Album- Me, You &
the Music
Artist- Jessica
Sanchez
Settling into the runner up position (or even just getting knocked
out at an earlier stage) on TV singing contests doesn’t mean that you don’t
have what it takes to make it in the music industry, with such examples as Adam
Lambert and One Direction showing how sometimes the winner of the show isn’t
actually the winner in the music industry. Here Jessica Sanchez offers us an
album that showcases her powerful vocals in a dance pop and RnB tinged world
that is aimed firmly at top 40 radio. But does the album really offer up the
goods for her to be a successful idol runner up?
Track 1- Right to
Fall
From the outset Sanchez signals that she is positioning
herself as a chart and club ready diva with this electro, dace pop number that
wouldn’t sound out of place on a few other artists records. Co penned by
current hit maker Ester Dean, the song is lyrically all about how Sanchez feels
so strongly about this relationship and doesn’t care what others think, with
the chorus focusing on her asking her love to fight for what they have, in this
case referencing the idea of falling in love. The lyrics are simple and nothing
that hasn’t been heard before, but the dipping from lightness to deepness is
strong within the track, and the chorus is catchy in its simplicity. The songs
potential blandness is also stopped by giving such a track to a really
competent and great vocalist, with Sanchez imbuing the chorus with a true sense
of power and sinceirity and showing off her vocal prowess nicely in the ad
libbing of the final chorus, although the track is perhaps hindered a little by
a little bit of Auto Tune on her voice. The Underdogs give the track a nice
electro bass line and simple dance pop energy that gives you the chance to both
chill and dance around listening to the track, and so whilst this is very much
radio friendly territory, it’s still a
nice pop tune that has a sense of clarity and gloss and still shows that
she is a powerful vocalist and personality wise a nice girl.
3.5/5
Track 2- Tonight
(featuring Ne-Yo)
It doesn’t hurt to get a good feature, and so for this track
and the records lead single Sanchez brings in the songs co-writer and RnB
vocalist Ne-Yo, who brings his smooth tones to a club ready track that is all
about having fun. The lyrical concept of the song is suited to the beginning of
the weekend, as it focuses on the idea of people who have been working all week
and are just stressed, and focuses within the chorus of just going out and
losing yourself. The message is another offering that is stereotypical but has
the power and fun vitality to still sound great, with the chorus having a catchy
tone and memorable lyrical quality. The track also shows how Sanchez is a
strong vocalist in terms of the restrain that she puts on her voice within the
verses that gives us this simmering energy that bursts forth into the get up
and dance chorus. The vocals are also strong in terms of the male, female vocal
off, with Ne-Yo complimenting Sanchez nicely in terms of vocal ability and also
giving the song a hint of RnB swag. Producers Stargate (another staple of the
current mainstream music scene) provide a nice blend of simple piano melodies
with heavy, dance orientated beats that sound familiar in the pop radio
atmosphere of today but still manage to a have a light and catchy quality,
creating another track that is once again familiar but still sounds good.
3.5/5
Track 3- Don’t Come
Around
Interpolating Tom Petty’s “Don’t Come Around Here No More”,
the third track is another confident offering from the singer that is lyrically
feistier in tone than the previous tracks, as Sanchez sings to this man and all
about how he is a waste of space, with the chorus telling him to basically just
leave her alone. The track is another track that finds the singer melding into
another template of the current pop music scene, but this time things are a
little lighter and more organic rather than club ready, channelling more Mariah
Carey pop RnB territory compared to the previous Rihanna like club elements of
the previous tracks. However, vocally the song is a little more akin to Rihanna
as Sanchez employs island tones within the track, particularly within the pre
chorus sections. It is weird and nice at the same time, and is perhaps just a
mode that feels a bit unnecessary and questionable if she is trying to go for
proper chart success by doing such a thing. The more normal tone vocals a nice,
with a slight feisty edge but still smooth tone, although the song could
perhaps have a little more girt vocally. The production perhaps makes up for
the lack of vocal grit with the thumping bass combined with twinkling melodies
that create a swaying rhythm that allows the anger of the lyrics to shine that
little bit more.
3.5/5
Track 4- Crazy Glue
Featuring the first writing credit from Sanchez herself, the
fourth track is also the first ballad of the record and reminds us powerfully of
why she was the runner up of American Idol’s eleventh season: because she truly
is an awesome vocalist. Ballads will naturally show of her vocal power, and
here she gives a performance that would rival many divas of the pop world and
cements her as a great vocalist, with the great thing being that she cannot
only really belt the notes out but brings such a smooth tone and also shows
restraint, making for a strong ballad. Not a heartbreak ballad, this track is
actually a really sweet lyrical message all about how Sanchez and her beau work
so well together and she is always going to stay by him, comparing this to the
idea of holding onto him like when you use crazy glue. The simple sincerity of
the track is what really captures you, and although at first the lyrics and the
production with its military style drumbeats and orchestra sounds quite
stereotypical and prepares you for a bland song that we have heard before, by
the end you are won over by the emotion and the light, fragile tone of the
singer that is so appealing.
