Jessie J

Jessie J is a British pop and R&B singer-songwriter from Chadwell Heath, London, born Jessica Cornish. She begins performing in show business as a child, appearing at 11 in the West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind. She later studies musical theatre at the BRIT School.

Early career

She first signs to the independent label Gut Records, but the company goes bankrupt before any of her recordings are released. After a minor stroke at 18, she secures a Sony publishing deal and writes songs for other artists, including Chris Brown, Dutch X Factor winner Lisa Lois, and Miley Cyrus. One of those writing credits is “Party in the U.S.A.”, which becomes a number two hit in the United States.

Breakthrough and debut album

After building an online following, she signs to Universal Records and records her debut album, Who You Are, with producers including Dr. Luke, B.o.B and Labrinth. Her first single, “Do It Like a Dude”, reaches number two in the UK. In 2011 she wins the Critics’ Choice Award at the Brit Awards. Her album is later reissued in the United States after an appearance on Saturday Night Live.

Who You Are produces six UK Top Ten singles, making her the first British female solo artist to achieve that from one studio album. The singles include “Domino”, and “LaserLight”, the latter featuring David Guetta.

Television, second and third albums

Jessie J appears as a coach on the UK edition of The Voice alongside Tom Jones and will.i.am, and also performs with them at the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012. After two seasons on the programme, she returns with the singles “Wild” and “It’s My Party”, which lead into her second album, Alive, released in 2013.

She later works on material that becomes her third studio album, Sweet Talker, with contributors including Diplo, the-Dream and Pharrell Williams. The album also includes collaborations with De La Soul and 2 Chainz. Its lead single, “Bang Bang”, features Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj and reaches number one in the UK, while becoming a Top Ten hit in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Bulgaria. Sweet Talker reaches the Top Ten in both the UK and the US.

Later work and other appearances

Jessie J later joins the Australian edition of The Voice. In 2017 she returns with the singles “Real Deal” and “Queen”, both of which appear on her fourth studio album, R.O.S.E. In 2018 she takes part in the Chinese singing competition Singer, where she performs songs including Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”, and becomes the first non-Chinese artist to win the competition. She also releases the holiday album This Christmas Day in 2018.

Personal life and recent releases

On Four Letter Word, a track from R.O.S.E., she addresses fertility struggles. She later reveals that she has a miscarriage in 2021, and in 2023 gives birth to her son, Sky Safir. After 17 years with Republic Records, she parts ways with the label in 2023 and begins releasing music independently, including “No Secrets” and “Living My Best Life”, the latter with Ryan Tedder. Her sixth studio album is in progress and is described by her as returning to the sound and energy of her early 2010s work. She is also diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, requiring surgery and leading to postponed tour dates, and releases “Believe In Magic” during this period.