Katrina Rees
It’s been a long two years since we heard new music from Jessie J. The powerhouse’s last single was ‘Flashlight’, taken from Pitch Perfect 2, and since then fans have been itching for new music from the singer.
Having already revealed that album four is in the works, Jessie has treated fans to a brand new song today. ‘Real Deal’ takes us in a slightly new musical direction, and whilst it is not the first new single from JJ4 (in Jessie’s own words, “First single? Nah… This is me just getting warmed up”), it gives us a taste of what to expect.
Veering away from her classic powerful pop sound, ‘Real Deal’ sees Jessie embrace an RnB/hip hop vibe. With reggae horns a-plenty, the track is rich in production although vocally, ‘Real Deal’ is a lot more stripped back in comparison to what we’ve come to expect from Jessie. There are sparks of her big vocals near the end, but on the whole the track is very chilled. Produced by DJ Camper, ‘Real Deal’ is part of a new campaign with M&Ms.
It seems that we can expect a music video for ‘Real Deal’ soon too. Jessie has been teasing fans with short snippets via her Instagram.
In a recent interview with Billboard, Jessie opened up about her forthcoming album. She said: “It’s been a very incredible process for me in the last two years. With this next lot of music, I’m very much going back to my roots like on my first album [2011’s Who You Are], which was very honest. I needed to go back to where it all began; to take a break in a good, positive way. From the ages 25-30, you learn so much and grow as a person. You become who you’re going to be for a long time. I’ve also enjoyed the process of just getting back to songwriting on my own. Where I’m at with the new music, everything written thus far I’ve written by myself. I’m really proud of it. It doesn’t reflect anything I’ve ever done before, which is exciting.
“It’s an album musically that I’ve wanted to make for a long time and had to find the right time. Everyone who’s heard the album so far says it’s very honest and very grown. I’m speaking on issues that a 29-year-old goes through which is different from what I’ve sung about in the past. But I have to be true to what’s in my mind and heart. I’m working with one producer, DJ Camper [Mary J. Blige, John Legend], on this cohesive piece of work. It’s a piece of music as opposed to singles and album fillers. I feel like I’m making music. I don’t know when it will be out. I’m just enjoying the process that everything happens for a reason, trusting in time and feelings.”
Whilst we might have to wait a little longer for Jessie J’s fourth album, it’s good to have you back girl.
