Sweet Talker (Deluxe Version)

Album Review

Though Jessie J's 2013 album Alive had several singles enter the U.K. Top 40, it did little in the U.S. J followed the ballad-heavy set with Sweet Talker, a collection of songs tailored to regain her footing as a pop star in the States. At the very least, this album is a lot more energetic: filled with cameos by American artists as well as collaborations with A-list producers, Sweet Talker is the opposite of what came before it. Sometimes the too-much-is-never-enough approach actually works: "Bang Bang," the Max Martin-produced hit single that presented J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj as a saucy girl group for the 2010s, goes so over the top with pop fizz that it demands listeners' attention. While it's arguable that Minaj's mile-a-minute rapping and 2014's pop It Girl Grande steal the show from Jessie, "Bang Bang" did get her back on the charts and on people's minds in the U.S. The rest of Sweet Talker finds J trying as many sounds and styles as possible. The album's second single, "Burnin' Up," nods to rap via a cameo by 2 Chainz and to EDM with strobing synths; elsewhere, she returns to P!nk-esque pop on "Masterpiece" and "Said Too Much," a decent riff on "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" and the brash attitude of her debut on "Ain't Been Done." Elsewhere, "Seal Me with a Kiss," which features De La Soul, channels "Bang Bang"'s sense of fun into playful retro-soul with hip-hop flair, while "Keep Us Together" opts for a more mature R&B pop sound. [A Deluxe Edition added three bonus tracks.]