Although Jessie J has some stand-out tracks on her latest record, “Sweet Talker,” they are drowned out by unmemorable tunes that scream familiarity.
The British musician begins her album with “Ain’t Been Done.” The song illustrates her rapping abilities and then seamlessly transitions into poppy vocals. This song exhibits J’s range of musical styles and has an upbeat tone. “Ain’t Been Done” demonstrates that J has her own unique sound, but her individuality gets lost later in the record by her imitation of other pop vocalists.
“Seal Me with A Kiss” is a fun and sexy throwback to the silky sounds of ’90s acts like Mariah Carey. De La Soul contributes nicely to the song, adding a memorable hip hop element. In stark contrast, J dumps a pop cliché onto her album with “Burnin’ Up.” The overtly sexual song adds little to the album and is ineffective. J’s breathy moans are unappealing and overdone. This track is one of the weakest on the album but features a 15-second cameo from 2 Chainz that saves the song from complete mediocrity.
Some other disappointing tracks on the album include “Keep Us Together” and sadly, the title track.
“Sweet Talker” is bland, and toward the final seconds of the song features characteristics too similar to Rihanna’s “We Found Love.”
“Said Too Much” is an enjoyable track, but it lacks originality and can easily be confused with past Demi Lovato hits.
“Bang Bang,” a joint release featuring Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj reveals J’s musical prowess. Her vocal parts are stronger than Grande’s and outshine Minaj’s rapping portions. While J shows off her musical abilities in this single, J truly shines in “Loud.”
The track is found near the end of the record and features violinist Lindsey Stirling. The simple but memorable instrumentation allows for J to showcase her vocal talent alongside powerful lyrics.
“Get Away” is another stronger song on the album. While at first it sounds like a generic ballad, the chorus adds a distinctive element. J once again showcases her powerhouse vocals but then adds a gentle and unexpected delivery of the chorus. When J begs a destructive lover to “get away,” her voice is wispy and fragile. J’s delivery of the chorus represents the theme of the song as a whole. The juxtaposition of her vocal styles in this song aptly shows what J is capable of musically.
If J had built upon her stronger tracks in this album, she would have created a unique brand of pop that showcased all of her abilities. Unfortunately, J’s individual talent gets buried under a slew of forgettable songs that rehash what’s already been done in the pop genre.
Three stars