Album Review: Samantha Jade – Nine
2 min read
Australian songstress Samantha Jade has had her fair share of circulation on mainstream radio. Since she took out the X Factor Australia crown in 2012 we’ve indulged on hits like What You’ve Done To Me, Soldier and Firestarter; and her discography is only getting bigger. Jade’s new album Nine is her first to consist of completely original material, an exciting step for the star and her fans.
As expected Nine follows the same pop formula most X Factor winners put out, it’s not necessarily a bad thing but it’s predictable. Lead single Shake That features Pitbull with Babyface on production duties; it’s not bad but it could have been more. Upbeat tracks like Born To Be Alive and Wait For It would have made better singles, except they lack the higher-selling names.
Samantha has been involved with much of the writing and creative process of the album, so her personality has its chance to shine through tracks like the boppy Always and the subtle ballad Nine. Actually it’s the ballads that really make this album, the catchy pop tracks don’t really seem to live up to the more downbeat stuff; it’s usually the other way around with pop releases of Jade’s caliber.
While Nine isn’t the best pop release ever put out, it’s not the worst either. Pros are that Jade is still going strong after her win and these songs have meaning behind them, her angelic voice makes it an easier listen; cons are that fans may have been expecting a more powerful release, previous non-album singles demonstrated just how immense Jade’s music could be. Fans may welcome Nine with open arms, but it may not win Samantha any new followers.
