Following a minor stroke at age 18, she gained a Sony publishing contract and penned hits for the likes of Chris Brown, Dutch X Factor winner Lisa Lois, and Miley Cyrus (the American number two hit "Party in the USA"). After building up an established online presence, she signed to Universal Records and began working with the likes of hitmaker Dr. Luke (Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson), Atlanta rapper B.o.B, and R&B producer Labrinth on her debut album, Who You Are. In 2010, her first single, "Do It Like a Dude," originally written for Rihanna, reached number 25 in the U.K. charts and, following in the footsteps of Adele, Florence + the Machine, and Ellie Goulding, she was announced as the winner of the Critics Choice Award at the 2011 Brits. That same year, an appearance on Saturday Night Live coincided with her album being reissued in the U.S.
Following a tour that took in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, Malaysia, and her first show in North America, Jessie J became the first U.K. female solo artist to achieve six Top Ten singles from a single studio album. The success of the sixth single, "LaserLight," featuring David Guetta, was aided in no small part by her appearance as judge on the U.K. edition of The Voice. The hit show gave the singer a chance to display her talent for musical coaching, while building a rapport with fans both old and new on prime-time television. Also involved were Tom Jones and will.i.am, with whom Jessie J performed at Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Concert in June 2012, before heading back to the studio to work on the follow-up to Who You Are.
After finishing her second and final season of coaching on The Voice in 2013, J returned with the singles "Wild" and "It's My Party," which preceded her second album, Alive, that September. With a planned U.S.-only version of Alive featuring collaborations with Pharrell Williams eventually put aside, J instead focused on recording new material for what would become her third studio album, Sweet Talker. Including the likes of Diplo, the-Dream, and the aforementioned Pharrell, the album also saw her join forces with De La Soul and 2 Chainz, while Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj both featured on the lead single, "Bang Bang," which debuted at number one in the U.K. and became a Top Ten hit in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Bulgaria. Sweet Talker arrived in October 2014, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. and U.K. Taking a break from music, she joined the cast of judges on television singing competition The Voice Australia. She returned in 2017 with the singles "Real Deal" and "Queen," which later appeared on her fourth LP, R.O.S.E.
Magnetic
Jessie J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Light up, I won't be forgiven, my life is forbidden, they say it's a miracle
Sometimes I don't even know if I'm wrong or right
I try to drown the sorrow that surfaces every night
I'm moving at a speed that makes everybody look slow
What happens if I let it go
But There ain't no way you're pulling me down
It's okay, it isn't your fault
Everything is alright
Take me to a place I know
Anywhere that feels like home
Somewhere that if I let go
Someone's gonna catch my soul
Magnetic (I've never lived life, but steady as I go)
Here we go! (The sky is the limit as long as it feels good)
Magnetic (I've never lived life, but steady as I go)
Here we go! (The sky is the limit as long as it feels good)
Here we go!
Show me love, sometimes when you give it you don't always get it
That's all that you wanted
Angels, watch like television
Got over my mission, so I gotta finish up
Sometimes I don't even know if I'm wrong or right
I try to drown my sorrow that surfaces every night
I'm moving at a speed that makes everybody looks slow
What happens if I let it go
But there ain't no way you're pulling me down
I recharge the speakers and sound
It's okay, it isn't your fault
Everything is alright
Take me to a place I know
Anywhere that feels like home
Somewhere that if I let go
Someone's gonna catch my soul
Magnetic (I've never lived life, but steady as I go)
Here we go! (The sky is the limit as long as it feels good)
Magnetic (I've never lived life, but steady as I go)
Here we go! (The sky is the limit as long as it feels good)
Here we go!
Vampires and beasts lick tears from my cheeks
I won't hide, behind tweets
And smiles for life
Take me to a place I know
Anywhere that feels like home
Somewhere that if I let go
Someone's gonna catch my soul
Magnetic (I've never lived life, but steady as I go)
Here we go! (The sky is the limit as long as it feels good)
Magnetic (I've never lived life, but steady as I go)
Here we go! (The sky is the limit as long as it feels good)
Here we go!
In "Magnetic," Jessie J speaks about the struggle to find oneself amid the chaos and confusion of life. She speaks about being misunderstood and judged even when she is right. She often tries to forget the pain buried deep within her heart by engaging in reckless activities that make her feel alive. However, she is afraid of the consequences of her actions, afraid of going too far and not being able to come back. She craves a place where she feels safe and where she knows that someone understands her.
The chorus of the song captures her essence and the theme of the song best. She speaks about being magnetic, meaning she has an attraction that pulls people towards her. Even though there is chaos and confusion in her life, she is still going steady, moving slowly and carefully so that she doesn't hurt herself. She invites whoever is listening to follow her, to take a step forward, to keep moving forward and everything will be alright. She speaks about a feeling that isn't tied to anything specific, but rather to an all-encompassing sense of safety that one feels when they know that everything is okay no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
Light up, don't know how I did it right from the beginning, my head's kinda spinning
Despite not knowing how, I started something big and it's making me feel disoriented.
Light up, I won't be forgiven, my life is forbidden, they say it's a miracle
People say my accomplishments are miraculous, but they won't let me off the hook for being successful.
Sometimes I don't even know if I'm wrong or right
I struggle with my own moral compass and question whether my actions are justified.
I try to drown the sorrow that surfaces every night
I try to escape the sadness that creeps up on me every night.
I'm moving at a speed that makes everybody look slow
I'm moving fast and leaving others behind.
What happens if I let it go
I wonder what would happen if I stopped holding back and truly let go.
But there ain't no way you're pulling me down
Despite obstacles, I won't let anything or anyone bring me down.
I recharge the speakers and sound
Music helps me regain my strength and energy.
It's okay, it isn't your fault, Everything is alright
I can't blame others for my own problems, but that's okay and everything will be fine.
Take me to a place I know, Anywhere that feels like home
I want to go somewhere familiar and comfortable.
Somewhere that if I let go, Someone's gonna catch my soul
I want to be in a place where I can feel safe enough to let go of my worries and someone will be there to support me.
Magnetic (I've never lived life, but steady as I go), Here we go! (The sky is the limit as long as it feels good)
I feel unstoppable and confident in myself even though I haven't lived much life yet.
Show me love, sometimes when you give it you don't always get it
I want to feel loved, but I know that even when I give love, it's not always reciprocated.
That's all that you wanted, Angels, watch like television, Got over my mission, so I gotta finish up
I realized that all I want is love and even though I have angels watching over me, I still have a mission to complete.
Vampires and beasts lick tears from my cheeks
I'm going through a difficult time and it feels like monsters are taking advantage of my vulnerability.
I won't hide, behind tweets, And smiles for life
I won't pretend to be happy on social media and in real life if I'm not actually feeling that way.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER IBSEN, RICHARD RAWSON, ALISTAIR TENNANT, JESSICA CORNISH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind