RIP, Beats Music product placement…
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[5.30]
Katherine St Asaph: For those harboring any conspiracy delusions about the pop industry and press being composed solely of major-label Twitter-number-reading automatons, I submit Jasmine Villegas: former child star who accumulated a once-noteworthy amount of Twitter followers (times have changed) for being in Bieber’s “Baby” video (dear god have times changed), yet did not receive the clickola debut one might expect from that despite her music often being surprisingly good. “That’s Me Right There” is likewise: supple timbre and beat, quiet confidence, Kendrick verse obviously not great but better than anything Ariana Grande’s gotten, a welcome cut of teen R&B in a world without enough of them.
[6]
Crystal Leww: “That’s Me Right There” is not going to make Jasmine V a star, but it’s not a terrible way to reshape her look in a new album cycle. The confidence and self-assured attitude Jasmine takes to her relationship is refreshing, and the production is subdued brass rather than bombtastic. Unfortunately, she is briefly dragged down by Kendrick, who is the opposite of 2012 Drake and 2013-14 Nicki, whose verses are like little shots of adrenaline into the tracks they feature on.
[6]
Brad Shoup: I imagine that a legit bridge between R&B and the Hot 100 would sound a lot like this: a little bit of EDM vocal pitchshifting, some catchphrasing, Jasmine’s unpredicted turn into an opaque and elegant pre-chorus, guest bars for insurance. Not that I have much idea what Kendrick’s on about; I think he’s masturbating on a webcam?
[7]
Josh Love: Just when I’m starting to get a little bored with Kendrick, he plays another great trick with his voice (I don’t understand why more rappers don’t do this more often), which isn’t only pleasantly unexpected (kind of the polar opposite of any Maybach Music-heralded Rick Ross guest spot at this point) but also guarantees a little thrill when he kicks back into his normal cadence. Smart of him to corner the market on Aladdin puns on Jasmine V tracks too — sometimes low-hanging fruit is the sweetest.
[7]
Alfred Soto: From Pusha T to Schoolboy Q singles, Kendrick Lamar’s guest appearances in the last year exceed only Young Thug’s in unexpected laffs and funny voices. Other than “hydrate yourself!” he offers no surprises here, thanks to Jasmine V’s colorless emoting. The arrangement’s nothing special either: horn blasts out of Timbaland’s Madonna collaboration and a beat that suggests Ciara’s “Ride” heard sideways.
[4]
Micha Cavaseno: Is this what everyone who thinks “Ride” is a good song hears? Kendrick is a perfect fit as this beat resembles the flooded sub-woofer washes of “Swimming Pools” gone aqua-crunk, except that he sounds a bit extra chipmunky and still has yet to progress beyond his nerdy nervous disconnect. Jasmine is a surprisingly adept navigator of the space in this beat, rising with the dramatic build on the bridge only slight enough before vanishing in and out once the chorus provides its rushing punctuation. It’s a sleek ride, tougher than it looks, and pulsing with juuuuuust the right amount of bump.
[7]
Anthony Easton: Breathless, in the usual ways, and speeding through the verses that aren’t breathless — mostly as a stunting technical exercise, but why else do we have Lamar?
[6]
Will Adams: Jasmine V has a warm timbre that she does nothing with, but the track’s dated production — horn blarts, scalar glockenspiels, “po’ up” — does even less. No wonder Kendrick’s contribution is such a flatline.
[4]
Sonya Nicholson: I agree with the top comments on YouTube: Jasmine V is cute and knows how to work the camera in that kinda-disturbing former child star way, but there’s so much missing: 1) an edgy, current or interesting beat, 2) personality, 3) substance. “That’s Me Right There” is a vanity-project level title, and nothing in the track goes beyond that level. I keep mentally substituting Rihanna’s “pour it up pour it up” for “that’s me right there” (melodically identical, rhythmically miles ahead) and can’t recall a single other line.
[1]
John Seroff: Jasmine’s voice isn’t quite strong enough to cut through “Right There’s” lyrical bluster, grandiose production and bigfoot horns. Kendrick’s verse is a throwaway. There’s a fair amount of talent on show, but it never exactly lines up.
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