On the forty-fourth show of her R.O.S.E tour, Jessie J’s sold out gig was filled with a mixture of new and empowered grunge rock vibes and her old pop-princess ballads. R.O.S.E. is an anagram of Realisations, Obsessions, Sex and Empowerment and consists of four EPs, which together create an album of self-love and transcendent appreciation.
Supporting Jessie J was Sincerely Wilson, a London R&B hip-hop artist, with his faultless falsetto vocal runs and acoustic guitar accompaniment. Covering critically acclaimed tracks ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis, ‘Kiss’ by Prince and ‘Say You’ll Be There’ by Spice Girls, Sincerely Wilson transformed some karaoke-style anthems into smooth R&B, but the approach remained unconvincing. His newly released original tracks ‘Make It Out Alive,’ ‘Home’ and ‘Easy to Love’ salvaged the set, demonstrating incredible song-writing abilities that match his liquid-gold voice and inspirational impression.
The Jessie J Realisations set begins with the announcement that she wrote R.O.S.E., the best songs of her career, at a time when she was full of self-doubt. Accompanied by her accomplished musicians, she opened with soul tracks ‘Oh Lord’ and ‘Think About That.’ Combining her diva-like persona and sassy, witty vocals she requested those who sing like “crazy ostriches running” to tone it down for the benefit of other audience members. Ending her Realisations set with ‘Easy on Me,’ she explained how her song was dedicated to her Grandad who died three years ago of a genetic heart disease that they share. Jessie encouraged the audience to always be gentle with themselves and go at their own pace in life. She introduced Obsessions with an explanation that some days life drowns her, and she often falls in love too fast with people not worth her time. These challenges were reflected in the acoustic versions of her tracks ‘Flashlight’ and ‘Stand Up.’
The second half of her set began with Sex which continued the theme of embracing life with a short discourse on sensuality, the body and mind, echoed by her songs ‘Queen’ and ‘Masterpiece.’ Jessie J reflected on how we grow as people and artists. She spoke of how she had recently won a major singing competition in China and many new Asian fans who had come along to support her on her tour. Her final chapter of Empowerment embodied the conscious awareness and awake feeling that Jessie J experienced when writing this segment of her album. Ending with her three most popular songs ‘Bang Bang,’ ‘Price Tag’ and ‘Domino,’ Jessie J concluded the evening with a final note of positivity, explaining that when people in her own team refused to believe in her goals, they had to go, and we should only surround ourselves with positive people who support and love us.
