Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe | Album Review 💿

R&B singer/songwriter Jazmine Sullivan continues the shine of Heaux Tales on Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe.  

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ix 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, in January 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 (💿 Reality Show). Her 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) sets it up for big-time success.  That success and shine continues on 💿 Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe, released a year after Heaux Tales.

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“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.” 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 in 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.

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“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.

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“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 Paak is 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.

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“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 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 in the second verse: “I’m hoping these titties can get me out the city.” Wow!

The final chapter of the standard edition of Heaux Tales begins with the penultimate track, 🎵 “Amanda’s Tale.”  Again, sex plays a key role as it has throughout the album, but it’s 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.

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The Deluxe: “Tragic” 

Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe commences with 🎵 “Issa’s Tale.” Here, actress Issa Ray provides insight into a previous relationship.  The skit is self-explanatory upon hearing it, with Ray being angry after her final sexual encounter with her man (“He knew what I wanted, and he just pumped me and dumped me”), closing things out by asserting, “I’m so glad I was cheatin’ on him.” Woo! It sets up the fabulous 🤩🎵 “Tragic,” where Jazmine Sullivan essentially characterizes this man as lame AF.  “When your dick is tragic,” she sings in the chorus, continuing, “Who was lying when they told you you was all that?” Insulting a man’s D – that’s a low blow! Clearly, he deserved it as he wasn’t stimulating her in all facets: “Good lovin’ is more than fuckin’, sex just ain’t enough / Can you turn me on with no penetration?” She has a point, and her anger is our listening pleasure!

On 🎵 “Jazzy’s Tale,” it is finally Jazmine’s turn to tell her story. She’s extremely vulnerable, speaking about “Growing up a brown-skinned girl, a fat girl / Essentially growing up feeling undesirable.”  She goes on to describe earning validation via a relationship, but things went south, teaching her another lesson: “It’s a sad, scary, and vulnerable place when you need to feel love soo much that you’re willing to accept anything.” “Jazzy’s Tale” superbly prefaces another Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe standout, 🤩🎵 “Hurt Me So Good.”  On the soulful record, Sullivan is complacent because she feels she must be.  “I leave you when you’re wrong, but don’t stay away for long,” she asserts in the first verse, continuing, “You make it so hard in making this house a home.” Later, she asks, “So why the hell I can’t leave you?” It’s a question that so many women ask themselves, subjecting themselves to unnecessary pain just to feel love.  I have no doubt many women, and perhaps, some men, will relate to this one.

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“Roster”

Speaking of men, they get a story on Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe too! On 🎵 “A Breaux’s Tale,” a nameless guy starts to get feelings for one girl, despite the fact he had a roster.  When he confronts his feelings, the girl he wants to be official makes it clear she has her own roster, hence, playing his game on him. 🎵 “Roster,” hence, explores avoiding love – there’ll be none of those catching feelings. “Always gotta have some options,” Jazmine asserts in the second verse, adding, “But for you, there’s one more spot left in my roster, baby.”

On 🎵 “Mona’s Tale,” Mona sets up a celebration of BPW (best pussy in the world). In her tale, Mona asserts, “I want to fuck your head / I want you to miss me / I’m a great fucker.” Jazmine, of course, builds off that inspiration on the soulful, sexual 🤩🎵 “BPW”. “And even though we ain’t official / You know I ain’t no regular girl,” she sings confidently in the chorus, continuing, “So tell me whenever I’m with you / I got the Best Pussy in the World.” The chorus summarizes while the verses highlight the pleasure being given.  In the first verse, Sullivan sings, “Tell me how you never ever had it like this / And it’s a privilege to let you hit / So, act accordingly.” In the second and third verses, it gets even more NSFW.  “Gas me up / Talk that shit that make me wanna back it up,” Sullivan encourages her man in the second verse. In the third, it’s that “Bomb head and the best sex,” “Great pussy is the best flex,” and my favorite:

“And when we finished, you be outta breath

Tryna make you wanna cry

And have you thanking God

Sayin’ that you’re so blessed.”

Appears in 🔽:

• Jazmine Sullivan, “BPW”: After Dark 🕛 🌃 No. 14 (2022)

Wow! The final story of Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe is 🎵 “Shanti’s Tale.” Once again, there is a love lesson to be learned.  In the end, Shanti asserts, “I realized he couldn’t have access to any parts of me / Until he could accept and love all of me.”  Hence, she calls him 🎵 “Selfish.”  “You must’ve gone and bumped your head / See, you gon’ make me get another man instead.” You tell him Jaz!

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Final Thoughts 💭

After wowing on 💿 Heaux Tales, 💿 Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe ups the ante.  Vocally, Jazmine Sullivan remains on-point, never missing the mark.  Furthermore, the concept – various women’s relationships and sexual experiences – continues to work well.  Besides being brilliantly geared toward women, Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe 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,” “Tragic,” “Hurt Me So Good” & “BPW”

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🎙 Jazmine Sullivan • Heaux Tales Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 2.11.22

[📷: RCA]

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