Heaux Tales
by Jazmine Sullivan

From mdbaxter 01/11/2022 16:38 | #279147 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

The songs themselves are lovely to listen to. They're expertly produced and the harmonies are fantastic. There's not much material here when you take away the interludes but of the eight songs most of them are really good. The interludes add context and depth to the themes of the album but I'm not a fan of interludes in general. The lyrical content is more than worth exploring but "On It" is a little too graphic for my delicate sensibilities.

From HoldenM 12/25/2021 09:06 | #277955 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Maybe women aren't exclusively contradictory as women, but in a patriarchal world, it's hard not to want total independence and to be looked after. To demand to be respected as a person, but willing to be endure humiliation for great sex. To find power in yourself, only to resent having to be powerful to be valued by men. All the while, competing with people who feel exactly the same as you and pretending that you're better off looking out for yourself.

That's the brilliance of Heaux Tales: How actively Jazmine Sullivan revels in the cognitive dissonance of modern romance. These songs are smart, funny, heartbreaking. Above all, they are relatable. Because who doesn't want to be both dominant and vulnerable? Or rather, how can you not at least see the appeal? It also helps that this record is so well-written and tastefully produced. And yeah, it works best holistically--save for the killer "Pick Up Your Feelings." But this thing is a half-hour and change. I'm fine with this being best taken as a whole when it's all so good anyway.

The obvious complaint about this album would be the skits/interludes/call them any way you like. Rashida's Tale was the one that I felt added something, but in general they broke the flow of the album. You can tell how detrimental they are by checking how their absence immediately elevates the album, for example the combination of Put It Down and On It - even though their are so different in terms of style - is so very powerful, because there is no interruption between them.

From ledaero 01/11/2021 05:27 | #264183 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Gorgeous album. Really beautiful and often heartbreaking exploration of sexuality and gender dynamics. Lost Ones is stellar.