As many an artist would attest, it’s a text-book no-no to cover songs by the likes of Whitney Houston. However, British belter Jessie J played by her own rules when she covered the legend’s hit ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ on France’s Taratata recently.
Check out her must-see showing after the jump…
Granted it’s next to impossible to top Whitney in her heyday, J served up an exceptional performance. Beyond the raw power of her voice, she managed to keep the vocal distinctly ‘Jessie’. Indeed, with the scats, belts, and adblibs, J avoided karaoke territory; instead projecting her own ability and musical identity within the confines of the much loved song. An OTT explanation? Perhaps. A damn good performance? You already know…
29 COMMENTS
OhSoBleak
May 25, 2011 at 1:31 pm
*Goosebumps* Shes an amazing talent! Go Jessie
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WonderLand19
May 25, 2011 at 1:41 pm
WOOOOOW, she made me smile all the way through that. She took me to a place where i was with my friends and in the sun. I love her for doing that for me.
She makes me smile
WOOOP WOOOP !!!!!!!!!!!!
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Be BETTER not "BItter!"
May 25, 2011 at 1:44 pm
It was just Ok for me not. But she’s talented nonetheless!
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I.D.
May 25, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Does she ALWAYS have to start her songs with her grunts and shouting “Jessie J”? I think we know who she is by now. It’s starting to grate on me.
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Baleia
May 25, 2011 at 1:49 pm
There’s a lot of buzz Jessie is writing songs to Whitney’s next album.
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Bdaf07
May 25, 2011 at 1:51 pm
This is my first time hearing her and she can SANG. Good job!
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TheMan4u
May 25, 2011 at 2:01 pm
i love when artist pay respect to THE VOICE. a bit pitchy but nice performance
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Jayjay
May 25, 2011 at 2:46 pm
I like this woman because she can sing. I think she did okay on this but hell my girl Whitney don’t even sound like herself that much anymore. I have nothing bad to say about this woman and great respect to you Jesse for shouting out a true icon flaws and all.
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xtincta
May 25, 2011 at 2:51 pm
She looks like Magica De Spell from the Ducktales cartoon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magica_De_Spell
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The G-List Society
May 25, 2011 at 3:25 pm
This was not exceptional. This a was nice attempt because parts of it was butchered and too much.
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Ariana
May 25, 2011 at 3:45 pm
People should never cover Whitney or Mariah for a reason. You just cannot match or top the original; Houston & Carey are on their own league. However, Jessie is a talented singer and at least she did justice to the song. She can s*it on Keri Hilson any single day btw.
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Creala
May 25, 2011 at 4:05 pm
i love here…:)..
…They already sending out Free test models of iPad 2..but ONLY if you live in United States..i got 2..sent 1 to my mom house & 1 to my dorm..lol http://goo.gl/P8NE8
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beyonceIVbaby
May 25, 2011 at 4:33 pm
She is great but i prefer keri hilsons version to i have nothing. keri is just so fresh and new
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Tru Voice
May 25, 2011 at 4:36 pm
I like how it was kinda acoustic and not as pop-sounding or bombastic as the original, because no one can do it like Whitney. Jessie mad it her own, I enjoyed it. But the key change should not have happened in her case. Who does her Make up though? I guess she’ll step it when the checks start coming in the year to come. s
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Stage
May 25, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Whitney really is not just an icon but a legend. She is a singer’s singer and the one that most singers try to emulate. The highest honor she can get is singers attempting her songs more so than any of her contemporaries. You have Gaga shouting her out and taking inspiration from Whitney’s same song, ‘I wanna dance with someone’ with her new song ‘Fashion of his love’. You have Katy Perry singing , ‘I wanna dance with someone’ on her tour everynight and now Jessie J who also covered Whitney’s ‘I have Nothing’ and said Whitney was one of her inspirations.
Not great but good. No one should really cover whitney because you keep hearing her version when they sing.
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TAYLOR SWIFTS NUMBER 1 FAN
May 25, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Didnt like it..
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omzir
May 25, 2011 at 4:58 pm
what is awesome about this is that this song is better than any song on her album.. yeah this generations talent is exceptional but no ORIGINAL ARTISTS!! THE ARTISTS HAVE BEEN SHUT OUT! LETS START A REVOLUTION! YOU SUCK JESSIE J.. but your voice doesn’t
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Tranny takes two tumbles
May 25, 2011 at 5:02 pm
She can sing, but her attitude is totally forced. Which is why I just can’t like her.
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TheMan4u
May 25, 2011 at 5:10 pm
“Whitney really is not just an icon but a legend. She is a singer’s singer and the one that most singers try to emulate”
that is so true, she is the vocal standard, my vocal instructor used her as a point of reference many times and he also said she was a singers singer.
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it s what it mofo is
May 25, 2011 at 7:12 pm
maybe, one day in life…
the comments on here are ok, but i’d rather give a mofo point of view on askamofo.com, “a pro black women website.”
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kelly
May 25, 2011 at 7:18 pm
hmm, she can sing but i kept hearing whitney’s version in my head. Jessie seems forced, lol at her trying to dance and move so not on!
Whitney with all of this singers singing your songs i wanna see some hot collabos on your next cd and yes i’m copping it
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J
May 25, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Jessie is a pretty good soul singer. Whitney in her prime is one of the greatest of all time. In this generation Xtina is The Voice.
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JohnVidal
May 25, 2011 at 8:31 pm
She did really good, specially cos she did the song hers in a way. The epic fail is when artists try to emulate Whitney or Mariah type of legends vocally and of course they end being a total mess. But Jessie got it right
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ad
May 25, 2011 at 9:11 pm
Not a PATCH on Whitney’s! Yes it was alright but it was too weird and didnt have Whitneys soul and….. well i dont know what it is, but she just doesnt have what Whitney has, NO ONE DOES! The best cover of i wanna dance with somebody besides Whitney has gotto be Alexandra Burkes! Wow when i watched that i thought at last someone with talent who can almost sing and perform like the godess herself.. Whtiney hosuton. If you havnt watched Alexandras WATCH IT!!!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!
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loves1embrace
May 25, 2011 at 9:50 pm
She is super talented with an amazing voice. But she needs to tone it down just a little. You don’t have to do everything you are capable of in one song. It is just not needed. But I still like her!
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Ur mom
May 26, 2011 at 4:23 am
i love her voice
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Jay
May 26, 2011 at 7:07 am
great performance. I never knew she could sing like this.
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Big Ro
May 26, 2011 at 8:14 am
Great performance!
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sabrina
May 26, 2011 at 11:34 am
Sounds real good.
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