From The West End to Chinese Champion
Jessie J had her first big break at just 11 years old, starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down The Wind in London’s West End. She later attended the BRIT School, the prestigious performing arts academy also attended by Amy Winehouse and Adele.
By the time Jessie released her debut single Do It Like A Dude in late 2010, she was 22. The song charted in 12 countries and reached #2 in the U.K., but it was Price Tag the following year that really turned her into a household name.
Featuring rapper B.o.B., Price Tag became a global smash, topping the charts in 19 countries and selling more than 7 million copies. Another big hit, Domino, followed, with both tunes appearing on her debut album Who You Are, which went on to sell more than 3 million copies worldwide. It was a remarkable start, but following up a huge debut is never easy.
Jessie’s 2013 album Alive sold around 100,000 copies and failed to produce another major hit. For a while, it looked like the momentum had gone. But Jessie didn’t back down.
In 2014 she returned with Sweet Talker, and this time she had some serious help. Bang Bang, a collaboration with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, became another enormous hit and, on Spotify, eventually racked up more than twice the streams of Price Tag.
Still, Price Tag remains the Jessie J tune associated most strongly with working bands. Cover bands across the U.K. had it in their set lists for years, and it’s exactly the kind of song that can get called at short notice when somebody needs an extra crowd-pleaser.
Speaking of covers, Jessie was never afraid to take them on. Her attempts includes:
- I Dreamed A Dream
- Get Here
- If I Ain’t Got You
- I Got You (I Feel Good)
- I Have Nothing
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody
- Imagine
- Killing Me Softly
- My Heart Will Go On
- River Deep – Mountain High
- Rock With You
All massive tunes by the original artists, but none brought her back to the heights of Price Tag and Bang Bang. Then, in 2017, she took on perhaps her most unexpected challenge.
Jessie travelled to China to compete in Singer!, a Chinese singing competition. Rather than simply making an appearance, she entered the competition—and won.
It was another reminder that, whatever happens to the hits and the charts, Jessie J can seriously sing.
In 2018 she released her most ambitious project yet, the concept album R.O.S.E., delivered across four days under the themes Realisations, Obsessions, Sex, and Empowerment. It didn’t connect with audiences in the same way as her earlier work, and a Christmas album released that same year also underperformed. This seems to be part of the Jessie J story.
She has taken risks, had huge hits, seen things slow down, tried something different, and then come back swinging. In that respect, she reminds me of another singer who broke around teh same time, Ed Sheeran. They may have follow different musical paths, but both demonstrate something that matters more than talent: a relentless work ethic.
And for a guitarist, that’s perhaps the most useful lesson of all. Amateurs wait for inspiration, professionals get to work.
Jessie J Tunes | Related Pages
Get Here | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Get Here by Oleta Adams using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, the original recording and covers.
| Csus2 | G/B Amadd2/E |
You can reach me by railway, you can reach me by railway…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Get Here (Oleta Adams) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
I Feel Good | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play I Feel Good by James Brown using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| N.C | D7 | D7 | D7 | D7 |
Whoa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now…
I Wanna Dance With Somebody | Chords + TAB
Learn to play I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| Db | Db | Ebm7 | Ebm7 |
Clock strikes upon the hour and the sun begins to fade…
If I Ain’t Got You | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| G | Em7 | Am7 | D9 C/G |
Some people live for the fortune, some people live just for the fame…
Killing Me Softly With His Song | Roberta Flack + Fugees
You can learn Killing Me Softly With His Song by Roberta Flack and Fugees using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| Fm7 | Bbm7 |
Strumming my pain with his fingers…
Price Tag | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Price Tag by Jessie J using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| F | Am |
Seems like everybody’s got a price, I wonder how they sleep at night…
River Deep – Mountain High | Chords + TAB
You can learn River Deep – Mountain High by Tina Turner using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| Bb N.C | N.C | Eb | Eb | Eb | Eb | Bb | Bb |
When I was a little girl, I had a rag doll, only doll I’ve ever owned…
Rock With You | Chords + TAB
You can learn Rock With You by Michael Jackson using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| Ebm9 | Ab | Bb11 | Bb11 |
Girl, close your eyes, let that rhythm get into you…
Jessie J on the web
