Jesse McCartney Matures with Hip-Hop Appeal of Departure

Jesse McCartney is a Long Island, New York-based actor and singer. He might mainly be known for his television success on Summerland and All My Children; and being a member of pop group Dreamstreet. Yet, Jesse is a successful recording artist as well. After recently turning 21, Jesse is back with his new and mature album, Departure. Will Departure turn Jesse into an even bigger pop star?

The first single off of Departure is Leavin'. The song is a collaboration between The-Dream and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart; the duo behind numerous hit singles for Rihanna, Mariah Carey, J. Holiday and Mary J. Blige. The song is very catchy and interesting.

The Clutch join Jesse on It's Over. The mid-tempo song is easily one of the best tracks on the album. The track is extremely catchy and radio friendly.

Rock You features and is produced by Sean Garrett. The song is completely different than you would expect from Jesse. The song is a very solid urban song which is just extremely interesting to listen to. The duo of Garrett and McCartney have definite chemistry together.

How Do You Sleep? is another Sean Garrett creation. The song is interesting and features nice vocal harmonies however it is not the best track on the album.

Eric Hudson teams with Jesse on Told You So. The song is a solid mid-tempo track. The song features a solid and catchy beat and strong writing.

Freaky is produced by Madd Scientist and features his trademark style. The song is definitely a future party anthem. The song is one of the better tracks on the album.

Into Ya is also produced by Sean Garrett. The song is very Justin Timberlake in vibe. The song is more mature than you have previously heard from Jesse. However the song is solid.

J.R. Rotem produces My Baby which sounds similar to most of Sean Kingston's recent singles. However the song is delivered very solidly by Jesse.

Runnin' is also produced by The Clutch. The song is fairly strong but not as powerful as their previous collaboration on the album.

Not Your Enemy is the perfect way to close the album. The song has a definite Coldplay vibe to it and is very strong.

Departure is definitely a true departure for Jesse McCartney. The album features a distinctively hip-hop appeal and puts him in the same lane as artists such as Justin Timberlake. Departure is the equivalent of Justin's Justified album. The album lacks that acoustic guitar feel of the previous efforts and it is for the better. Departure gets 8 out of 10 for a surprisingly solid album. If you are a fan of Jesse McCartney make sure you pick up Departure when it is available in stores on May 20^th.