Single review: Jasmine - One

Jasmine has made a name for herself in Japan with her constantly changing wigs and hairstyles. Kumi, Ayu, Beyoncé and Scott Pilgrim's Ramona have nothing on this girl. She keeps the wigs changing every day, just top make it harder for chicks to snatch. But aside from being Japan's number 1 wig changer; Jasmine is quickly becoming one of Japan's J-R&B artists to watch out for. Something which is sure to gain more traction with her sixth single release "One" being produced by none other than the continually in demand Norwegian duo, Stargate.

"One" is Jasmine's brand new single from her soon-sure-to-be-confirmed second studio album, produced by US and UK chart staple producers Stargate. As a result, the song is very US radio ready. But as some of us know, Stargate recycle beats like plastic bottles. "One" bares more than several resemblances to Keri Hilson's "Lose control", which in turn sounded like a cross between Rihanna's "What's my name?" and "Te amo". But Jasmine gets away with it because vocally she owns the song and within the soundscape of J-Pop it sounds different. Plus, her Japanese fans probably aren't so familiar with Keri's "Lose control", so they won't draw comparisons as quickly as those who have heard No boys allowed.

The acoustic version of "One" is a nice showcase of Jasmine's live vocal ability. She hits and hangs notes better than she does on the original studio recorded version, and there's a great texture to her voice which is glossed over in the single version. But the live instrumentations are completely off and disengaging. Had the arrangement included an acoustic guitar strumming away to back Jasmine's strong vocals, this would have been a great. But the dodgy instrumentations strike a bum note.

"Dear my friend" was a highlight from Jasmine's Gold album. It needed no remix, but somebody did the deed on the song anyway. Thankfully the remix keeps much of the original arrangements, and just puts a reggae spin on it, which is not as awful in actuality as it sounds on paper. Old time island oldies are more likely to step to this new remix than younger fans in their twenties however, because the production really is on some old school reggae tip.

"One" is a strong single release from Jasmine. Fans should be pleased, as they get a killer A-side, a really nice acoustic version of "Dreamin'" and some extra filler to help build up their collection of non-album Jasmine material.

"One" will not do much to raise Jasmine's profile and popularity in Japan. But it will most certainly have J-Pop and R&B loving fans in the West turning their attentions to her. Keri Hilson and Rihanna comparisons aside, "One" is a damn good A-side worth checking out. Both ladies need to hold onto their wigs, because Jasmine will snatch their shit from Japan with a fishing wire if they're not careful.

RATING: 8 / 10