3.5/5
Track 5- No One
Compares (featuring Prince Royce)
Latin music star Prince Royce joins Sanchez for this sweet
track begins as quite a stripped back ballad before unleashing into this full
on, get up and dance and lose yourself in the euphoria, club kind of track. The
song is very simple lyrically, as the two singers basically play off against
each other by singing of how great the other is, all being centred on the
repetitive hook of no one compares. The simplicity of it all is what really
drives the track and layers it with this pure, sweet essence that is very
appealing. And although the sound that producer Toby Gad creates for the record
could potential jar with the deepness of the lyrics, the ambience of the
propulsive beats has that deep but light energy that is needed to create a club
track that still has the spark of depth, and so this is definitely one of the
finer moments on the record. The song is also helped by the power of Sanchez
and Royce’s vocals, with both singers allowing the song and their voices to
build in a way that is very natural, and never over reaching in terms of vocal
ability, which would have made the song sound clichéd.
3.5/5
Track 6- In Your
Hands
Sanchez keeps the love-struck, happy tone of the record continuing
with this electro pop tune that has an RnB tinge to it. The happiness is there
in terms of how Sanchez really believes in the relationship that she is in, but
the song lyrically as a little bit of hop and desperation within it, as Sanchez
sings of how the love could instantly go away and just asking her man to
believe in her. The song isn’t as catchy as previous offerings, but this is
made up for in the vocal performance, which really builds and just becomes more
powerful with every second, so by the end you would be a fool to not believe
what Sanchez is singing. However, the production this time is a little bit hit
and miss. Toby Gad was very on point with the last track, but whilst the
clattering RnB beats of that act as the backbone of the track are very nice,
the sound is that bit too familiar in today’s music scene, and the almost
frenzied electronic tone that is layered in the chorus sounds grating rather
than catchy.
3/5
Track 7- Plastic
Roses
Another ballad, this time more traditional and with a
prominent RnB flavour, Plastic Roses is a heartbreak song that is lyrically
based in the idea that Sanchez doesn’t believe in her man, as she sees through
his lies and knows his love is not real, metaphorically enveloping this in the
idea of plastic roses. Sanchez once again shows of his voice without feeling
the need to go overboard, allowing the fragility of the song to come out more,
particularly in terms of the softer moments of transition, particularly the
bridge. Production wise the track is based in a simple piano melody and gentle
guitar riffs, tied together in the chorus with a forceful drum beat. It’s once
again another song that isn’t original but still sounds nice, with the echoing
effect on the vocals making for a more appealing listen.
3.5/5
Track 8- Drive By
Co-written by RnB recording artist Jazmine Sullivan, here we
find Sanchez fitting into a typical RnB groove fit with cool ad libbing. The
song lyrically focuses on the idea of how Sanchez still loves this guy and he
makes her a bit crazy, to the point where she drives by like a bit of a
stalker. Sanchez really gives vocal power to the song and sounds good, although
the distortion of the vocals a little in the chorus is just annoying, but
whilst she is vocally strong, the lyrics just don’t have that passion that is
needed for a song like this, and the hook just isn’t catchy enough. This is
also one of the songs where the production is just too paint by numbers RnB,
with clattering beats and the piano melodies making this sound like a bit of a
Mariah Carey reject song.
2/5
Track 9- You’ve Got
the Love
From the traditional RnB tones of the previous track we
enter more into a melding of sounds with this song that still keeps the RnB
vibe but also introduces electro/dance pop elements and is a vibrant track that
is lyrically quite euphoric. We find Sanchez singing about how this man has
just got the thing to make her feel so good, and she just is all about telling
him that. Vocally she is really strong, really letting the power of her voice
being showcased towards the latter half of the song to give the track that
essence of sincerity that is needed. Production is here much stronger than the
previous offering, with the dance rhythms melding nicely with the RnB tone and
growing stronger as the track continues, with the breakdown in the middle
section making for a track with a powerful finish that allows you to get caught
up in what she is singing about.
3.5/5
Track 10- Gentlemen
Co-written by Toby Gad and another current star of the music
scene, Sia Furler, Gentleman is a another feistier tune that is also focused on
the idea of how it is hard to find a good man with good manners in today’s
world, and so the gentleman who are there should be almost glorified. The track
has a nice RnB flavour to it with its attitude layered vocal that is a bit over
layered but has a nice smooth tone and showcases her voice nicely in commanding
us without having to just go to the high reaches of her range to do so. The
clattering beats and cool electro pop elements to the track are nice and make
for a strong sound to meld with the songs attitude in the lyrics, and the only
real issue with the track is that by the end the lyrical repetition just becomes
annoying.
3.5/5
Track 11- No One
Compares (featuring Prince Royce)
The final track is the previous song, track number 5, but
this time Sanchez gets in touch with her Philippine roots and Royce uses his
typical Spanish sensibilities by incorporating into the song the Spanish
language. Yet whilst some versions of songs in other languages can really work
and add something to the song, here it is just used to make Sanchez a little
more marketable to different areas of the world, and so feels like a bit of a
waste of time.
3/5
Final Review
As far as debut records from American Idol contestants go, I
think this is among some of the better ones. Many people will probably complain
about how the record uses RnB and pop sounds that are typical of today’s music
world, but I feel that if you’re making music today it’s hard to create a sound
people are going to think of as original, as there either going to compare you
to what’s out at the moment or what’s in the past. Sanchez has created a
collection of inoffensive tracks that can be easily enjoyed and although ready
for radio playing, they work in showing of her voice without putting her into
the diva box, with the record working nicely in terms of the minimal use of
ballads that could have easily been something Sanchez record. I think the dance
pop works a bit better than the RnB qualities, and it may come across as a
record where she is searching for her sound, but all in all it is a strong
record that shows she is probably one of the more promising acts to come out of
the latter seasons of American Idol.
7.5/10
Best Track- Right to
Fall
Worst Track- Drive By
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