Sweet Talker (Jessie J album)

Background

After releasing her second studio album, Alive, in the United Kingdom on 22 September 2013, Jessie J announced that the American version of the album would be pushed back because her American label "didn't feel the album would work on their territory". She was then rumored to be recording new material for an American re-release of the album with Pharrell Williams. In an interview, the singer discussed the possibility of moving to the United States in an effort to break back into the country's market. Jessie later said the American version of the album was expected to be released in 2014. However, the re-release idea was eventually scrapped. The project became her third studio album, featuring the material recorded with Williams, as well as contributions from producers such as Max Martin and Ammo.

Promotion

"Ain't Been Done", "Keep Us Together", "Sweet Talker" and "You Don't Really Know Me" were all performed live at Rock in Rio Lisbon on 1 June 2014. "Bang Bang" was performed live on the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on 31 July 2014. Moreover, the song was performed as part of the opening medley held by Jessie, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj during the MTV VMAs 2014. In August, Jessie teased a snippet of 2 Chainz's verse on "Burnin' Up" in an interview with Idolator. On 22 September 2014, Jessie performed at iTunes Festival in London. She sang some songs from the new album, like "Sweet Talker", "Your Loss I'm Found", "Keep Us Together", "You Don't Really Know Me", "Ain't Been Done", "Burnin' Up", and "Bang Bang". On 30 September 2014, Jessie announced via Twitter that "Personal" was made available on iTunes for anyone who pre-ordered the entire album as a promotional single. "Ain't Been Done" and "Masterpiece" were made available as promotional singles in the same manner on 7 October 2014.

Sweet Talker Tour

On 4 November 2014, Jessie J announced a six-date tour in the UK. An extra London date was added due to popular demand after tickets sold out for the first date. During 2015 Jessie J will travel around the world promoting her album on the Sweet Talker Tour.

Singles

The album's first single, "Bang Bang" featuring Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, was released on 29 July 2014 through Lava Records and Republic Records, the label that houses all three artists, and serves as a joint single. Commercially, the song became a worldwide hit, debuting at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and eventually peaking at number 3, making it Jessie's highest peaking song on the chart. It also reached the top ten in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

On 19 September Jessie announced on Instagram that the official second single is "Burnin' Up" featuring 2 Chainz. The single was released on 23 September on iTunes. On 22 September the song leaked 24 hours earlier than expected. Despite planned release in the United Kingdom, Jessie J's management failed to release it to mainstream radio and as a digital single.

"Masterpiece" was released as the third single from the album. Originally released digitally 7 October 2014 as a promotional single, its music video premiered 10 December 2014 to promote it as the next official single. The single was planned to be added to UK contemporary hit radio on 23 March 2015 but this failed to comprehend for the third time. Despite this, efforts from fans pushed the album song to enter the UK Singles chart at 159.

Promotional singles

The title track, "Sweet Talker", was released as a promotional single in the UK and Ireland on December 1, 2014. On July 10, 2015, "Ain’t Been Done" was released as the second promotional single only in Australia.

Critical reception

The album received mixed reviews from music critics, some of whom complimented Jessie J's confidence and vocals and the overall production, whilst others criticized the songs for being "generic". Joanne Dorken from MTV gave it 4 out 5 stars saying that Jessie was "back with a bang!" and said J's "fans were in for a treat", praising tracks like "Ain't Been Done", "Fire", "Masterpiece" and "Sweet Talker", adding that "Overall, Jessie's third offering sees her going back to basics, while also teaming up with a whole hoard of songwriters (52 in total) to craft her more grown-up, more honest sound." The Guardian gave the album a positive review, stating that "[J] constructed Sweet Talker to fit a gap somewhere between Beyoncé and Pink", adding that "it's notable that the best moments come when she uncouples herself from it and just sings for the joy of it, as on the brilliant, fizzy pop banger 'Bang Bang', a deserved No 1 this summer".

The Daily Mail rated the album 3 out of 5 stars, saying that "Recorded with a pack of high-end American and Swedish production gurus, Sweet Talker is low on subtlety and high on precision-tooled R&B verve" and that "Its histrionic guitars, clattering drums and booming choruses make the most of Jessie's hurricane-force vocals, without always adding the necessary warmth and tenderness on the slower songs". Slant Magazine was more critical towards the album, giving it a mixed review, praising the first four tracks on the album but stating that "If all Jessie's label wanted was a few bangers, they could have saved themselves some time and money by tacking them onto a repackaged version of Alive and calling it a day". Katherine St. Aspah of Time Magazine was harsher still, claiming that the album "solved the problem of doing everything right [to only moderate success]", and comes across as "slapdash and retooled to an inch of its life". Aspah did reiterate that "the one distinguishing factor of the Jessie J Brand, as demonstrated on Sweet Talker, is that she can sing", but then went on to clarify that it seemed "a curious statement to make in 2014, as the year's biggest divas, our Beyoncés and Arianas, aren't short on chops". Slant Magazine named it the eighth worst album of 2014.

Commercial performance

In the United States, Sweet Talker debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200, selling 25,000 copies in its first week. Despite selling 9,000 copies less than her previous US album, Who You Are, Sweet Talker became Jessie J's first top ten album and her highest charting album in the US to date. In the United Kingdom, "Sweet Talker" debuted at number five selling 16,733 copies, and is certified Silver for sales over 60,000. The album spent a total of 4 weeks inside the Top 40 of the UK Albums Chart, considerably less than that of her previous albums Alive and Who You Are. Despite charting higher than previous albums in the US, it sold considerably less than her first album.

Track listing

Sample credit

Personnel

Credits for Sweet Talker adapted from Barnes & Noble.

Performance Credits

Technical Credits