Jesse McCartney
Beautiful Soul

THE REVIEW

“I don’t want another pretty face,” sings Jesse McCartney in the song “Beautiful Soul”, from his self-titled debut album.

Ironically, during this period Jesse is surrounded by thousands of the pretty faces of his devoted fans, who scream and cry for him (reminiscent of the mania sparked by the other famous McCartney in the Beatles). Co-author of four of the songs on the album, the talented artist had no trouble convincing and being taken seriously as a musician by public opinion. "Beautiful Soul" is already platinum in the USA with one million copies sold, and the single "Beautiful Soul" is No. 3 on the Top 40 and No. 2 on the AOL Music Chart.
Jesse McCartney burst onto the American public's attention after his sensational appearances on MTV TRL and radio. The video for "Beautiful Soul" reached No. 1 after being voted 50 times in the Top 10. With significant collaborations from producers and writers like Matthew Gerrard (Hilary Duff, Kelly Clarkson), Robbie Nevil (Babyface, Destiny’s Child), Andreas Carlson (Britney Spears), and Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Ricky Martin), Beautiful Soul showcases what McCartney calls “rhythmic music”.

It’s a mix of up-tempo, modern pop/rock/R&B/dance beats and strong melodies that evoke Hall & Oates’ (“She’s No You”) and Michael Jackson at the top of his career in the '80s (“Get Your Shine On”). The other songs on the album are influenced, as McCartney himself admits, by the star Craig David with his two-step garage sound (the electro-pop of “That Was Then”) and the old Motown school (Jesse's falsetto in “Why Is Love So Hard To Find?”).
Jesse, originally from New York, debuted on Broadway in the musical Oliver at the age of seven, later taking part in the production of 'The King And I' at ten years old, and playing young Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol' staged at Madison Square Garden.

Jesse was a member of the band 'Sugar Beats', and then achieved a platinum record at the age of fourteen as a member of the pioneering boy band 'Dream Street', whose self-titled album was No. 1 on the Billboard Independent Album chart. Being part of 'Dream Street' made McCartney very determined and aware of his musical destiny.
“Being in a boy band taught me the basics of being on stage, how to hold a microphone, and how to record music and share it with others,” says McCartney “For me it was a great school. And I realized what my path should be, that of a solo career.”.
This is why "Beautiful Soul" is a personal album, with strong ballads like “Take Your Sweet Time” and “Why Don’t You Kiss Her?” where Jesse's falsetto best captures the sweet nature of young lovers. “I love writing ballads,” says Jesse “These were the first two songs we recorded for the album.”.

After finishing the recordings for the new second season of 'Summerland', McCartney will dedicate himself fully to playing around with his band. Jesse adds,
“The new series of Summerland is definitely better compared to the first; there is much more action in the story and in my character. When the episodes air, I will be on tour and I will enjoy meeting fans and interacting with them”.
With one foot in music and the other in cinema, Jesse is aware of the difficulty of balancing the two commitments. Jesse explains, “In every interview I get asked whether I prefer singing or acting; my answer is both. I can't decide, I just hope to do both for a long time. I am lucky because WB and Hollywood Record work their best to ensure my two careers are always in sync.”
Jesse McCartney also has other goals to achieve “I would eventually like to explore fields such as directing, producing, and screenwriting. My secret dream? To go back to college to study cinematography. This is the best moment of my life. I have immense support from my family, my management, my record and film company, and now, above all, from my fans. All this fuels me and encourages me to work hard to make everyone proud of me.”

"Beautiful Soul" is much more than just the expression of a pretty, clean face. Behind his success and his radiant future, Jesse remains unfazed, calm, cautious deep down, and with a serene inner beauty.