I remember when I first heard of Lucky J in the summer of 2014. It was when they were promoting Can You Hear Me, and among all of the other music around that month, I couldn’t help but think it sounded tremendously American — especially that charismatic female vocalist. Then, Unpretty Rapstar became a huge hit last spring and everyone suddenly knew who Jessi was. Turns out that, yes, she is from America and, even though she’s primarily a vocalist, she’s a fierce rapper as well. She gets to show off both of these skills in the trio’s new single, No Love. The song is a step up from Can You Hear Me, even if the main hook might not be quite as cathartic. The seesaw-sounding production and building melody set an emotive tone that allows all three performers to shine. The song feels like something that could have come right out of YG Entertainment. My first thought was that this could have doubled as a Winner, iKON or Bigbang hip hop ballad, right from the vocal phrasing and production in the first verse. Usually, this kind of similarity would be a bad thing, but I think in this case it works in Lucky J’s advantage. It has a level of professionalism that makes them feel more established than they are. I also like that it doesn’t feel like a Jessi track with a couple background guys. I’m sure it would have been tempting to highlight her even more, but J’Kyun and J-Yo more than hold their own.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHwRNuNPvDc