Chloe Reynolds
JLS have recently released a new album, J15, celebrating 15 years since their debut album was released.
The band consists of Oritse Williams, Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes and JB Gill. The album consists of a brand-new deluxe edition which adds four unreleased tracks.
During their 15-year career, JLS have had multiple number-one hits. Three of their albums peaked at #2 or #3. They said a sad farewell in 2013 and made a huge comeback in 2021 with a 46-show arena tour across the UK and Ireland.
The album gives off a brand-new energy with the new tracks while keeping the classic JLS sounds.
J15- Anniversary Edition includes stripped-back versions of ‘Everybody In Love’ and ‘Crazy To You’. It also features a ‘one-shot remix’ by Jess Bays.
JLS Rise to Fame
JLS rose to fame in 2008, after they finished as the runners-up on The X Factor against Alexandra Burke. They quickly won the hearts of the British public, with many believing they could have won the entire competition.
The band were the fourth musical group to make the final of The X Factor, and quickly signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Epic Records after the conclusion of the X Factor season.
The band’s first two singles were ‘Beat Again’ and ‘Everybody in Love’, with their album jumping to number one during its release in 2009. It sold over 1 million copies in the UK and won the British Breakthrough award and Best British Single at the 2010 Brit Awards.
The group released ‘One Shot’ as their third single, which unfortunately did not do as well as the previous two singles. Still, it reached number six on the charts.
Following the success of the debut album, JLS embarked on their first headline tour which included 25 performances around the UK and Ireland.
In 2010, their album had sold over 1.2 million copies and was a four-time platinum album.
Throughout April 2013, JLS released a statement announcing that they were splitting up, and they were going to release a “Greatest Hits Album” to conclude their third, and final, arena tour.
The final released single, ‘Billion Lights’ reached 19th on the UK singles chart.
In 2020, JLS reconnected and embarked on their ‘Beat Again’ tour, paying homage to one of their first singles. The band also signed with record label BMG. In 2021, they released their new single, ‘Eternal Love’ and announced a new tour, expected to commence in 2023.
The Tracks of J15
Track one
The album begins with ‘Beat Again’ which was one of the first singles released when the band first started.
The song has a strong RnB sound with pulsating bass and a completely different sound from any other band.
The track reached number one on the UK singles chart when it was originally released and remains a firm fan favourite.
Track two
The second track on the album is ‘Everybody in Love’, which also reached number one on the UK singles charts.
The lyrics of the song are simple and catchy, and feature yet another iconic dance routine. The vocals across the track are smooth and give off a strong traditional boyband ballad.
Tracks three to seven
The next four tracks on J15 come across as much calmer but are still very JLS style.
One key element within this release is that the new tracks, never lose the traditional JLS feel that is instantly recognisable from fans.
‘Crazy for You’ and ‘Heal This Heartbreak’ have soft tones, and the string instruments make the song what it is.
‘Close to You’ and ‘Only Tonight’ feature strong beats and rhythm throughout the tracks, creating a new style to the original. The vocals on these tracks are a lot more mature.
‘Private, don’t Go’ and ‘Only Making Love’ both include those smooth vocals from the boys.
‘Only Making Love’ has also received its popularity from fans hearing it on tour and the band creating an iconic dance routine which went viral over social media platforms.
The album also features a remix of ‘Beat Again featuring Paul Woolford’ and ‘One Shot with Jess Bays’.
The songs bring new life to the tracks, making them feel modern without losing the classic JLS sound that fans know and love.
Overall Review of J15
The album contains a mix of classic hits and remixes, which is perfect for old or new JLS fans.
A re-release could have been considered risky as it was unknown whether or not it would work, but the album was perfect and has been a hit for fans around the world.
J15- Anniversary edition is a must-have for all JLS fans and can be streamed worldwide.
The band has also announced several festival shows throughout the summer that they will be performing at.
All dates can be found on the JLS website.
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