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| Jessie J released her debut album on Monday |
By Dan Morris
Arguably the biggest thing in the UK music industry right now, recent Brits 'Critics Choice' winner Jessie J released her debut album Who You Are this week.
On first listen, it's hard to imagine Who You Are becoming anyone's favourite album, anytime soon which is surprising giving the success of her debut single.
On the release of her new album, you'd have to forgive the 21-year-old, born Jessica Cornish, for attempting to capitalise on every piece of her current success with a hurried, patchy collection of Brit pop come R&B.
It tries all too hard to be something for everyone, from N Dubz to Joss Stone, from gang culture to love. It's nothing more than a commercial fantasy that looks to squeeze every ounce out of the UK market.
After the release of the hit, Do it like a dude, Jessie J was always going to go into the book as the female equivalent to Tinie Tempah - a rough/yet smooth image, bubbly personality appealing to a niche audience.
Unfortunately, the promise of Do it like dude is distinctly missing in Who You Are, with a mismatch of sounds that confuse the likes of Kei$ha, Rhianna and Lady Gaga.
Risqué vocals and synthesisers are all to prevalent lacking anything with a real 'WOW' factor.
Who You Are isn't completely bad, what it's not is confirmation of the real talent that warrants such high acclaim.
It's disappointing and lazy, much like her image, lacking any originality.
Outlandish costumes, massive heels, excessive makeup. A combination of Gwen Stefani-esque characteristics with a tendency to appear to be trying all too hard - all too hard to compete with Gaga.
Having been thrown in at the deep end perhaps Jessie J simply hasn't had the time to perfect her image and develop that originality, but at present her falseness is slapping me in the face.
In the midst of her brilliant talent, she's lacking something that Gaga oozes in abundance.
With ample room for improvement, I'm not giving up here, and I'll be first to predict she'll return with a summer anthem, but I can't help but think this was an exceptional opportunity missed - an opportunity to cement her place within the industry as an original artist.
Instead, it's nothing more than a second rate rip off of anything and everything that already exists in world pop - such a shame.
