May 15, 2006 @ 2:23 pm

Jean: Newest Addition to R&B

by: Liana Morales

The native Puerto Rican has an originality about him that sets him apart from other producer/singer/songwriters. Aside from his native tongue being Spanish (a large percentage of the album is also recorded in Spanish), Jean engages his listeners with the mere sound of his voice, and the music that decorates it. Even if one doesn't understand due to the language barrier, one can simply imagine Jean is crooning about situations and episodes one might easily relate to. Jean passionately pours his heart out about past regrets, loves, and other emotion-capped topics that people from all sectors can sympathize with.

On is definitely a mood-setter. It’s a catchy record that will surely make its full-album rotation on anyone's player. From the slower ballads - some sung in Spanish, some in English, and others in Spanglish - Jean knows how to bring the romance factor into play. With his opening track, “Duele” (It Hurts), he demonstrates his smooth vocals and great singing range. Jean also proves himself worthy of the party scene with his more uptempo songs like “Cruel”, which features M.R.P., and “Curvy”, a hip hop-pish track that trendily incorporates a blend of near-eastern instrumentation.

Jean’s smooth R&B feel is a breath of fresh air. With an array of different musical inspirations, including Latin, rock, hip hop, and blues, Jean has a uniqueness about him that is evident in his music. His Latin roots are immeasurably apparent in the production, along with his bicoastal experiences - he relocated from Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles, California to the Big Apple and finally to Miami, Florida.

With all that said, if his array of experiences, mutiple languages, and various musical topics are any indication of his presumed success, then Jean is definitely on a very promising track.