Jessie James, "Boys In the Summer"

Why do people keep calling Jessie James a country-pop singer?  Why do her songs keep getting shipped to country radio (which, thankfully, has not had the audacity to play them)?  To me, Jessie James sounds like a pure Top 40 pop diva without a country bone in her body.  I'm going to have a hard time taking her seriously as a country singer.  Her new single "Boys In the Summer" is a sugary piece of poptastic ear candy that is clearly asking to be blared at high volume at pool parties. 

I will let the lyrics speak for themselves:

"Yeah, yeah! Boys look so much hotter in the summer
Yeah, yeah! Take your shirt off in the water
Pull me under
Ooh!  I must be dreamin'
Ooh!  You got me singin'
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...!"

The gushy lyrics are as fluffy as cotton candy, and they sag under thick bubblegum-pop production.  I'm trying hard to hate it, but it does have a few redeeming qualities.  The song has a catchy earworm of a melody, and the vocal performance is full of spunk.  But that's not worth a significant number of points.  I'm sure that teenage girls will be singing along at the top of their lungs, but older audiences and male audiences may still remain unconverted after Jessie utters her last "Yeah, yeah!"

Jessie, you're cute, and you might make a decent pop star.  But for now, keep it off my country radio.

JESSIE'S SCORE:  4
(Scores are given on a scale of 1 to 10)

SEE THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO