That Jazmine Sullivan is a lover of “ratchet” reality TV is not entirely surprising after all, the singer’s second single was called Bust Your Windows. Much like the medium referred to in its title, the American singer/songwriter’s third album airs a pile of dirty laundry accrued during a rocky relationship.
This is a breakup album, but its overarching theme is not love, but respect. The lyrics, which mainly focus on the ways toxic relationships shatter self-esteem, are incisive, scathing and darkly funny. Brand New is about a woman whose rap-star-wannabe boyfriend keeps his relationship on the down low, and she unpacks female beauty standards on Mascara, a smoky ballad full of difficult vocal acrobatics and hip-hop phrasing she performs effortlessly.
She’s a hugely captivating singer with a voice full of surprises and textures, including a pained rasp that emphasizes the B in R&B. Her emotions are nuanced and messy, but the production is very clean and radio-friendly. Some trendy lite disco and uplifting, singalong hooks give her voice more to compete with and play up the universality of experience, but Sullivan sounds better the more specific she gets.
Top track: Mascara
