Exactly a year ago, Jessica Sanchez captivated the world with her larger-than-life voice on
American Idol. On
Idol, Sanchez established herself as a versatile artist, easily tackling every theme and genre, week after week. From her powerful delivery of Whitney Houston's
I Will Always Love You to her effortless belting on Jennifer Holliday's
And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, the young diva more than proved herself.
Although she eventually had to settle for second place, losing to Phillip Phillips (now a Platinum-selling artist), she has since had considerable success, being signed to a major record label and making a guest appearance on
Glee.This week, the seventeen-year old releases her debut effort,
Me, You and the Music, a collection of pop-flavored dance tracks, with a few choice ballads thrown in. With a strong production and good music styles this album turns out to be somewhat more polished and stronger than most
Idol-runner up debuts.
Below is the track-by-track review of the album:
1.
"Right To Fall": Not the song I would have chosen as the opener, but nevertheless a good track. I predict this will be released as a single in the near future. A techno-dance vibe and heavy use of auto-tune doesn't really ruin the song, but makes it one of the better ones on the album
2.
"Tonight" (featuring Ne-Yo): The lead single from the album, Tonight is a great dance track. Ne-Yo's presence isn't really necessary, but works. The fun, dancey, singalong chorus is destined to become a dancefloor hit. This song is modern, great sounding and gives similar-sounding pop rivals like Ke$ha, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez a run for their money.
3.
"Don't Come Around": This R&B-influenced song isn't my favorite, and Sanchez clearly tries to emulate stars like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj with her vocals, but I can't say it works for her. Of course, she's trying to show how many styles she can sing, and that's good. But this is not one of the songs I'd return to. Maybe it's just me.
4.
"Crazy Glue": Sanchez sounds amazing on this song. She starts out soft and tender, with nothing but piano, but then the song swells into a big, beautiful ballad. The song lyrics are corny at best, but the overall sound is really good. This is Sanchez's "balladeer" persona on full show. Ignore the sappy lyrics and enjoy that big voice.
5.
"No One Compares" (featuring Prince Royce): Who is Prince Royce? I have no idea, but he has a good voice! This upbeat duet has a pleasant sound and fits right in with the Pitbull/Flo-rida/Tiesto-esque songs we hear all day on the radio. It's not very memorable after it plays, but while it lasts, it's a fun listen.
6.
"In Your Hands": I'm guessing this is a love song? Meet Sanchez's Beyonce mode. That said, it feels directly lifted from Beyonce's scrap pile. I somewhat dislike this song. It's generic and safe, and not exactly the best choice for Sanchez. But oh well, we can clearly tell she's trying to dabble in every genre under the sun.
7.
"Plastic Roses": AND we have the best song on the album right here. This ballad about a pretentious relationship perfectly showcases Sanchez's soaring vocals and fits right in her age bracket. This song kicks the collective butt of all the Selena/Demi/Miley songs out there with its maturity and power. My advice to Jessica's production team: release this as a single right now! Real gem of a song, this one.
8.
"Drive By": Pass. I don't get this song. It's choppy, dull and Sanchez's vocals sound mechanic and bored. I just don't get it. Not a good song for an upcoming teenage star.
9.
"You've Got The Love": Back onto the dance floor for this one! More than this song, I love Sanchez's attitude on it. It recalls early Rihanna (
Pon De Replay, Don't Stop The Music) but does a good job of also showing off Sanchez' personality. I'm just not a big fan of the overdone techno.
10.
"Gentlemen": Another good song. Attitude and diva style full on. It sounds very 90s R&B, but still manages to be current. I usually prefer ballads to close albums, but this kind of works.
Let me put it this way: unless you're a girl between the ages of 15 and 25, you won't be very interested in this album. Jessica Sanchez does a stellar job of alternating between a wide range of genres and vocal styles. She belts, growls and pushes her limits. She uses every trick she learned during her time on
American Idol to make this album a
good sounding one. Sanchez has a phenomenal voice, and she more than shows it off on this album.
I wouldn't listen to this album more than a couple of times, personally. It has a few good moments, but overall is generic, and Sanchez ends up as more of an emulator than a trailblazer, channeling everyone from Rihanna to Beyonce to Jennifer Lopez.
All comparisons aside,
Me, You and the Music does a fair job of establishing Sanchez as an upcoming teen star who can more than compete with contemporaries like Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. With proper marketing and good production decisions, Sanchez should be well on her way to the top.
Pick this one up if you (a) are a fan of Jessica Sanchez/American Idol or (b) want some new music to sing along to with your girlfriends in your bedroom while doing each others' nails at a sleepover.
Best Songs: "Tonight", "Crazy Glue", "Plastic Roses"RATING: ★★★ 
