Celebrating 15 Years Of JLS With ‘J15 - Anniversary Edition’

It seems that in 2024 the golden age of British pop groups has well and truely gone. The  X-Factor era that brought us One Direction, Little Mix and of course JLS have faded out, but with the 15th Anniversary of their debut album, Aston, Oritsé, Marvin and JB have breathed new life into an underrated decade of music. 

The original tracks hold up despite the 15 year gap, reminding us of distinctive sounds of the late 2000’s and new remixes show that British pop groups could make a well-deserved comeback. 

The album begins with their first No.1 single ‘Beat Again’ which immediately cemented them as different from other boy bands of the time and to other X-Factor alumni who ordinally start their careers with a cover. But ‘Beat Again’s’ RnB sound with its pulsating bass and blah blah showed a different sound, one that fits perfectly in the 2010 dance pop era. The music video for ‘Beat Again’ is very memorable for me: from JB’s iconic bow tie to the classic boy band zooms and solo shots to the descriptive dance moves - like all the boys falling to the floor with the lyrics “If I died, yeah would you come to my funeral” - it was a quintessential and simple pop video. The track reached Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, quite the achievement considering most X-Factor acts at the time would release covers as their first single. Perhaps this is testament to JLS’ skill and one of the reasons they remain popular and remembered to this day compared to others who have steadily lost popularity as the years have passed. 

Their second single ‘Everybody In Love’ showed they had no sign of slowing down as this too reached Number 1. The simple but effective lyrics “Everybody in Love / Go on put your hands up” are permanently etched into the minds of millions. Compared to their first single, ‘Everybody in Love’ sounded more like the traditional boy band ballad and pulled this convention off perfectly. The vocals throughout the track are smooth and cool, beautifully belting out the top notes in the songs building chorus and the nostalgia felt listening to these tracks is reason enough for the albums re-release.  

The next four tracks of the album bring with them a calmer and more mellow tone, while still incorporating musical features that make them identifiable as JLS songs. The stylised auto-tune as well as various string instruments creates the backdrop for ‘Crazy for You’ and ‘Heal This Heartbreak’, whereas ‘Close to You’ and ‘Only Tonight’ utilise the sharp clap sound to keep a pulsating rhythm through the songs. Later in the album, we hear a stripped back version of ‘Crazy for You’, the drum beats and gradually building violins swapped for simple guitar and vocals, giving an opportunity to showcase the band's brilliant vocals. 

The highlight of this album re-release is the new remixes of Beat Again with Paul Woolford and ‘One Shot’ with Jess Bays. The remixes and new approaches brough to the tracks reinvigorate the songs, making them sound not out of place in the 2020’s dance pop scene whilst maintaining their original 2010’s vibe. Woolford replaced the song's original opening with its high pitched womps and swapped it for a gradual building, muted drum beat and JLS’s classic “Oh oh oh” . The song is also sped up, giving it more of a nightclub atmosphere which is further felt in the minor chords overlaid on the track. The ‘One Shot’ mix continues the theme of adapting these songs for current audience and expectation which is done very well and fits perfectly with the ‘Beat Again’ remix. Before the drop, Bays uses a rapidly increasing drum speed to go into the chorus which heightens the anticipation for the song, despite its familiarity and nostalgia.

A major component of this album for me is the combination of nostalgia mixed with the new and exciting sounds of the remixes. It acts as a reminder for the music as JLS, a group I think were underrated at the time and I hope that with the re-release of their first album, it opens the doors for new fans as well as bringing back old ones.

Isabel McDermott

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Image: ‘J15 -Anniversary Edition’ Official Album Cover