Heaux Tales

What… and i emphasize… tha fuq.

Not really my type of music, but not total crap either and I was able to listen through the whole album without too much effort. I forgot it playing on the background for 2nd spin and kind of started to warm to this, though bit less vocal acrobatic would have been enough.

Never even heard about this artist but that doesn't surprise me at all due to genre. This album falls into slot of positive nonsense. Listening this doesn't bother me but doesn't provide much.

Mostly boring, one-in-a-million R&B stuff, but there were a few good songs as well, for example “Pricetags.” Don’t know if the feat lifted it up or what, but anyway, it was that song and maybe two other songs that earned this album its second star. So 2/5 from me. Those interludes are a major downer for me on albums like this. I don’t really get why they’re there.

#473 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ ✅ I've not even glanced at local mainstream charts for so long, that I don't even recognise many of the artists names, let alone US r'n'b ones. I've no idea what to expect, since the whole of top of American r'n'b charts has been mediocre dance music as long as I remember. Well, this one turned out to be hiphop beats with vocal acrobatics, not much music between them. Strong female message is cool, but doesn't carry very far for me when it is actual music I'm looking for. Weak 2/5 for me.

BUENIZIMO

I need someone to explain to me how in the hell this EP is currently sitting at an average rating of 2.66/5. I feel like that says a lot more about the demographic of this website than it does about the EP itself. There's a lot to love here. The vocals are great, I love the beats, and I agree pretty strongly with the message of this whole thing. Hey, guys! Women have sex too! That's it. Some of these reviews read like the people writing them haven't had contact with a vagina since they came out of one.

The fuck was that?

I'm not really sure what to make of this album. It felt like it was sending a message, and trying to be something bigger. I'm pretty bad at reading the room on that stuff, so I'm going just based on how much I enjoyed the music. It was middle of the road for me. Did some cool things, but nothing that made me take any tracks away. Considering how recently this was released I was expecting to either know some or take some away, but that didn't happen.

I kind of wish it was longer, the songs were great.

Lekkere R&B hoor. Ook qua lyrics erg goed: vooral de emantipatie van de zwarte amerikaanse vrouw.

See i really enjoyed this and had genuinely never heard of it AND it was a recent album. Glad to see this list finally doing it's bit to promote modern music too.

I briefly contemplated giving this a 2 but turned out the content was somewhere between thin and non-existent and I just couldn't do it.

I'm finding the post 2010s choices on this list a bit at odds with the rest - not sure this ticks the brief of either well known cultural landmark or sufficiently unique genius to make its way here. It was fine. Of course, perhaps I'm just getting old.

Perfectly serviceable R&B sung by woman with a decent set of pipes. Whether this late 60 year old male got the most out of it is doubtful, but if I was a 16 or 17 year old girl looking for some opinions I think it would hit a lot deeper.

Not my genre clearly, and having read the description apparently it's considered feminist? Well, the sexuality aspect is really far away from my reality, I get that many people care about it a lot, however it doesn't sound very empowering. Like having sex with a man to get something? Looking for a man to pay for you? That's kind of the most patriarchal model one could come up with. And then there's the obsession with money... If this is all earnest I'm quite sad for people who have such worldview. That said, there were some catchy parts like the song Pick up your feelings and her voice is quite good too. Wouldn't listen to it again, but it's not completely unlistenable like some of the other albums I had to endure, therefore 2 stars.

This girl is saying “I have emotional depth, but I would also like financial security and perhaps a yacht.” Beautifully.

I was surprised to find this on the list. Seems too good for it /hj.

Fantastisk vocalist men bara för rörigt och konstigt. Vet inte vad jagb lyssnar på. En trea

Utterly bland R and B. A chore to get through.

Not for me

I’m really happy for her, but this isn’t my thing. I hope she’s doing well.

Mid album. Subject matter from a woman's perspective on sex/dick. Opposite of men rapping about hoes. But the beats where nice!

What a joke to include this album

mid r&b interspersed with weird preachy annoyances

Didn't get much from this tbh. Probably should have paid more attention.

mid 3

It’s fine

ok

More evidence of R&B not being my thing. There's quite a bit of variety here, though, and I liked "Pick Up Your Feelings" and "Price Tags," but in general the sound is not one I vibe with.

Trash

Tyttöenergiaa! Miten välillä tulee vastaan näitä loistavia rnb albumeita. Ei niin vanhakaan. Laiskakin kansi näyttää vähän siltä. Naisten oikeudet, naisten seksuaalisuus. Tässä joitain aihealueita.

Really great actually, big fan

This was decent

Not my style but it was a nice album to listen to

The Other Side is a brilliant song.

390/1001 Jasmine Sullivan - Heaux Tales Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ First song in, I thought uh oh this is going to be an auto-tune mess of an album, but moved away from that, however this is very run of the mill when it comes to R'n'B beats etc. It's frustrating, as she does actually have something to say, rather than falling into the clichés typical of the genre.

Calling 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘹 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 an EP feels almost misleading. At around half an hour, it has the structure and flow of a proper album rather than something that feels slight or transitional. The music sits firmly in modern R&B, but with enough neo-soul warmth to keep it from sounding too slick. Sullivan’s voice carries the record, while the spoken interludes add personality and help connect the songs. Short, cohesive, and very well put together. Whatever the label says, this feels like a full album to me.

2 really good songs on this album that i knew previously, "pick up your feelings" and "on it". I like the ay the album tells it's sotry through short skits tat make specific points and then songs related to the feelings around those points and events.

What the fuck is this piece of shit doing in this list. Absolute garbage.

Didn’t really move me but I did appreciate the curation

Ultimately, this album isn't for me. While R&B is rarely a genre I reach for, I have a far greater appreciation for classic 1960s and 1970s Soul and R&B than for contemporary iterations. The modern, loop-driven, hip-hop-adjacent production here feels stark and one-paced, chasing an atmospheric mood that falls entirely flat for my ears. Two stars. 1 "Bodies (Intro)" (3/5) 2 "Antoinette's Tale" (1/5) 3 "Pick Up Your Feelings" (3/5) 4 "Ari's Tale" (1/5) 5 "Put It Down" (2/5) 6 "On It" (2/5) 7 "Donna's Tale" (2/5) 8 "Price Tags" (2/5) 9 "Rashida's Tale" (2/5) 10 "Lost One" (2/5) 11 "Precious' Tale" (2/5) 12 "The Other Side" (3/5) 13 "Amanda's Tale" (2/5) 14 "Girl Like Me" (3/5) Total - 30 Average - 2.1 399/1001 209/399 albums reviewed were new to me.

I have already forgotten about this album.

8/10 - I really like this album. Love the tales interludes Heard before? --------–- ✅ Saved a new Song? ----- ❌ Saved Album? -------–-- ✅ Will Listen Again? ---––– ✅

R&B interessante. A temática do álbum é dinheiro. Os vocais são bem marcantes. É um álbum legal na mensagem mas apenas ok musicalmente. Soa bem genérico. CVJ Kira.

I wasn’t too impressed with this

Album with a cover like this, released during the peak of whatever people call "woke era" and 14 songs in 32 minutes. Yeah, can’t help it, I admit I’m a bit prejudiced. But maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised, who knows? Nah, I wasn't. This is dreadful, absolutely horrible. Is this what American mainstream music is like these days? No wonder they're out of their fucking minds.

Hip Hop, 63 eme album =>2/5. Répétitif comme d’habitude, mais le chant passe plutôt bien. Et l’album est court, surtout quand on zappe les interludes.

It’s fine, decent sound, mildly interesting lyrics: more like an intriguing EP than album of the year

this is the newest album on the generator, i’ve heard of this before and never considered hearing it, it had some really great instrumentals and messaging and features behind the lyrics, not something i’d usually want to listen to but it performs very well and the production is impressive

This is a really enjoyable modern RnB album about women's sexuality. It is blunt, it is sensual, and it is honestly kind of empowering. It reads as a very intentional inversion of the male gaze that is often at the center of RnB. I think the spoken word interludes are a double edged sword, but ultimately load bearing on Heaux Tales. They kind of serve as framing elements for the concepts here, centering the lyrical concepts here on the experiences of real women, and it makes the impact of Heaux Tales feel way more human than it would have otherwise. However, Heaux Tales is already a *short* album, at 32 minutes. And while it does keep things breezy, it also means that this many interludes kind of starts cutting into the runtime, even if they are important to the concept. Basically, part of me thinks that I would like some more content here, but at the same time, there would be the risk of making the album feel bloated. Although, despite these qualms, what *is* here is really good, so I don't want to complain too much.

Around half the tracks on this are spoken word pieces, they are all short but still take away those five minutes from the runtime and you've got under half and hour of actual music It feels like an EP rather than an album to me and I'm not sure why this is on the list as it doesn't really stand up well to Beyonce or SZA's recent efforts.

Not 4 me

No standouts

Really not my bag at all. Even 30 minutes felt too long

Not really my type of music, but I understand why it resonates with young Black listeners. I don't understand the rantings of White classic rock fans who let their prejudices and narrow viewpoints make it impossible for them to explore and appreciate other music styles.

Not the first time an album on this list has made me ask how or why it is on the list to begin with. Sometimes language on albums in this genre are vulgar sometimes in service to the message or larger theme; sometimes with effect, sometimes gratuitously. Usage here falls into the latter category and the album is downright vulgar. If this is what it means to own your sexuality or reclaim your power I don’t want it. No need to ever hear this again. Only reasons to avoid it.

7/10, conceito interessante

bem dnçante e feminista, logo, muito bom. Nunca ouvi falar dessa artista ou desse álbum, por isso não dei nada pra ele de início, mas a música é incrível e carrega muita alma, coisa que não tem aparecido nos últimos álbuns recomendados pelo site. esse álbum tem alto valor social.

So good I had to listen on repeat all day.

Feminist rap/r&b - not bad but I don’t need to listen to this again

I’m beginning to lose faith in this list and I’m only 28 albums in. What even was this?

комфортик

The vocals remind me of Lauryn Hill - on fire. The backing tracks have solid grooves too. That said, the interludes kind of break the flow, and the songs are not quite as memorable as Hill's. Price Tags is pretty good (though raunchy - can't play it around the kids). Girl Like Me is also strong.

When I didn’t recognize the artist or album, I just presumed this was more 1001 Album Challenge nonsense… but then I looked and saw it had won a Grammy and a bunch of other awards… so it was just some big blind spot on my behalf. I’ll blame the pandemic, rather than just being old and white. I have a feeling this could be a 4 with a few more listens, since it felt like it ended stronger than it started.

It might be that we've had a pretty shit stretch of totally random British nonsense, but I was inclined to like Jazmine S. before I started given my familiarity with some of the singles from this album (On It, Pick Up Your Feelings.) It doesn't hurt to have one of my R&B favorites, Ari Lennox, guest on a few songs. It also doesn't hurt that, despite the unnecessary interludes, the songs are largely solid old school R&B grooves - mixing heartbreak & horniness with fantastic vocals.

Not sure this old enough to be considered a classic plus I can’t even remember this album coming out so why it’s on this list is a mystery. Really basic R&B if you’d like that sort of thing, but it’s not my cup of tea.

Not my style.

nah

I like how she talks to me in little bits songs were quite nice but not too nice

i love a little rnb but there was just too many skits and interludes

Pretty voice. Lots of Me Too language. End of the day, it’s a lot of bitching about fucking of fighting with their N****s. I do hate that word. ABSOLUTELY nothing special.

I've never heard of this person, nor any of her music. Seems like all the "tale" tracks (6 of them) are just random talking about stuff I'm not interested in - so are a waste of space for me. I get that they fit the theme of the album. That means there are only 8 real songs on this for an actual musical running time of about 27 minutes - this is good because I was waiting for this to be over. Seems like every song (and many of the talking skits) are about a woman giving sex to a guy that has money or a big D or cheating on a partner. Is this what "female empowerment" is about in 2021? I can't relate to any of this. And I'd question the life choices of any person that does. This is probably a "gold diggers" favorite album. Granted, the men she is singing about seem just as selfish and dysfunctional as she does too. She was 34 when she wrote this - so you can't blame the very selfish and extremely limited worldview on being young and inexperienced. Maybe she's singing "her truth" but I'm so glad I don't hang out with people that think or act like this. I respect that it seems like she writes her own songs. Her voice is pretty good. I don't need to hear any of this again. Liked songs on Spotify: 0/14 Rating: 1/5 (should be zero)

Only 32 minutes in duration, so I managed to get through this album about female sexual politics and empowerment, but I am clearly not a member of the audience this was intended for. As a middle aged male, I, nor anyone I know, holds the antiquated views that she is raging about. Jazmine Sullivan is a sexual creature and she makes sure you know it.....many times. So, it is not an essential album for me, but perhaps it is for a horny female listener. On the musical level, I couldn't detect any production experimentation that would differentiate or elevate this from any other R&B album over the past 3 decades. If you are into the genre it is worth your time. Yes there are interludes, but they are respectful of your time and attention with them. Having said that, I will be surprised if this album survives on the list long term. It should not go unsaid that I did enjoy a break from the taken far too seriously singer songwriters that litter this list.

What the fuck is this shite doing on 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die? Presumably the curator heard Jazmine Sullivan’s voice, saw the critical acclaim and assumed this record would become some kind of era-defining R&B landmark. Instead, Heaux Tales plays like pound-shop TLC with spoken-word interludes designed to convince you something profound is happening. This is not an album you need to hear before you die. It is barely an album you need to finish before making a cup of tea.

Never listened. Expectations: None - Verdict: Not For Me - The opening track gives me the impression of a female Frank Ocean type thing. Pick Up Your Feelings is a decent track but I find Put It Down somewhat generic. On It is a bit boring but I do like some of the vocals. Price Tags is alright, I like the Anderson .Paak feature. The rest kind of blends into a nice sounding but not particularly interesting collections of songs.

Probably not bad if you're into this kind of music, but it's a sound I don't enjoy at all.

Nope, nope, nope. Not for me. Uh huh. No, no, no

Strange choice to be on this list. I just can’t…

*No music, just chatter

Nice

Well, this is... a choice for the list. I feel like I should enjoy this album more than I actually do. I'm all for female empowerment in music and I think this album has some really neat ideas, but this album just doesn't really do a ton for me at this current point in my life. Maybe it'll hit me harder in the future. I don't know. For now, I will give my current thoughts on Jazmine Sullivan's 2021 album (EP? I've seen both), Heaux Tales. I definitely respect this thing, but it also feels a little messy at times. I think the concept here is really commendable. The album basically uses these interludes to introduce an idea relating to feminism, sex, and the like, before fleshing out the idea with a full song. I think that's cool. The interludes make sense in the context of the album and aren't too obtrusive for the pacing, though I'm still not huge on interludes in albums as a whole. The songs themselves range from "okay, I guess" to "genuinely pretty good." "Pick Up Your Feelings" was easily the best of the bunch. It felt the most complete. I will say that, despite not relating that much to the lyrical themes personally, I do respect this album for focusing on them. You have to remember that music is art, and art is all about capturing different perspectives on everything. Just because you don't personally relate to an album doesn't make it bad, okay? The production on Heaux Tales has its moments of being cool, but there are also moments that I don't vibe with as much. I guess my overall attitude regarding this album is that I think it does a good job at what it does, but it's not something that I want to listen to that much myself. I respect it more than I actually like it, you know? I can see why this album has its praise, but I also don't vibe with it as much as I wish I did. It's good, but not great. High 3/5.

Sexy, but I don't get the appeal.

-hmm while not necessarily my favorite r&b or even female empowerment-centric album, this definitely had some really good moments! she has a really great voice and some of the songs hit super hard -that being said there were several moments where it felt a bit boring and repetitive. may just be me though -Favorites: Pick Up Your Feelings, Put It Down, Girl Like Me

This album falls squarely into one of my musical pet peeves: when an artist (and it is usually a solo singer) doesn't have any actual music in their songs. There are tones. There’s a drum loop if you’re lucky. There are the sounds of synths doing . . . something. But there is no actual music. It is like they want you to concentrate on their voice and not get distracted by melody or rhythm or anything else. They can't get away with putting out a purely a cappella album - only real superstars like Pentatonix and Rockapella can be so bold - but this is the next best (or actually worst) thing. Lyrically, I suppose I am glad that women whose IQ isn’t quite low enough for the special class, but is so close that the difference is almost imperceptible, have someone making music that speaks to them. You go girls!

Reminds me a lot of 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill' which I've heard earlier on the list already. I liked the R&B parts more than the hip-hop parts Standouts Pick Up Your Feelings 2/5

Interesting 2020s R&B with vignettes about sex every other track. Surprisingly not bad.

I like the production, the vocal performances and the delivery felt clear enough that I can understand what the album about. I just don't care about the subject matter. I get that it talks about "feminism, sexuality, ..." but come on. That's not what this is really about. It's about shallow relationships and sex. You can't talk about how you are looking for someone with a lot of money and in the next song talk about how you are with someone just because of the D. I find the whole thing childish at best, if not naive. Nothing about this feels thought out or deliberate, expect for the choice of topics which kind of go together and the interludes matching the songs. One song I absolutely love: Girl Like Me. Might be because of H.E.R. I enjoyed the album, but cannot say it fits in the whole point of this website. As someone else said in the reviews: "What was left out to make room for this?"

Really not my thing - I found this boring

no me gustó el álbum pero odio estas reviews de hombres enojados todavía más. q vayan a llorar a otro lado. 2.5 pero queda en 3/5.

She makes TLC seem like conservatives.

It’s an alright R&B album.

Provocative title but I found it pretty dang boring.

💀💀💀

This one disappointed me. Was not a fan of the interludes between songs.

I wrote a really long speil about this, how different experiences can be and how strange it is how much others seem to care about sex. I don’t know if it saved. I liked the talking parts between the songs. Especially the one where she talked about men not being able to handle that women are sexual beings.

Another one of the "Time Machine" entries. Admittedly, I'm not really enmeshed with the R&B scene, but I fail to see the singular appeal of this album. I *do* like it. I enjoy the confessionals in the breaks, but they're written by Ari Lennox. Is that Jazmine's pen name? I don't feel the timeless reverberations of this album in the culture. No idea why it's on this list. Enjoyable.

I remember being in high school and my sister listening to her first album which is a classic in my book. Now this doesn’t quite rise to that level but that’s ok, I enjoyed this concept when it came out and it was nice to revisit the project. The vocals are elite and though I can’t identify with the content of it, I can still hear good song when it comes on. And there were a lot of good songs on here!

who is this this was released in the last 5 years what is it doing here fr tho, not bad album bit outside my wheelhouse, dunno if i'd go back

This was pretty good R&B. Really like her voice, and the beats and music were good as well. Nothing spectacular, but a good album nonetheless.

favs: price tags rating 0.3/5

Never heard of this. Which I find surprising. I listen to A LOT of music. Particularly at this time, I was keeping up with what was coming out. Although COVID made things weird. So… I will say that title is clever. Heaux tales? Or Hoe tails? Or Hotels? Yeah Bodies - Intro- kinda tells me all three readings are intended. But unfortunately the word play pretty much ends there. Everything else is so… straight forward. It’s like a therapy session with vocal interludes. And the vocals ARE powerful. But that’s it. The production isn’t unique. Sorry. If I am going to listen to someone explore their issues with sex and relationships I’d rather have it be Frank Ocean on Blonde or Sza on Ctrl. WAY more to mine on those offerings both lyrically AND musically. 3 Boolean: False

I just found the whole album to be immature.

I'm sure everyone on here will be super normal about this album's inclusion!

70

Product of a selfish, self-obsessed time. This album is gross.

Ik denk dat ik wel snap wat ze probeerde te doen, maar het was helaas niet echt iets voor mij.

I understand the reason for the skits, but I'm honestly not really a fan of them in general. This album was no exception. I feel like they took away from the great singing performance by Sullivan. I feel like an album without the skits would have been better.

RnB hiphop meh

The music is good. The interludes are annoying. Why did that have to become a trend. Does anybody enjoy those?

Pretty good neo soul

4/10

A very good album by an artist that I somehow have never heard of before this. I still don't like "skits", though.

Her voice is absolutely incredible. I thought that formatting the story of the album around a group chat it was really cool. It was an honest take on how sexuality can be both a power and a burden. The themes were raw and vulnerable. And also did I mention her vocals were insane????? My favorite songs were Pick Up Your Feelings and Price Tags.

Seems a better fit for late 90s music rather then 2021.

This was interesting but didn't particularly grab me. Probably needs more than one run, but it's not really in my wheelhouse.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS ALBUM!!! Full stop. Thank you for allowing me to revisit this, top of bottom, start to finish, no skips. Start to finish, beautiful flow, amazing cadence, layered with stories 100/10!

It's filth, but i love it. A classier version of WAP.

Not bad. Just not my thing.

I just really don’t understand the point of this album being on this list. Out of all of the 2020s R&B, you could pick this one just doesn’t really do it for me.

There’s another review that said it better, but this album is good in intention but poor in execution. I see how it was acclaimed, but this the classic case of “if you’re gonna include albums from the 2020s, there’s a laundry list of better choices that are clearly already more influential than this.” As an avid music listener for the past few years, this is my first time hearing of jazmine. Also, I don’t see this being influential much at all. This could have been an early 90s album and I wouldn’t have thought it ahead of its time. It’s fine, but probably not even top 50 of the best from this era, especially among the plethora of phenomenal albums by Black women.

3.5!

Pretty unspectacular R&B - not sure how this made the list?

3/5

A cool concept. I really enjoyed the tracks, cool instrumentation.

Not really a 1001 album

I really don’t enjoy rnb, so I struggled hard with this. It’s hard to stay objective when a particular genre of music grates on you as hard as this one does. I could see how others would enjoy it, and could appreciate what she’s trying to achieve on this album so going 1 star feels a bit harsh

Only reason why this is a 2 is because the candid sex talk feels like it overshadows the music. By another definition, it empowers it, but I physically scrunched my face at "that dick spoke life into me" and "money makes me cum". On the positive, there's fantastic features from H.E.R. and Anderson .Paak as well as the hit "Pick Up Your Feelings" which I know famously as my 9th grade teacher's ringtone. In fact when I used to frequent the AOTY.org community, this album was the hottest thing out. It's technically not even an album. It was labeled as an EP at release - but 14 tracks (8 non interludes) and a little over 30 minutes with a concept? That's an album. In conclusion, I can't get it up (6/10, 2/5 on this scale)

It’s an honest piece of work but it doesn’t quite work either

The second newest album on the list. At least until the new edition comes out. I’m deeply skeptical about including recent albums on lists like these, and once again I’m proven right. You have got to let the hype die down before labeling something as must-hear. Mostly it sounds like a pretty generic R&B album from the late 90’s to early 00’s, but with a couple of contemporary elements woven in. Using the rap album skit format to do character sketches is interesting. I guess the main draw is the lyrical content. This is the part of the album I expect will age very poorly. Uncritical appeals to a nebulously defined “empowerment” are de rigueur now, but in another couple of decades the sorts of ideas expressed here will hopefully be widely regarded as regressive and materialistic, much like gansta rap is now. At least “No Scrubs” and “Bills, Bills, Bills” had hooks and didn’t pretend to be political.

I didn't care about listening to The Notorious B.I.G. talking about having sex, and I don't care for Jazmine Sullivan talking about having sex. Another one for the big list of post-2005 misses.

half the album was just talking bruh those arent songs they just podcast clips

I can mess with this i think

Mejor que el de Jay Z ayer, estuvo bien.

Quite nice and ok

This one did not do it for me.

Dill as ditch water formulaic r’n’b shite Apparently has a message in all the wailing vocals

Absolute troll pick on this list. Okay singing but wild lyrics. If they had any balls, they would put R Kelly on this list.

This is not typically my thing, but I find myself enjoying the melodies of the early tracks. Lyrically, I wasn't as impressed -- sometimes I wasn't sure if they were meant to be funny or not.

I enjoyed this more today than when it was released.

This is an enjoyable album. I don’t think it’s worth 4 stars, but that is probably more of my own music tastes with modern r&b. This has no business being one of the most poorly rated albums on here though.

