R&B powerhouse Jazmine Sullivan seamlessly intertwines her rich voice with extensive themes on her album “Heaux Tales.” Leading up to her album release, Sullivan teased her fans with a series of spoken-word tales about love, each narration riddled with passion. She performed two songs from the album acoustically before the drop that went softly viral and brought attention back to the singer who seemed to just exist.
Sullivan became a voice to reckon with when her album “Fearless” debuted in 2008 with hits featuring “Bust Your Windows” and “Lions, Tigers & Bears.”
Her track record holds nostalgic hits, and in “Heaux Tales,” we see Sullivan adopting a more modern style and vibe to her sound that is relevant to the current and older generation.
Her newest work includes visuals on YouTube and ’tales’ of the past relationships of various women. Fans questioned an upcoming album as Sullivan gave tidbits in December, speculating potential collaborations with artists like H.E.R. and Ari Lennox. Low and behold, the fans were right. After two acoustics and three entertaining tales, the album was finally released followed by an NPR Music Tiny Desk performance.
“Heaux Tales” shows us a side of Sullivan that we have never seen but always knew was there. Especially with her newfound confidence after her 50-pound weight loss, this album sounds like the start of a new woman. The entire album displays the life she wishes to have compared to what we imagine she is currently going through.
The first song I heard was “Pick Up Your Feelings ” on the acoustic live she posted on YouTube. I was immediately hypnotized and blown away at the vocals and complexity of her performance. Each song could easily take you to a new world in your mind as each tale was told, perfectly creating images and colors of the music.
Her voice feels like a light tap on your soul that tells you to follow willingly. It is so captivating that it is hard not to press replay. “Heaux Tales” effortlessly showcases Sullivan’s creativity and phenomenal artistry.
The album and part one through four of the tales is out now and streaming on all platforms. The entire album can also be accessed on YouTube.