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.
PERSONAL
Jessie J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just didn't know how to tell you the truth
All we need is time
We don't know why we do what we do
But we do
On a night like this
Just don't know what I'm trying to prove
The reasons why we do what we do
But we do, but we do
Yeah we do what we do
Yeah we do what we do
Yeah we do what we do
When you fall in love
You can't help it when you act like a fool
When you look above
You see the reasons why we do what we do
What we do, what we do
Yeah we do what we do
Yeah we do what we do
Yeah we do what we do
Ain't got a shotglass in my fist
To spill it away on my business
Telling these strangers about you
I'm getting too, I'm getting too, I'm getting too
Personal, getting too personal
I'm getting too personal, personal
Personal with you
Now I'm wondering
They can tell that I've been crying all night?
'Cause I told myself
I don't love you, though I know it's a lie
'Cause I do
When you fall in love
You can't help it when you act like a fool
When you look above
You see the reasons why we do what we do
Ain't got a shotglass in my fist
To spill it away on my business
Telling these strangers about you
I'm getting too, I'm getting too, I'm getting too
Personal, getting too personal
I'm getting too personal, personal
Personal with you
Hear me out, hear me out right now, hey
Hear me out, hear me out now, hey
You've been running through my mind all day
Hear me out now, hear me baby
Hear me out, hear me out right now, hey
Hear me out, hear me out now, hey
You've been running through my mind all day
Hear me out now, hear me baby
Shotglass in my fist
So spill it away on my business
Telling these strangers about you
I'm getting too, I'm getting too, I'm getting too
Personal, getting too personal
I'm getting too personal, personal
Personal with you
You've been running through my mind all day
Hear me out now, hear me baby
The lyrics of Jessie J's song "Personal" talks about the complexities of a relationship and the struggle to express one's true feelings. It starts with the declaration that the singer is not a liar, but only had difficulty telling the truth. The song then emphasizes the importance of time in a relationship, followed by an acknowledgment that we often don't know why we do what we do, but we do it anyway. The verses further delve into the struggle of falling in love and acting foolishly and then trying to justify those actions.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Yeah, we do what we do" indicating the inevitability of actions in a relationship, whether they are right or wrong. The verse about not having a shot glass and instead talking about their business to strangers, highlights the lack of control over one's emotions when they are too personal. The bridge emphasizes the need for the other person to listen to the singer and understand their feelings.
Overall, the song showcases the difficulty of communicating and the complicated nature of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
No I'm not a liar
I haven't been lying, I just didn't know how to tell you the truth.
Just didn't know how to tell you the truth
I couldn't find the right words to express myself honestly to you.
All we need is time
We just need to give ourselves time to figure things out.
We don't know why we do what we do
We're not sure why we act the way we do.
But we do
Despite our confusion, we still continue to act on our impulses.
On a night like this
In moments like these, I struggle to make sense of my emotions.
Just don't know what I'm trying to prove
I'm not sure why I'm doing what I'm doing or what I hope to gain from it.
No we can't predict
We can't foretell or anticipate how we'll act or feel about each other.
When you fall in love
Love often causes us to act irrationally and without caution.
You can't help it when you act like a fool
Love sometimes makes us act foolishly and carelessly.
When you look above
If we take a step back and look at the situation from a broader perspective, we may find answers.
Ain't got a shotglass in my fist
I'm not drinking to forget or numb the pain of my feelings.
To spill it away on my business
I'm not going to waste my time or energy talking to strangers about my personal life.
I'm getting too, I'm getting too, I'm getting too
I'm starting to feel like I'm crossing the line and sharing too much about myself.
Personal, getting too personal
I'm starting to reveal intimate things about myself that I'm not sure I'm ready to share.
Now I'm wondering
I'm starting to question whether others can see through my facade and sense the truth about my feelings.
They can tell that I've been crying all night?
I'm concerned that my emotional state is too apparent to others.
'Cause I told myself
I've been in denial and trying to convince myself that I'm not in love with you.
I don't love you, though I know it's a lie
Despite my attempts to suppress my feelings, I know that I'm lying to myself and I do love you.
Hear me out, hear me out right now, hey
I need you to listen to me and understand what I'm trying to say.
You've been running through my mind all day
You're constantly on my mind and I can't seem to shake the thoughts of you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JENNA LAUREN ANDREWS, WILLIAM LARSON, ELLE VARNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bonnieheat_on
It hurts me that this song is so underrated...
@Nkikiavdhkfh
right ...one of my favorites
@charlescourtois1075
So damn underrated I can't believe it.. Jessie J deserves so much more respect and attention, she's gifted with an incredible talent
@destiny7057
well said😭😭👏👏👏
@eturfrey
Best live performer on the planet
@janellemaria6888
It's not everyday you find a singer with an amazing voice AND lyrics that aren't shit.
@AmandineNguyen
One minute of silence for people who don't know this amazing song
@LeysieDayaoVevo
Amandine - Athenaixx yes she's amazing Singer ever I heard of song, all of that song is inspire, heartfelt, reality and most like wonder
@tatumknox1999
NO. One minute of silence for people who don't know Jessie J.
@ibtisaan
Tatum Knox true