EP REVIEW -JESSIA’s “Okay with Every Part”
C.L. Wages - @see_doubleuu
JUNO Award winning pop artist JESSIA has a special knack for creating ear-loving, acoustic pop that loves to get stuck in your head. In 2021, Tik Tok viewers caught wind of this and took her song I’m Not Pretty to high levels of virality, and for good reason. JESSIA’s lyrics tell a story, with pure emotion written in every line, and the tone of her vocals emphasize this emotion, creating deeper layers to her music and lyrics that allow all listeners alike to really understand how she is feeling in these songs.
Her new EP, Okay With Every Part, doesn’t fall flat and in fact, dares to dive even deeper into the emotions that we can express when writing music. Okay With Every Part features six songs in total and three new songs that aren’t afraid to explore the trials and tribulations that accompany ending a long term relationship. Featured on the EP there are three singles, He’s A 10, Care About Me, and The Woman You Are, despite their separate releases as singles, these songs fit perfectly within the overall sound of the EP. JESSIA’s lyrics expose the inner thoughts and feelings that come from moving on, and she doesn’t shy away from that, and with the conviction of how she sings these words, this thought is proven further. This open honesty, and almost straight forward lyrics, are both refreshing, and relatable. Her use of the acoustic guitar creates a gentler feeling between the honesty of the lyrics, without diminishing their meaning. The acoustic and pop elements really go hand in hand to create a lovely and elegant feeling without the songs sounding too classical.
Okay With Every Part: A Review
Jumping into the first new song, Different People features a soft opening with rain sounds, before building into an open room sound with a catchy beat to support the lyrics. Speaking of the lyrics, hers are pure poetry. Lines like “I don’t wanna know where you are but I don’t have control over my heart,” and “I don’t want to know it but are you kissing different people?” highlight the back and forth of losing a connection with someone, whether that be through a break up, or just from growing apart. Despite the deeply emotional lyrics, this song still gets stuck in your head with the flowing melody and the bouncing undercurrent of the drum beats.
Friends With My Friends is a faster paced song, with more of a dance club tempo, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the lyrics are surface level. Once again, this song does a great job of speaking the feelings we all have after a break up, especially the long term ones where the connection doesn’t just end with the two of you. The first verse starts by building the tempo, leading into the second verse, before slowing down into the bridge. The cadence of the song feels almost like ocean waves, drawing back before crashing, and then repeating the cycle. The underlying beat is almost reminiscent of a ticking clock, fitting for the feeling of the need to do something, yet not being able to carry it through, like the sense of counting down the minutes at a party before you can leave at an acceptable time.
Happy Without You is the last song that is featured, and it feels very fitting in that slot. The beginning of the song does little to hide the deep, explosive pain that JESSIA was seemingly feeling whilst writing this EP. The second verse starting with a lyric so emotive as “Why isn’t everyone screaming, ‘cause my whole world’s just blown up” allows the listener to understand and relate to the thoughts going through JESSIA’s head while she undoubtedly relives her break up to write this song. Though this song isn’t slow paced or droning, in fact it picks up pretty quickly, and turns into something of a revenge song featuring lyrics like “I can’t wait to be happy without you” and “I’ll be hot as fuck.” This song, in conjunction with the intense adjacent lyrics, feels hopeful, and looks towards the future, one of happiness and growth.
Overall, this EP feels like a love letter to JESSIA’s recent break up, as well as the growth she is experiencing as an artist. In combination with her new EP and her past singles rising to fame on tik tok, this popstar is quickly approaching stardom, if she’s not already there. She has the innate ability to create deeply emotional songs with them feeling heavy, and still allowing fans to sing and dance along. After this release, JESSIA will be embarking on a small headlining tour that spans from Los Angeles to Ottawa this fall, which you can find tickets for below.
