Love Me Back

New surprises from Jazmine Sullivan

Missy Elliott’s protйgй Jazmine Sullivan is a beginning R&B diva who first demonstrated what she is able to do on her debut album Fearless released two years ago. Jasmine had known that she wanted to do since childhood: she sang in a church choir, at school and graduated from high school in the native Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where her major course was vocal. Naturally a good voice alone is not enough to become a star – Sullivan is also a talented songwriter and producer, she wrote all the songs for her debut album herself, besides, she also penned hits for the singers Monica and Jennifer Hudson. Some of the singles from her first album have proved to be quite successful, but Need U Bad was the absolute leader among them. Two years later the singer is ready to present her sophomore effort Love Me Back to the audience, and she has prepared some new surprises that do not only illustrate her talent as a singer but also the original approach to creating music for which Jazmine has been inspired by Missy Elliott and many other stars.

Samples and elements of different styles on Love Me Back

Jasmine Sullivan skillfully combines most varied styles in her creations, so one song can easily contain the elements of hip-hop, reggae, R&B and soul. Her low husky voice can sound high enough, and she has a perfect control of it, rendering a wide scope of emotions. Jazmine’s main weapon, however, is the sample – she can create real masterpieces on that ground, the best example being the first single off the new album, Holding You Down (Goin' In Circles). The song is based not on one sample but on a dozen of them, which include songs like Slick Rick’s La Di Da Di, Mary J. Blige and Keith Murray’s Be Happy (Remix) and others. The composition is very interesting, unexpected, sparkling with bright colors. The second single 10 Seconds has much in common with the hit Bust Your Windows from the debut album for it is also devoted to revenge upon a guy for causing the song’s protagonist so much pain. Good Enough begins as a trance track but then turns into a great R&B rebuff with reggae elements demonstrating Jazmine’s ability to express various emotions – this time she is maturely dwelling upon relationships in which both parts are to be happy. The electronic danceable composition Don't Make Me Wait creates a more playful atmosphere, whereas Love You Long Time is a remarkably contagious beat and the combination of choir singing with a melodious solo part. Another example of successful sample mastering is the stylish number Redemption, and the soul-ballad Excuse Me surprises with Ms. Sullivan’s splendid singing once again. The duet with Ne-Yo U Get On My Nerves is definitely one of the most emotional moments on the records, it is a conversation between two people who cannot be without each other but keep quarrelling when they are together. The album closes with the partially title track Luv Back starting from an a capella singing and turning into a catchy dance-hall number.

The combination of vulnerability and self-confidence

The album Love Me Back offers eleven great tracks, and practically each of them has a sample in its accompaniment; Jazmine can even use rock or classic pieces for her works. One can hear Missy Elliott’s voice in the singles, she is often featured in her videos, takes an active part in working on the album being a part of the production team which also includes Jazmine herself. What makes the artist’s performance special is the fact that she strains her voice to the limit almost all the time, and the structure of her songs allows her express the strongest emotions before the song’s climax, so when they finally reach their peak one cannot but admire the power of her voice. Sullivan is twenty-three years old and she sings about a break-ups, pain and love – the classic topics of the music modern women make. Nonetheless the singer’s heroines easily unite vulnerability and self-confidence, and these songs may be considered as those moments of weakness of a strong woman, when she secretly suffers from somebody who, as she thinks, does not deserve her. The overall album Love Me Back is a really worthy continuation of the debut album, and some new and even more interesting works are sure to follow.