Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales | Album Review 💿

R&B singer/songwriter Jazmine Sullivan makes a compelling comeback with Heaux Tales, her first album in six years.

Six years, sigh. 🎙 Jazmine Sullivan fans have had to wait six years to hear a brand-new album from the 🏆 Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter.  Finally, January 8, 2021, Sullivan released her long-awaited comeback, 💿 Heaux Tales.  Despite the fact it took much longer than anticipated, Sullivan picks right up where she left off in 2015 when she unleashed her 💿 Reality Show.  How so? Well, that voice remains one of the most commanding, intriguing, and soulful in the game.  Furthermore, the conceptual nature of Heaux Tales (women’s love/sex lives), coupled with its brief 32-minute runtime, sets it up for big-time success.

“Pick Up Your Feelings”

“I keep on pilin’ up bodies on bodies on bodies / Yeah, you gettin’ sloppy, girl.” Safe to say, 🎵 “Bodies (Intro)” sets the tone for Heaux Tales.  Essentially, Sullivan’s ‘rendezvous’ – and/or the women she represents experiencing various love/sexual experiences – have totally caught up with her.  It’s followed by the skit 🎵 “Antoinette’s Tale” where Antoinette, the first of many women expressing their love stories, speaks of the sexual double standard for women. Bluntly, but accurately, she states, “We’re out here telling them, that the pussy is there’s / When in actuality, it’s ours.”

“Antoinette’s Tale” perfectly prefaces one of the best songs from Heaux Tales, ✅ 🎵 “Pick Up Your Feelings.” Jazmine Sullivan absolutely kills it, giving an expressive, soulful vocal performance that’s just lays it out there for the offending dude.  “Oh, I’m tryna find a fuck to give for you,” she bites on the second verse, continuing, “You ran out of chances of forgivin’ ya / Yeah, listen, I ain’t listenin’.” Sound-wise, “Pick Up Your Feelings” is both refreshing and throwback. 🎛 DZL does a fine job behind the boards.

“Put It Down”

“I was damn near willing to just let him talk to me / Because that shit was out of this world…” 🎵 “Ari’s Tale” is performed by R&B artist 🎙 Ari Lennox. Notably, Lennox speaks about the power of dick – literally.  “That dick spoke life into me,” she asserts, setting up two highly sexual numbers – ✅ 🎵 “Put It Down” and ✅ 🎵 “On It,” where Lennox joins Sullivan.

On “Put It Down,” Jazmine plays off the power of ‘the D,’ just as Ari expresses on her skit. Prime examples of pleasure include “He keep me wetter than water” and “He’s so big, call him King Kong.”  Here, Sullivan manages to balance her classic, elite, God-given vocals with the more modern, hip-hop-infused R&B sound of the 2010s and 20s.  Lyrically, the song isn’t transcendent per se but it’s certainly stimulating and titillating.  Similarly, the double entendre of “On It” is steamy AF.  “Let me sit on it, yeah / I want you to prove it,” the ladies sing on the chorus, adding, “Baby come on and prove / Why I should move / I want to spit on it.” Damn! Expectedly, there are references to size, the mouth, and of course, ‘waves.’  It’s risqué, but, it’s another example of women liberating and unleashing their sexual side, which is pretty cool.

“Pricetags”

With the completion of “Ari’s Tale,” we move on to 🎵 “Donna’s Tale,” where Donna says, “You have sex because you know your husband is gonna give you what the fuck you want the next day.” Woo! Expectedly, ✅ 🎵 “Pricetags,” featuring 🏆 Grammy-winner, 🎙 Anderson .Paak, plays off such ‘materialism.’ Backed by a hella soulful backdrop, Sullivan is all about “spending them bands” as “that money keeps that pussy wet.”  She may keep it hood as far as her performance is concerned, but those deep, robust vocals continue to compel – no one does it like Jazmine.  As always, 🏆 Grammy-winner Anderson .Paak  is quite an asset, delivering a lit third verse featuring ample pop cultural and sexual references.  

Moving on to 🎵 “Rashida’s Tale,” Rashida brings a different dynamic to the skits – a LGBTQ+ tilt 🏳️‍🌈.  While that’s awesome, it’s not the big takeaway.  No, the big takeaway is about hurting someone truly special and totally regretting ruining the relationship.  It marvelously prefaces one of the simpler, yet best records on the album, ✅ 🎵 “Lost One.”  After messing things up, Sullivan tries to make amends and admit her shortcomings.  Still, she’s “a selfish bitch” as she requests on the chilling chorus, “Just don’t have too much fun without me /… Please don’t forget about me.”  Like much of Heaux Tales, Sullivan is raw, yet manages to remind us of the glory of neo-soul and a more soulful brand R&B. Also, producer 🎛 Dave “Pop” Watson” deserves a shout out for his simple, tasteful backdrop.

“The Other Side”

We move beyond Rashida to Precious on 🎵 “Precious’ Tale,” where she informs us “Money makes me cum… I’m not about to be seen around being her for no broke nigga when I know it’s niggas out there that’ll cash out on me.”  There it is!  That carries over to 🎵 “The Other Side” where the materialism is truly at an all-time high.  Jazmine “can’t wait to be rich” and “live on the other side.” Some of her goals include moving to Atlanta, where she’ll “find me a rapper / he gon’ buy me a booty” – you catch the drift.  Of course, the best line might appear on the second verse: “I’m hoping these titties can get me out the city.” Wow! 

The final chapter of Heaux Tales begins with the penultimate track, 🎵 “Amanda’s Tale.”  Again, sex plays a key role as it has throughout the album, but its thanks to insecurity as opposed to sheer pleasure.  “The sex has become my superpower,” Amanda states, “Even if you don’t really want me, I know you gon’ want that.  In one way it’s empowering, in another way, it’s sad.” Indeed.  Sullivan concludes the album with one of the best and most thoughtful songs, ✅ 🎵 “Girl Like Me.”  Featuring 🏆 Grammy-winner, 🎙 H.E.R., both women question their worth in men’s eyes, and consider becoming the “hoes that be winnin’” just to find love.  H.E.R. and Sullivan deliver awesome performances singing separately as well as together.  It’s nothing short of a potent and powerful statement.

Final Thoughts 💭 

Again, it took far too long, but Jazmine Sullivan returns incredibly strong on Heaux Tales.  The early January release definitely warms up winter, much like 💿 Reality Show did six years earlier. Vocally, she’s always on-point, never missing the mark.  Furthermore, the concept – various women’s relationships and sexual experiences – works incredibly well.  Besides being brilliantly geared toward women, Heaux Tales is unapologetically black, which is nothing short of awesome.

✅ Gems 💎: “Pick Up Your Feelings,” “Put It Down,” “On It,” “Pricetags,” “Lost One” & “Girl Like Me”

🎙 Jazmine Sullivan • 💿 Heaux Tales • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1.8.21

[📷: RCA]