Alive

Shedding the severe black bob, lipstick, and nail polish she sported on Who You Are in favor of a stripped-bare look, Jessie J looked as different as she possibly could on the cover of Alive. Musically, however, she explores nearly as many sounds on her second album as she did on her debut. A few of Alive's songs nod to her P!nk-meets-Natasha Bedingfield hit "Domino" such as the brassy opening track "It's My Party" and "Sexy Lady." For most of the album, however, Jessie J shows how wide her range is: she follows the charmingly retro electro-pop of "Daydreamin'" with "Excuse My Rude," a dubstep-tinged kiss-off that takes "Do It Like a Dude"'s brassiness in an even more abrasive and aggressive direction. The album's simplest and most direct moments, like "Wild"'s dance-pop and "Conquer the World," a heartfelt duet with Brandy, are among its best. ~ Heather Phares