Produced by New York-producer Eric Hudson (who Jesse describes as “a young Quincy Jones”), “Told You So” is a mid-tempo cut that Jesse says is “more about situations that my friends have told me they’ve been in after a relationship is over. You know, when I’m sitting around with the guys, we talk about things we’ve been through. Same thing with “Runnin,’” which is something guys go through sometimes when a girl gets really intense and tries to push a relationship to the next level. Guys get scared, you know! Our guard comes up…we’re scared of maybe getting our hearts broken.”
With his third Hollywood Records album, upstate New York-born Jesse McCartney is building on a foundation that began when he first started performing at local community musicals at the age of seven, making his Broadway debut in “The King and I” when he was ten and later appearing with The Who's Roger Daltrey in “A Christmas Carol.” In 1997, Jesse joined kid group Sugar Beats as a vocalist, earning a Grammy nomination for “Best Children's Album” for their 1998 release How Sweet It Is. He then joined the band Dream Street where, at the age of twelve, he was presented with his first platinum album.
At sixteen, Jesse launched his solo career, creating songs for his first record while performing on dozens of soundtracks. Released in 2004, Jesse’s debut album Beautiful Soul sold over 1.5 million copies, while the first single of the same name burned up the U.S. charts while topping the charts in Australia, Italy, the Phillippines and Taiwan, making "Jesse Mac" a household name in the teen world. Of his global appeal, Jesse notes, “It’s been surreal, going to countries where people know me, know my parents’ names, even know my pet’s name! I’ve loved all the places I’ve been but one of my favorites is Italy because it’s a very romantic country. And Japan is so futuristic. Traveling worldwide has definitely been a life changing learning experience. It’s interesting to learn about other cultures and meet people from different places.” Jesse performed to sold out crowds in Europe in 2005.
Jesse also racked up a number of awards and nominations including an American Music Award nomination for “Best New Artist,” an MTV Award nomination for “Best Pop Video” and three Teen Choice Awards, including Choice Male Artist,” “Breakout Artist” and “Crossover Artist.”
Being on the road for eight straight months gave Jesse the impetus for his second album, Right Where You Want Me, released in 2006 which drew from Jesse's life-long love of R&B artists like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Lauryn Hill while expressing a more rock-flavored side of his musicality. It was, he says, “a step forward from Beautiful Soul, to show some growth and maturity" and working with guitarist and musical director Dory Lobel, he co-wrote all but one of the songs on the album.
Expanding his professional horizons, Jesse appeared on the hit television show “Summerland” and in the filmed his first feature, “Keith.” In 2007, he was heard as the voice of Theodore in the box office smash, “Alvin & The Chipmunks,” an experience he says he thoroughly enjoyed. While working in the studio for his new album Departure, Jesse wound up writing songs for other artists: “Bleeding Love,” a powerhouse ballad co-written with Ryan Tedder (of the group OneRepublic) was picked by music industry veteran Clive Davis as a single for singer Leona Lewis, winner of Britain’s “X Factor” (the U.K. equivalent of “American Idol”), becoming one of 2007’s biggest hits in Britain. “It was very intense for me as a songwriter to have Clive pick one of my songs and then to have it be such a huge success. It has certainly encouraged me to write more for other artists.”
While establishing himself as a successful songwriter is certainly in Jesse’s future plans, his current focus is his latest album. “I spent over a year on Departure and I’m thrilled with how it turned out,” says Jesse, a self-confessed sports fan who enjoys football, baseball, snow-skiing and water-skiing when he’s not working. With songs like the infectious “Make Up” (“a song about natural beauty”), produced by Kwame; the upbeat “Relapse,” the story of a man hooked by a ‘hard-to-get’ woman (based, Jesse says with a smile, “on a personal experience when I was young and naïve!”); and the beautiful ballad, “Not Your Enemy,” a big production track that demonstrates Jesse’s vocal power and strength, Departure reveals Jesse has arrived with new confidence and maturity.
Jesse reflects, “The last five years have been a whirlwind: I feel like I’ve dealt with it well because I’ve had so much support, especially from my family with whom I’m very close. I can never take credit for all that’s happened in my career because I couldn’t have done it on my own - my fans all over the world have been so loyal over the years. Departure represents a new start for me, a new sound and this is a part of me the fans haven’t been exposed to yet… This music really is my passion and I’m ready to get out there and share it!”
Jesse McCartney
Departure available May 20
Hollywood Records
www.myspace.com/jessemccartney
