review 1: 54

 

 

Jessie J has had a turbulent career path as of late. Most notably, she’s known for her feud with Madonna and a magazine interview with Mariah Carey, but the singer makes her music debut with the EP titled “XX”. The EP falls short in many ways, but has highlights throughout that make for a mediocre listening experience. 

 

The album begins with the 2017 single "Salvation" which is a slow ballad with some trap elements and it sets the tone for the rest of the EP. Introducing not only the trap influences but as well as the ballads that will come near the end of the record, the song tells the story of someone regretting the things they’ve done. On the track, Cornish displays pained vocals which amplify the emotion behind the song, however the clever instrumentation and emotional vocals aren’t done justice by the writing of the track. Feeling disjointed and confusing, the tracks writing is at many times a detriment to the whole song. While there are moments of promise, the writing as a whole on the track is weaker than one would expect from a lead single. 

 

Speaking of ballads, the last track on the album and the strongest track on the album is "Catch Me" which revently peaked at #4. The piano ballad is the best written track on the record and ends the EP off on a high note. The song is written about needing support from a loved one, and is perhaps Cornish’s best writing yet. There are several flubs however, including “Your warm hug and I need you”, which aside from being grammatically incorrect, breaks the nice flow that had already been established on the song. 

 

Unfortunately, the entire EP is littered with poor writing, confusing tropes, and a scattered sense of focus and meaning. While the EP is introduced as a record driven by femininity and female empowerment, the message is lost on the listener through a lack of cohesion amongst tracks and a clear struggle in writing the tracks.

 

Perhaps the worst offenders are Sexorcism and Won’t Love Again. Both tracks have promising instrumentals and melodies, namely Won’t Love Again, who’s hook is catchy and memorable. However, the positives are outweighed by the amateur writing that emulates the awkward nature of interviews with Cornish. Littered with lines such as “Til, baby, I'll detach this fright” (Sexorcism) and “Away from your shab ways” (Won’t Love Again), the tracks are a clear example of the struggle in lyricism Cornish faces. 

 

Successful album track Not Your Bitch also suffers considerably from these such shortcomings but is not the worst of the group. Chock full of profanity which holds no weight to it, and seems used for shock value, the tracks brilliant instrumentation is weighed down once again by the lack of lyrical strength. 

 

Overall, Cornish makes a debut that while scattered with poor lyrical choices, confusing and convoluted themes, and a lack of cohesion, shows promise at times in not only its instrumentation, but in its lyricism as well. Catch Me is a clear example of this, ending off the EP on a high note with a heartfelt and touching ballad. 

 

Salvation - 6/10
Not Your Bitch - 5.5/10
Won’t Love Again - 4/10
Sexorcism - 4/10
Catch Me - 7.5/10

Final Score- 54/100