Who You Are
This 23-year-old Londoner is being hailed as “the U.K.’s answer to Lady Gaga,” which might say more about the U.K.’s desire to answer to Lady Gaga than it does about Jessica Ellen Cornish. She’s got a brash, broad voice and a be-yourself message. But Jessie is less show-stealing diva than impersonal pop technician (she co-wrote Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA”). Her debut sounds like a collection of demos for other singers – Natasha Bedingfield on the down-to-earth “Price Tag,” Katy Perry on the Dr. Luke-assisted “Abracadabra,” Rihanna on the gender-flipping “Do It Like a Dude.” It’s well-meaning, well-crafted and confused. Sometimes versatility can be a vice.
Listen to “Price Tag (Featuring B.o.B.)”: