Jessie J Spices Things Up on Smule

The development of apps (and celebrities using these apps) is really getting out of control in 2015. First we had an NFL team giving sneak peaks on Snapchat, then Hilary Duff got hooked on Tinder, now this.

So what is it that Jessie J has done exactly?

She's got an account on a sing-a-long app called Sing! Karaoke by Smule.

http://i2.mirror.co.uk/

The app has been around since 2012 but it's popularity has been a bit hit and miss - that is, until now.

I first saw Jessie using the app in a viral video, where she can be seen having a duet with a fan called Tom Bleasby. Unlikely soprano Bleasby, shared the video on his YouTube channel which then somehow got to Jessie J's channel and now the video has racked up nearly 5 million views just on Bleasby's channel alone and a further 10m on JJ's channel.

Within no time at all, videos have started popping up everywhere of fans "dueting" with Jessie. For me, this ruined the magic a bit because it confirmed what I already suspected. That Jessie J had just uploaded a recording of herself singing the awful Flashlight song from Pitch Perfect 2.

I had time to consider whether Jessie could seriously turn Smule on and have individual singalongs with people every so often... I decided it probably wouldn't be worth it and she probably couldn't risk anyone hearing her slip up. So, I had to forgive her and move on.

For Smule, I can imagine this concept has been worth a million dollars. 

Literally! 

The app’s recent success will be sure to bring in those paying customers, who are all looking for that Jessie J track (which is definitely hiding in one of their limited collections which cost £2.29 a week to access).

Thousands of adoring fans are going to want to sing with Jessie, even if she’s not really listening to them.

I find it kind of sad when she says “well done” because… well… it might not be well done, it might be so poorly done that it hurts. 

Exhibit A:

Smule’s Chief Product and Design officer spoke to The Guardian saying:

“It’s her song that she’s singing, using the app, so you get a different version of it than you would on iTunes: it’s very raw and affecting. For the fans, it’s like ‘wow, she can really sing’ because she belted it out.”

That’s something that Spotify and Tidal can’t offer you I suppose.

I still feel like this is some very clever “fan engagement” whilst not actually having to engage with any fans. 

But hey, people love this kind of stuff.

Less known artists like the Gregory Brothers, Cody Simpson and Coco Jones are all doing the same as Jessie. It's fabulous for them because they’re coming across as one of those “lovely” “down-to-earth” kind of celebs. Don't you just love 'em?

I suppose if I was a celebrity and all I had to do was sing or work on my body at the gym, then I suppose I can see the attraction of doing something completely brand new and then watch the mayhem unfold before you on YouTube. 

Whatever it is: publicity stunt, music promotion, who cares? It's a good idea and perfect for celebrities to get their music shared in this digital age.

Megan Herdson

Megan is a country girl who moved to the city with some big dreams. She is studying her MA in Creative Writing whilst also managing an American Football Team.  She loves her blog and wants nothing more than to have her words read. That and to win the Championship, obviously. Follow her @MeganAtSMF

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