Music : Jesse McCartney: 'Departure'

Released on Monday, June 16 2008

By Nick Levine, Music Editor

Jesse McCartney's CV reads like a 'How To Get Ahead' manual for stage school kids: a soap role before puberty, a stint in a boyband soon afterwards, two albums of Disney Channel pop in his teens and some voice work on the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie last year. He hasn't done badly at all, but until now he's never really excelled.

However, recent developments point to a brighter future for the fresh-faced 21-year-old. He co-wrote one of the biggest hits of the last 12 months, Leona Lewis's 'Bleeding Love', and now he's hopping on the Timberlake express towards pop credibility with Departure, an album of hard-edged urban pop songs.


This is a savvy move, but initially his reinvention feels awkward, with a handful of cringeworthy lines ("Let me put a lil' in ya!" "I'm trippin'!" "They call me Jesse baby!") standing out more than the music. However, after a couple of spins Departure reveals itself to be a sharp, modern album with plenty of winning moments.

Some of the credit lies with his expensive production team - which includes JR Rotem, Sean Garrett and Tricky and The Dream - but McCartney's contribution shouldn't be underestimated. He's a sexier, more convincing vocalist than you'd think: able to flit in and out of falsetto, as comfortable flirting shamelessly as he is showing his vulnerable side, and ballsy enough to make statements like "there ain't a party if I ain't in the party". Even his orgasmic grunts on 'Into Ya' stay just the right side of ridiculous.

McCartney also has the nouse to marry Departure's pristine R&B beats to strong pop melodies - as the likes of 'How Do You Sleep', 'It's Over' and lead single 'Leavin' demonstrate. Other notable moments include 'Told You So', which glides like a vintage Michael Jackson ballad, and 'Relapse', whose thrilling tempo change is one of the best pop hooks we're likely to hear all year.

A couple of tracks veer too close to hip-hop for comfort - McCartney's still the type who guests on Hannah Montana, lest we forget - but this feels like nitpicking when taken in the context of an album this well-realised. JT needn't get scared yet, but he should be aware that a new pretender to his throne has arrived.


taken from www.digitalspy.co.uk

#	Title	Producers	Time
0.	"Turn It Up (Intro)" [Downloadable Bonus Track]		1:28
1.	"Leavin'" (C. Cole/J. Bunton/C.Stewart/T. Nash)	Tricky Stewart and The-Dream	3:40
2.	"It's Over" (E. Lewis/B. Muhammad/C. Nelson/P. Smith/B. Seals)	The Clutch	4:09
3.	"Rock You" (featuring Sean Garrett) (S. Gerongco/R. Gerongco/S. Garrett)	Sean Garrett and Kuya	3:10
4.	"How Do You Sleep?" (S. Garrett/R. Oglesby)	Sean Garrett and Clubba Langg	3:44
5.	"Into Ya" (S. Garrett/W. Scott)	Sean Garrett	3:47
6.	"Make Up" (K. Holland/T. M. Thomas/T. J. Thomas)	Kwamé	3:54
7.	"My Baby" (J. Rotem/E.K. Bogart/J. McCartney)	J. R. Rotem	3:33
8.	"Told You So"(E. Hudson/F. Storm/C. Kelly/J. McCartney)	Eric Hudson	4:03
9.	"Relapse" (T. Thomas/A. Towns)	Madd Scientist	3:38
10.	"Runnin'" (E. Lewis/B. Muhammad/C. Nelson/P. Smith/B. Seals)	The Clutch	3:45
11.	"Freaky" (J. Thomas/T. M. Thomas/T. J. Thomas)	Madd Scientist	3:39
12.	"Not Your Enemy" (E. Hudson/C. Kelly/J. McCartney)	Eric Hudson	4:14

Bonus Tracks

#	Title	Time
13.	"Bleeding Love" (Non-U.S bonus track)	3:51
14.	"Oxygen" (Japanese bonus track)	4:02
15.	"Leavin'" (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit Remix) (Australian iTunes and Japanese bonus track)	4:09
16.	"Leavin'" (JFK Remix) (Japanese bonus track)	4:13
17.	"Leavin' (Remix)" (featuring Baby Bash)	3:47
18.	"De Toi À Moi (Just So You Know)" (French Edition bonus track)	3:54

Leaving Lyrics
Artist(Band):Jesse McCartney

Hey baby girl
I've been watching you all day
Man that thing you got behind you is amazing
You make me want to take you out and let it rain
I know you got a man but this is what you should say

CHORUS:
Why don't you tell him that I'm leavin' never lookin back again
You found somebody who does it better than he can
No more making you cry, no more them gray skies
Girl we flying on the G-5 G-5
And I'm leavin' never lookin back again...
So call your shawty you tell him you found a new man
The one who's so so fly
The one to keep you high
Have you singing all night, like that
Oh oh oh (repeat) man she going to be sayin'
Oh oh oh oh (repeat)

Now if I talk it girl, you know that I will walk it out
Man I'll put my money (money) where my mouth is
Cause you the baddest litte thing that I've ever seen
So ima ask you one time if you got a man

CHORUS:
Why don't you tell him that I'm leavin' never lookin back again
You found somebody who does it better than he can
No more making you cry, no more them gray skies
Girl we flying on the G-5 G-5
And I'm leavin' never lookin back again...
So call your shawty you tell him you found a new man
The one who's so so fly
The one to keep you high
Have you singing all night, like that
Oh oh oh (repeat) man she going to be sayin'
Oh oh oh oh (repeat)

Don't stress, don't stress, don't stress
Just tell him to the left left left
Don't stress, don't stress, don't stress
Cause we gone

No stress,no stress, no stress
Girl you deserve nothin' but the best
Don't stress, dont stress, don't stress
Girl you need to tell him that