lyrically talks about how she wasn’t going to write about love but when it feels this good she just has to. Although the message does feel quite stereotypical, the lightness of her tone makes the message sound less corny. And it’s just sweet and strong vocally, with production being simple and just creating a nice groove. It’s a little bland when she says this is completely honest, but either way it’s a nice listen.

3/5

Track 11- Stand Up

Here we find Jessie again in I want to inspire people mode, and so at this point it feels a little bit like she is trying to hard. However the track does work in terms of the simplicity of its sound and the almost acoustic kind of production. The vocals are good but at this point are a little annoying, and the lyrics just are to strongly trying to inspire, with the talking bits just being annoying.

2/5

Track 12- I Need This

This song was surprisingly recorded first by Chris Brown and featured as a bonus track on his third record Graffiti. However as a stronger vocalist and perhaps with her writing the song, the track works better for Jessie and feels very welcome on her album. The song is all about how Jessie need to take a break from the relationship to get her head clear and she doesn’t want to be held back, but she will come back. It’s a potent message that is given finesse by her smooth vocals that are so powerful you cant help but get a sense of passion from her as a singer. The songs features a strong piano melody and booming drum beats and guitar riffs that make for an awesome, epic sound and bring the album back to a stronger musical state.

4/5

Track 13- Who You Are

The album’s title track is an emotional ballad that is emotionally and lyrically beautiful, with an epic sounding production that is simple but strong. The sound is very acoustic, with light guitar strumming in the verses then being backed by a stong but steady and nice drum beat, as well as cool electric guitar in the post chorus. The song is all about staying true to yourself and not getting caught up in any situation where you will lose yourself. It’s a message that could have been so bland, but here Jessie gives it a poetic feel and with her strong vocal you know that she has struggled with this herself and is really just trying to help people and inspire them to not lose themselves, but not in an annoying this is what I am trying to do way.

5/5

Track 14- Domino

The first of three bonus tracks on the platinum edition of her record is a up tempo pop number that is deliciously infectious and instant attention grabbing number you have to love. The songs lyrics speak about this person just making Jessie feel so good and knocking her out emotionally like a domino, and they just all round feel fun and have a really catchy chorus. The pop rock production is light and dancey and just makes you want to smile, and vocally she’s strong but also doesn’t use to many tricks vocally and so doesn’t sound annoying as she potentially could have made the song. Like the artists that inspired the song made many tracks, this is a timeless pop number.

5/5

Track 15- My Shadow

The second bonus track is a down tempo ballad where Jessie speaks of how her lover is like her shadow in that they will always be around in her life. The songs a sweet number that features a nice hook but is a little bland in terms of overall composition ,with the vocals being stereotypically breathy and the production being a smooth but bland tone.

3/5

Track 16- Laserlight (featuring David Guetta)

The final bonus track is a strong dance pop affair created after the pair originally collaborated for Guetta’s album Nothing But the Beat. The track is all about this person making Jessie feel so god and in that way acting as her personal laser light. Her soaring vocals a matched perfectly with the high octane beats of Guetta’s production that is both shimmering and light but also really forceful and energetic, particularly in terms of the post chorus dance moments. Although it feels a little unoriginal in composition, it also showcases anew side to Jessie and shows that she could be a great artist in the dance pop world.

4/5

Final Review

It’s both easy to love Jessie and easy to hate her. This is because whilst she makes some really, really good tunes that are parts empowering and inspiring, and parts fun and vibrant, the record as a whole is really eclectic. Whilst it is really good in my opinion to be musically diverse on a record, you also still need to have a sense of cohesiveness, something which I believe is lacking here. I also think that she should have perhaps produced more pure pop tracks, as these are the songs where she really shines. So whilst it’s an interesting debut, there is work to be done, and it would have perhaps worked better as record if some of the songs were cut for a shorter, more compact but solid debut, and if she had held back sometimes with the ad libs.

7/10