J-J-Jessie J

‘DO it like a brother, do it like a dude’ *turns down music*. Yep, this one is for you Jessie J, one of my biggest inspirations in life.

Many people look at celebrities and think ‘oh your life is so easy’ but that is definitely NOT the case! There are meetings that need to be organized, fans that need to be pleased, and paparazzi to avoid. Imagine yourself doing that, recording songs in a studio, writing songs in a studio and now imagine yourself doing that with a heart defect. Not so easy is it? Well that is the reason Jessie J is a HUGE inspiration for me. She manages to handle all of this and she never wallows in self-pity.

Born Jessica Cornish, the 23 year old musical star has always wanted to sing. At the age of 17 Jessie J was part of a girl group called Soul Deep. Although the group had no record deal, Jessie J still stuck to it for 2 years but was soon plucked up by Gut Records. This record company offered her the chance to become a solo artist, this means she left the girl group. The girls in the group had no bad feelings towards her and they respected her decision. However, to Jessie’s dismay, Gut Records soon went into liquidation. This caused worries about whether she would be able to break into the music industry by being a solo artist. At the time there were already many emerging solo artists in the UK including Cheryl Cole and Adele. This made it very difficult for Jessie J to make her break.

However, little did she know that across the seas, there was a contract waiting for her with her name on. Sony signed Jessie J as a songwriter. This lead Jessie J down a path of success and opportunities, this included her being given the opportunity to work with Justin Timberlake who saw the potential which lay within her after watching her sing ‘Mamma Knows Best’, a song written by her at the age of 16, on YouTube. He told her she had an incredible voice and for someone who had been recording videos for viewers on YouTube, it was possibly the best thing anyone could ever say and the fact that it came from an internationally known music star made it even more amazing. This was her chance to emerge into the music industry and after supporting the likes of Chris Brown , Jools Holland and Cyndi Lauper she emerged. 

Unfortunately, Jessica’s journey wasn’t all that easy. As well as having to deal with knockbacks within the music industry, Jessie was also battling with a heart defect. This caused her to suffer a minor stroke at the age of 18 however; she didn’t let this slow her down. It made her come back with vengeance after all, she had just been signed to Sony, her career was just about to kickstart!

Sitting in that hospital bed made Jessie J realize that no matter what, shit happens because she had always made sure she kept fit, ate healthy and never got into anything to sabotage her health. This could have happened to anyone and no matter what, it was going to happen and she appreciated that. Jessie didn’t want to waste any time feeling sorry for herself or letting others control her career, she put herself in gear and told her record company exactly what she wanted her album to look like.

Although, the emerging of her album did come as a slight surprise because ‘Do It Like A Dude’ was going to be sent to singer Rihanna to see if her record label liked it for her but instead, Jessie’s record label insisted it be her debut single. They were amazed by the song and the potential it would have. Fortunately, their belief in the song as Jessie J’s first single paid off as it went straight to the top of the charts peaking at number two in the UK.

This was the start of a huge thing for Jessie J and shortly after the release of her debut single, the number of her ‘Heartbeats’ [fans] was steadily increasing and I am proud to say I am one of those.

I don’t just like her music though. Jessie J is a real representation of hard work, determination and achievement. Despite all her issues, she has overcome the knockbacks and has shone brighter than ever imagined. She doesn’t hide behind the make-up and glamour, she shows her real self. I mean, which artist do you know that would sing in their pyjamas on YouTube?! The fact that she does this shows how the perfect image is not what she’s about, it shows how she is about happiness, enjoyment and self expression.

The lyrics of Jessie J’s songs are all about being who you want to be, being who you are and standing up for what you believe in and what you want. This is inspiring to so many people who receive her music. She has even stopped a person from killing their self now how can you say she is not inspiring?

Jessie J appeals to a young audience, and this makes her refraining from drugs and alcohol even more significant. She is a strong supporter of a healthy body and she feels she can never perform on stage with alcohol or drugs in her body. She has even said that if she didn’t have a heart defect, she still would never touch alcohol or drugs, it’s just not for her.

I honestly adore Jessie J so much for all her hard work, courage and determination. Without Jessie J’s story, I would have given up on my dreams a long time ago. Seeing someone prove that celebrities can be amazing role models is great because I do look up to a lot of celebrities and I’ve stood my ground and said they ARE inspiring.

Jessie J is a beautiful person inside and out. I will always be proud to call myself a Heartbeat, no matter what! She deserves all the success she gets, after all you will always get out what you put in! I love you Jessie J!! 

Pictures scanned from GLAMOUR magazine