Does JACO’s persona evoke mythical figures such as Adonis, Apollo or Narcissus? In any case, his pop approach relies heavily on his chiseled physique and dazzling personality. His new album, Plan F, tells the story of how he struggles to reconcile his stellar ambitions with the reality of being an artist. At several points in the work, he disarms us with candor and aplomb. He also seduces us with lyrical flights of fancy and amusing moments. His wacky, homoerotic universe can feel like a rollercoaster. He declaims stories the way French pop does, against a backdrop of big beats. Musically, it seems to lack a little subtlety. The instrumentation, made up of electronic, classical and hip-hop elements, is sometimes engaging, sometimes conventional, but often well done without being particularly remarkable. In short, from the outset, the sauce is only half right as far as I’m concerned. His voice is clear and melodious, and his charisma is enticing. Themes include the quest for success, self-questioning, narcissism and free sexuality. It’s frank but can become uncomfortable at times.
The album gets off to a good start with “ICI,” a song about transcendent ideas and spiritual journeys.
With “MOI,” he unfilteredly confides in us his state of mind at the time of creating this album. Grand ambitions (to be the enfant terrible of the song world, to achieve international success and become a sex symbol) give way to bitter disillusionment. From Plan A to Plan F.
In “Come To Daddy,” he provokes by confessing to liking younger guys; without skimping on ostentatious details, he confesses to liking ephebes, handsome young men who have just come of age. A little uncomfortable for me, but you’ve got to admire his frankness nonetheless…
In “Pains au chocolat,” JACO stages a dream in which he encounters none other than Jesus. There’s a kind of sexual tension here, with superficial theological explorations resulting in a kind of revanchist alliance between him and the son of man. Special mention to the song “FEMME,” whose melodious chorus and message prepared me to be moved by hearing what I recognized as an excerpt from an old Wonder Woman movie.
In “HÉTÉRO,” he seems to be trying to convert a heterosexual by enticing her with passionate images.
In “F*CK FRIEND,” JACO reveals the emotional dissatisfactions that come with casual sex. The text is graphic, the approach playful. We talk about eating junk, coming several times and dick. Ouf!
In “Comme si personne ne regarde,” JACO invites us to free ourselves from our mortal circumstances by dancing, and it’s quite liberating and jubilant. All in all, JACO has talent and his project is fun, with several qualities. With repeated listens, I’ve come to embrace his lewd, exalted universe. That said, I find it hard to imagine to whom I could recommend his music. Too daring for conformist families and not cool enough for my friends? All the same, we wish him every success with his Plan F.
