To quote Vince Vaughn, Jesse McCartney is “all growns up.” Armed with a legal-to-drink driver’s license and a mature and sexy new album, “Departure,” the New York native is enjoying life on the road with “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks – they’ll share the stage Tuesday night at the Nokia Theatre – and his first No. 1 single, “Leavin’ .”
Like the majority of the album, which sits atop two Billboard charts (Pop 100 Airplay and Mainstream Top 40), “Leavin’ ” dips heavily into the R&B pool and. The former “All My Children” soap star worked with a number of talented producers, including J.R. Rotem (50 Cent, Rihanna) and Sean Garrett (Usher, Beyoncé), to dispel his bubble-gum tag and show his vocal maturity as an artist.
? R&B Tip: “I grew up on my parents’ 45 collection. It had all the classics – James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson. When I got a little older, I started discovering music on my own, and I loved Craig David’s ‘Born To Do It.’ I always wanted to make an album like that with a mix of R&B and pop.”
? Decision time: ” ‘Leavin’ ‘ is basically telling a girl to leave her man for you. [Laughs.] I’ve been on both sides of that situation. It’s also my first No. 1. I’m still in shock. It’s like going to a Yankee game and catching a foul ball hit by Derek Jeter.”
? Lucky Leona: “It’s a whole different animal writing a hit for another artist. Me and [One Republic fontman] Ryan Tedder were just hanging out playing Xbox and the next thing you know, we wrote ‘Bleeding Love.’ Clive [Davis] and Simon [Cowell] heard it and said it was perfect for Leona [Lewis].”
? Different bloodline: “People always ask if I’m related to Paul McCartney. A while back I was working in a large studio and I heard a mandolin being played down the hall. I looked in and it was him. I was in complete and utter shock.”