Albums : Jessica Sanchez : Me, You & The Music

Albums : Jessica Sanchez : Me, You & The Music

Listen To Jessica Sanchez : Me, You & The Music

Petite powerhouse Jessica Sanchez enjoyed singing ballads on last season’s American Idol, where she placed second.

But the 17-year-old says ballads aren’t her only interest: Sanchez is hoping to capture a new — and younger — audience with her debut album, Me, You & the Music, released this week.

“People don’t know me as the Jessica that I want to show. They know me as balladeer Jessica, which is shy, sweet, just like standing-there Jessica,” she said. “And now I have to really make a mark and show people that I have fun and I’m 17 and I’m ready to be out there and just, you know, be young.”

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, the singer discussed life after Idol, her debut album, performing with Ne-Yo and landing a guest role on Glee.

AP: Talk about mixing the sound that helped you excel on Idol with a more playful one on your album.

Sanchez: Music, it just runs in my blood and I love music. So I’m trying to bring the tone of my voice and trying to mix it with the genre, the generation of music now. So that you get the feel of the real voice, the real grittiness that you got back in the day, and bring it to the pop-club mix.

AP: What was it like when you returned to the Idol stage recently to perform with Ne-Yo?

Sanchez: Seeing the stage, it was like my second home, and it’s like I’ve been away from home for so long. That’s where I experienced everything — the stress, the love, the tears, everything with the other nine people that I spent the year with. And it all came back to me and it hit me and I was like, ‘I don’t want to be here right now!’ I was like tearing up and everything, but it was so much fun, and it was a big difference going onstage and performing with Ne-Yo.

AP: What were your first thoughts when you were offered a role on Glee?

Sanchez: Oh, I freaked out. Ryan Murphy called me in for a meeting ... and he asked me, ‘Have you ever acted before?’ And I said, ‘No. I’ve never acted before. I’m not going to lie to you, I’ve never acted.’ I walked out and then a couple days later I get a call from my manager and she said that ‘he wants you to be in the show,’ and I’m like, ‘What? I’ve never acted before. That’s crazy!’ But ever since then, and that was like right after (Idol), I’ve been taking acting classes and I’ve been really, really working on it. So hopefully it all pays off.

AP: You’re of Mexican and Filipino descent. What’s your fan following like in those countries?

Sanchez: Being on the show I had so much support from the Filipino crowd and the Latin crowd. Going to the Philippines was insane. I am like J.Lo over there! Like, I got off the plane and (security) were like, ‘No, you have to come over here.’ And I had to stay in a room because people were trying to take pictures, there was paparazzi.

I was like, ‘What the heck? This is weird.’

AP: As a young person in the entertainment industry, do you worry about falling into the wrong crowd or getting involved with drugs or partying?

Sanchez: I’ve had bad influences. I’ve had friends that backstabbed me. I’ve had no friends at all at certain times. I mean, I’ve been offered substances of drugs and I just told myself it’s not worth it because in the future I have so many bright things ahead of me. ... I’ve always said ‘no’ and I’ve always stuck my mind to family, school, music and just what I love and what’s positive.

Me, You & The Music Review
It's finally happened, Blujays! Me, You & The Music has finally dropped from our favorite American Idol alum and Glee star, Jessica Sanchez. While you've no doubt listened to the album by now and formed your own opinions. What are the tastemakers saying?

Idolator says the album is "strong enough to put Sanchez up against today's young, emerging pop vocalists." On their way to giving Me, You & The Music a 3.5/5 they say "Sanchez has proved you don't need to win a singing competition to put out a winning album."

Interaksyon says that the album "fits right in with albums by Rihanna, former "AI" judge Jennifer Lopez, current "Idol" panelist Nicki Minaj, and Jessica's personal idol, Beyonce (the power ballad "Plastic Roses" lets Jessica sound most like Baby Bey)." In summary, they say that the album is "a very good contemporary pop record with many instantly likable tunes."

Yahoo! said that Me, You & The Music "contains the makings of several upbeat, awesomely fun R&B and dance crossover tracks that could each be a summer hit."

AllMusic claimed that though she gets compared to Rihanna quite often, Sanchez has a "better vocal instrument" than RiRi. The review ultimately concludes that Me, You & The Music "isn't the most original-sounding album, it's still one of the more efficient platforms for introducing an American Idol contestant to the charts than any we've seen before."

Overall, reviewers seemed to like the songs "Crazy Glue," "Don't Come Around" and the two Prince Royce collaborations the best.

What do you think? Are the reviewers spot-on in their assessments? How do you feel about Jessica Sanchez's new album Me, You & The Music ? Do you have a favorite track from the album?


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Sources : Jessica Sanchez Photo | Listen To Me, You & The Music | Jessica Sanchez Article | Me, You & The Music Review

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