OK

did nto care for this but can t least admire that it's less misogynistic

Just so good, Loved the cuts to a monologue between each song, it flowed really well. The reclamation of sexuality as a thesis was a great way to focus the album and I loved the balance of humor throughout. Also just fantastic to listen to outright

Usually not a fan of horny music but this shit does bang

did kanye ghost write these lyrics?

One day Malibu will be on this list and until then this Anderson Paak representation will work. This album is pretty good. I don't know that anything stuck out as a must return to but the production was fun, Jazmine is doing some crazy vocal runs and some of these songs are catchy as hell (and beautiful at times). Reading the reviews, this is another case of people completing this list and missing the whole point, you're supposed to listen to stuff you don't like and think about it. The "really... this is the same importance as Abbey Road?" comment really set me off, broaden your horizons man music is so cool it must be so miserable being stuck listening to music only released before 1975.

This is mostly a fairly standard R&B album for its era. It's got tinges of neo-soul but also has some deeper, more modern moments. The big thing that makes this stand out is the overt feminism, delivered mostly through the spoken word interludes. If those ideas were woven more fully into the songs, I think they would work. As it is, they feel heavy-handed and tacked on. Often the ideas are worked into the songs that follow the interludes, but to much lesser effect. The many interludes also make this feel a bit lightweight; not until track 3 do we get a real fleshed-out song. The album ends strong as the minimal guitar-based "Lost One" and the lush "The Other Side" are the stand-outs, but they can't quite save the album entirely.

electric lady without the good bits

2 out of 5. Nice vocals and makes a statement with the tales tracks.

Review - pretty standard R&B. My favourite track was when the album finished and it auto played to How Does It Feel? by D'Angelo. Score - 4/10 Need to listen? NO

Didn't really do anything for me. Nice voice.

Got a few tracks in, fine but NFM

you guys reviewing this are so old... This absolutely slaps!

I did not think I would like this much, that it'd be a "not my thing but I get why it's good". But I liked it a decent amount! I don't think I'll listen to it again but I'm glad I did.

All for female empowerment and all, but this is kinda one note/TMI, and worst selfcontradictory. We contain multitudes I guess. Musicwise, just kinda ok.

Initially, I didn’t like the album, but as it went on, I gradually warmed up to it. It does remind me of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill at times. Musically, it’s nothing too new or interesting to me, but I do like the concept a lot. Also, people are way too negative about this album. Music is subjective, but it’s clearly being given bad reviews for the wrong reasons.

If nothing else, I appreciate the concept of the album. Even though I'm completely outside of the target audience, it's obviously important for BIPOC women to be represented, particularly in Feminist circles, and exploring sexuality is usually scorned for women. With that being said, the album was literally too quiet. Like, the production itself was non-existent. This felt more like a vibe than an album. Favorite Track: "Pick Up Your Feelings".

great vocals, forgettable music

This was great! Super different than a lot of the other stuff I’ve listened to so far on this list (I guess it being so recent is a big reason why) so that bumps it up in my book. I normally don’t like skits in albums (maybe interludes would be a better term here), but I thought all the stories really added to the concept. 4/5.

Weird choice and not essential, but an entertaining Lauryn Hill-style for the next generation.

This album wasn't to my tastes completely but that being said there were a couple of tracks that I really enjoyed. Favourites: Pick Up Your Feelings Price Tags

coñazo, odio la musica de 2021

das isch huere guuet. sehr geil wie sie sehr explizit seit dasses drum goht zum sexual empowerment bewirke. ich bin erstunlich fine mit de produktione für moderne r&b. bzw bi lost one findis super. the other side au mega noice. haha sie will afoch öpper mit geld sie brucht en dude mit geld. alles andere bini huere debi gsi, isch das au e character study? isches sie?

bin da sehr gspannt, kenn sie glaub gaar nöd sie chan SIIINGE DAMN finds bis jz seeehr schön, au wenn rnb d tendenz für mich het, eifach chli z langsam für mich z sii hahaha donna's tale😭😭 lost one findi megaaa schöön, die verträumti gitarre schafft mega e schöni atmosphäre und natürlich in verbindig mit rashida's tale nomal e ebeni schöner/truriger ganz ehrlich, ich bin ja würkli nöd de grösst rnb fan aber s album isch so guet und authentisch uufbaut, ohni dass es uf mich "on the nose" würkt, und lost one isch eifach extrem schön. VIAAA

Thought this might not be a good one (judging the book by it's cover), but it was an okay R&B/hip-hop album padded out with dialogue breaks, challenging lyrical social themes which I respect ⭐⭐⭐

Who the fuck is Jazmine Sullivan? 1/5 4/6/26

The Other side is enigste "çava" nummer. 2 sterren

Felt like it improved over the course of the album. However, it was nothing spectacular compared to other R&B artists from recent years.

By genre and overall sound, this is a 2 bordering on 1. But she does have something. I keep not wanting to like it but I can't hate it either. Not an album I will ever reach for again, but I guess it's good I heard it before I died? Maybe? I mean I think I could have died and been OK with out this. So I guess maybe this has fallen back to the 2 range...

Super fun - not my usual listening but I had a blast

Great album but not my vibe

Fresh sounding stuff, did seem like a natural evolution to modern hip hop. I’ll go 4

Female empowerment for male-centered women

You have got to be kidding me.

Meh

Сара 2 Марко 2,5

Sex, catharsis, and not enough substance. Heaux Tales feels undercooked for a list that’s supposed to represent the canon. It hasn’t been around long enough to show real influence, and the album itself is slight — 33 minutes with only a handful of actual songs. The tracks we do get are good, but they’re cathartic in a way that feels more like emotional venting than fully formed songwriting. There’s also a reliance on sexual framing that comes off a little gratuitous. Not because sexuality in music is a problem, but because it feels like the album leans on explicitness as a shortcut to intensity. Jazmine Sullivan has the voice, the skill, and the presence to carry an album without needing to foreground “pussy talk” as the main selling point. She doesn’t need that crutch. Overall, it’s a strong snapshot of a moment, but not a fully realized statement and definitely not something that feels ready for canonization. My Rating: 2/5

Great concept album first I was confused but great idea album great vocals everywhere even the features are amazing modern late drive rnb would i listen to the full album any time soon no but I might listen to a 1 or 2 songs 6.3/10

I wasn't familiar with Jazmine Sullivan coming into this, but was blown away here. I'm already a fan of that late 2010's PBR&B style so it was fun to start this and let it run over me for the 30 minute runtime.

Apparently this was a top album of 2021 pretty much unanimously? And that was only what like 5 years ago? Anyway time flies and I don't think time has been kind to this album. Jazmine Sullivan doesn't command the room like a Beyonce or Meghan Thee Stallion. Artists like Doechii have done this type of confessional R&B/hip hop much better since then. The album was only 32 minutes but felt more like 72. Disappointing.

This was fun, the format with the stories and then the songs was a cool gimmick, I like r&b

nope

Reminded me of Mary J Blige but more cringey. Not too original but some good beats.

Я правда хотів щоб мені сподобався цей альбом. Хотілось зарядитись феміністичною енергією, хотілось щоб альбом змусив мене кричати "ГЬОРЛ ПАВЕР! ТУДИ ЇХ ДІВЧИНКО!" але не зійшлось. Нудні, ненатхненні біти, посередній продакшн, не надто цікаві мелодії, і тільки вокальне виконання рятує цей альбом від потрапляння в 1 зіркову категорію. Оцінка: низька-середня 4

Before this morning, I had never heard of Jazmine Sullivan, which always surprises me with a recent American artist who makes it into this list/project. This is not a genre I'm very interested in, but the music sounds good for what it is. I cannot imagine that I or anyone else needed to hear this before death. I suppose the concept is interesting, with the spoken interludes leading into the songs, but it just didn't do a lot for me.

Just not my cup of team. Like R&B but don't see myself looking into buying this album.

Still not big on the R&B. This was alright but not really my cup of tea.

Some really cool bits to this, I don’t think it’s necessarily my thing but I enjoyed listening to it and respect the game. Great lyrics and good production. 3.0/5.0 Best Song: price tags

I enjoyed this when I did the pitch from bracket thing so I have listened to it recently, I also think this is the latest album on the whole list. It’s good stuff

Not for me

So given everything that's wrong about male-driven hip-hop: chauvinism and sexism in the lyrics, etc., I don't think the response is to have *equally* sexist and chauvinist lyrics written by a woman. Musically, fine, but doesn't really earn its spot, I think.

I have mixed feelings about this album. On one hand, the production is great with beats that help differentiate Jazmine from the generic pop crap that is on the radio nowadays. And I like the track order too. I don't see many concept albums in this day and age so having a spoken word track preface every track helped cement what each song talked about. However, the lyrics seem contradictory to me? Like sure, this is no different from a male rapper singing about making money and fucking bitches. Women can do that too. But if you're actually trying to empower women and talk about these issues, you should maybe add some of your own commentary to it. Like others have said, the actual lyrics are a bit juvenile. Talking about "the D" and shit like "let me sit on it" just doesn't get your message across. A lot of toxic relationship signs hidden in these songs with women saying "I have sex with my husband because that will get me what I what" or "I want to be rich so I'll sell my body to a pimp". Instead of using those women's stories to benefit yourself - making an album and profiting off them - how about you blame the men for building this society in which some women have no other option but follow those career paths. 2/5

this list has pretty weird picks from the 10s and 20s in my experience. i’m four tracks in and there’s already too many interludes. 14 tracks. 6 interludes. christ. i like anderson .paak’s verse. he’s got a nice voice. i didn’t care much for the rest of this. it’s kinda crazy how much it drags near the end given how short this thing is.

For me, this is not appealing or interesting in any way.

Not my thing, sorry

bit meh

very, very pleasing sonically feels like a spiritual soundtrack to Euphoria S1-S2 and like all interviews from Hopeless Romantic Society compressed into thirty minutes unfortunately, a lot of the songs are location-locked for me, but i'd love to listen to it in full and in earnest one day

Rhythm and feel A+. Lyrics on the other hand made me cringe deeply.

I listened to this when it came out and remember none of it. I guess that is worth noting. I guess that'll happen when you put out an album that starts on track 3. Like, I -want- to be for this. That's why I listened to begin with. Women in rap deserve support. Women owning their own sexual agency deserve support. This is all shit I'm for. Conceptually. But in execution? This is B-grade generic hip-pop with C-grade Vagina Monologuing. It doesn't make an impression as music, except inasmuch as it walks a line between overproduction and untuned. But it doesn't even really live up to the salaciousness it suggests. And while sure, songs about money turning her on certainly check out regarding “heauxing”, the only real pushing of the envelope is “On It,” which falls into the common trap: trying too hard to be overt in sexuality and actually sounding like you've never actually had sex. Nothing hits the boldness of a WAP, the tunefulness of a Kiss Me More, not even the single minded mania of a Nicki Minaj rapping about her ass for four minutes. The best bits? The backtrack on Lost One, which could have been something, and the beginning statement of Antoinette's Tale, which isn't very heauxy (only Ari's tale feels remotely confessional) but is at least a political statement. The rest of this sounds like something anyone could write after getting disappointed after a month on tinder. 2*, and proof that you really need to let an album age more than 5 years before declaring it special.

Not bad, not bad

Interesting concept, having someone tell their story and then having a song that relates to the story? R&B kinda putting me to sleep. 4/5.

Pretty good. Surprising inclusion on the list

Right away catchy beat. She’s preaching gospel song 2… PREACHHHH

A whole week of classics like Solomon Burke and Merle Haggard and Nirvana… and this is how it ended?

Forgettable. 2.1

It was ok but its beaten many other albums to the list that need to be on there

I'm so glad it picked up after the first track, because I thought I was going to be in for quite a brutal ride there. Once it picks up and she actually starts singing it becomes a more soulful time and way more listenable. The music for the most part is actually not bad, and pretty good in places even - However, let's be clear, the lyrics and content in this are absolutely fucking awful. The write-up makes it sound like she she's exploring all these vast important themes, but the whole thing is as shallow as a puddle. 2.5 rounded down.

Absolutely nothing special here. It’s definitely in the genre. The artist spends time talking about how great she is, materialistic, and a slave to her desires and cravings. This has been done to death

Not good

Oh my god. Lighten up y’all. This album is great! So many people, specifically on this site, are writing it off completely for god-knows-what. It probably scares them. This is no raunchier than the classic Led Zeppelin songs, not any more blunt than cuts from Frank by Amy Winehouse. But this can’t be here? A black-led concept album talking explicitly about the agency (or lack thereof) that women have over their own bodies? Shut up. It’s not perfect, I wish the beats weren’t so minimal. They could have stronger instrumentation. But the vocal performances from everyone are just fantastic. Her singing is great, her chemistry with Lennox and her voice is perfect, I even love Anderson .Paak’s rap verse despite the fact that he is clearly trying to make the song about himself. Heaux Tales doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it doesn’t compromise its vision in the slightest. As of right now, it’s the most recent addition to the 1001 Album list. The recent additions always get the same treatment. The only difference between this and Microshift is that Microshift actually deserves the criticism. This doesn’t need any more hate from racist, sexist people.

I can't help but feel that "Heaux Tales" was added to this list too hastily. I don't imagine it will stand the test of time. I expect it will disappear into the noise of the dozens of similar hiphop/R&B albums that have come out in the last few years. 2⭐️

Solid production, but most modern R&B just doesn’t do it for me. This album didn’t do it for me.

OK, this rant may be a little unfair because I don't wirecutter like contemporary R&B to begin with, but I really struggled here. I don't like interstitial taking between all the sings. I don't melismatic singing. I don't like the tinny-sounding production -- and sometimes her voice is tinny whereas at other times it can sound pretty nice. The music mostly feels jittery and chaotic. I will credit the lyrics for often being feminine and powerful. But overall, I don't want to listen to this again.

Furchtbar. Eintöniges Gestammel!

This was fine. I feel like it's kind of forgettable.

I'm completely unaware of this artist. I enjoyed this. The production is good, and the songwriting is pretty solid. I'm not sure it truly belongs on this list, but there's plenty of other albums I either know or have had to listen to which _do not_ belong on this list. So at some level I appreciate being exposed to an artist I've never heard before, even if maybe this specific album might not belong with the albums that truly are "albums you must hear before you die." But maybe this list needs more artists I have no awareness of and less of, say, Morrissey.

It's okay. Jazmine has some interesting things to say but to me it seems like standard R&B music.

I love the feminist vibe. But there’s too much talking—and not enough singing—here. Pleasant enough overall, but the album is far from essential. 2.5?

Обкладинка мені подобається))) А музичка ні)

Crotch music.

Grammy awards et tout askip, mais je connaissais pas. