FEATURE:
Second Spin
Jamelia – Thank You
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THIS is a case…
of an album being popular back in the day, but not being discussed and explored much now. In Second Spin, I revisit albums that are either underrated or underplayed. I think that Jamelia’s second studio album, Thank You, is underplayed. An exceptional and hugely enjoyable album that still sounds fresh and engaging in 2022, more radio stations should play the lesser-heard cuts from the album. One might hear the big hit, Superstar, played, though not many of the other tracks are. Thank You was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2004. It is Jamelia's best-selling album to date, with sales of over three million copies shipped worldwide. Aside from a few tracks, Jamelia co-wrote all of Thank You. Her vocals and performances are stronger than on her debut, Drama. This is an artist that I feel could deliver a brilliant fourth studio album (her third and most-recent, Walk With Me, was released in 2006). One of the finest British talents of R&B, let’s hope that we get more music from Jamelia. Thank You is one of 2003’s best albums and one that more people should know about. The vibes and reaction Thank You were largely positive. AllMusic wrote this about an incredibly assured album:
“The music industry isn't exactly known for its patience. A flop single, an underperforming album, or a lackluster comeback is sometimes all it takes for an artist to be dropped and never heard from again. Birmingham-born Jamelia has had all three during her short four-year career (three of her seven singles have failed to reach the U.K. Top 30 and debut album Drama sank without a trace), and yet somehow she's still here. The faith invested in her by her record company is admirable in this fickle day and age, but with her second album, Thank You, it's been totally justified. Taking two years off to raise her daughter, the MOBO Award winner has obviously used the time well, raising her game to produce a record bursting with potential singles.
While partly influenced by the U.S. production sound of the moment, Thank You, unlike countless other U.K. R&B albums, never forgets its roots, either. So the Neptunes-alike production of the title track, a female empowerment anthem about domestic violence, sits comfortably alongside "Off da Endz," a frenetic grime duet with So Solid Crew's Asher D, as does "Cutie," featuring a Kanye West-style helium-voiced chorus, next to the grinding dirty basslines of "Taxi," written by Alisha's Attic's Karen Poole. Indeed, the best track here is quintessentially British and a masterstroke in fusing R&B with the modern rock establishment. "See It in a Boy's Eyes," written by Coldplay's Chris Martin, is a beautiful, slinky piano-driven ode to understanding the opposite sex. It's one of the best things Martin has done, but it's also the most blatant indication of how Jamelia has matured as an artist. She's just as at ease when she moves outside her comfort zone. "Superstar," the single that rescued her career, was originally a hit for Denmark's Christine Milton, but Jamelia makes it her own to produce a simple but effective pop classic, while final track "Antidote," a haunting, quirky ballad smothered in a glossy electronica production, promises a bolder, different direction for the future. Overall, Thank You is a confident, imaginative record that oozes with personality and should be a lesson to record companies everywhere that patience can sometimes reap the biggest rewards”.
I do not think that, like some of her peers, Jamelia is or was confined to a certain market or radio station. Her music is mature, yet there is this youthfulness and vigour that means anyone of any age can appreciate it. Thank You boasts some simply amazing tracks! Antidote is a deep cut that I would love to hear played more and championed. Such a phenomenal artist, Thank You rightly won praise. This is the BBC’s view (they reviewed the re-released version, which had a couple of extra tracks) on an album that built on the foundations and promise of her 2000 debut:
“Jamelia may be widely regarded as the best UK R&B singer in years, but - like most interesting artists - she wears her genre lightly. Although her debut album Drama stole its sound and attitude wholesale from the US, Thank You sees the vocalist take bold steps onto new musical ground.
Indeed, Thank You is at its weakest when it is most generic. First single, "Bout", was hardly a promising introduction, its heavy handed, booming production sounding much like Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty", but without the vocal range and the raw charisma. It tries too hard to achieve too little, as does the embarrassing "Bitch", in which Jamelia tries Pink's attitude on for size but finds it doesn't fit at all.
Jamelia is far more comfortable at the poppier end of the R&B spectrum, where her limited but sultry vocal style flourishes. At certain times in the last few months Capital FM could have been renamed "Superstar" FM, but despite its airplay dominance this champagne pop song still sounds fresh and irresistible. Almost as catchy is the frivolous "Cutie", which nods in the direction of Jamaican dancehall with its giddy, drunken rhythm.
But its on the two slowest numbers that Jamelia triumphs. "See It In A Boys Eyes", a collaboration with Coldplay's Chris Martin, is as beguiling as it is unclassifiable. Built on one of Martin's loveliest ever piano riffs, it's a slinky, haunting hymn to understanding the opposite sex. A perfect partner to Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend".
And then there's "Thank You", the album's focal point and a blistering put-down to an abusive former partner. In the hands of a white boy guitar band, the song would likely have become a squeal of anger, but Jamelia handles it with a grace and wisdom that belie her youth - "You messed up my dreams, made me strong/ Thank you." It's that rare beast, a true pop classic which will be played for years to come.
Given the success she is now enjoying, it seems likely that Jamelia's confidence and willingness to experiment can only grow. Her third album should be quite something”.
I first heard Thank You in 2003 and, as a fan of Jamelia, I wondered whether I would be invested in the album beyond the singles. I was. It is such a fine album that only gets its singles played. So much more than its big-hitting tracks, there is a lot to explore on Thank You. If you have not heard this album for a while, then it is one that you can put on now and enjoy…
OVER and over again.