Jessica Mauboy – Been Waiting For Album Review
Another Australian Idol contestant has tried to make his mark on the Australian music scene after the rumor of 15 minutes of fame has faded. In this case, it is the girl Darwin Jessica Mauboy, the singer-songwriter who was a finalist for Damien Leath in the fourth season of Australian Idol. His album is called Been Waiting and it is his second release after The Journey, a collection of his Australian Idol performances.
Been Waiting’s first single is Running Back, featuring American hip hop artist Flo Rida. The single is surprisingly good, possibly the best effort we’ve seen from an ex-Idoler. He has a professional sound, a catchy beat, and shows that his vocal skills are capable of more than his basic versions of Whitney Houston. Who knew after those Head and Shoulders commercials that she had the potential to be an Australian R&B artist? Lyrically, the song is impressive too. Thanks to Mauboy who participated in the writing, as well as five of the other ten songs on the CD.
The remainder of the album does not feature any tracks that top Running Back, however it is a solid effort from the 19-year-old. All songs are original, plus a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, which while nice, is not particularly different from the classic. There are ballads, as well as upbeat pop / R&B numbers. Been Waiting is the first real evidence that the girl can not only sing, but might also be able to defend herself, especially after her fruitless stage where she blinked and got lost with the Young Divas replacing Ricki Lee.
Mauboy’s staying power at this point is questionable, and we have yet to see if he’s interesting enough to put his stamp on, but it’s a decent real first try. For now, it scrubs well and will turn some heads on the professional-looking cover. She is on her way straight out of the Australian Idol locker and Been Waiting will have her place even if, for now, she is playing in Valley Girl stores and is part of the 12-15 year old CD collections.
Available through Sony Music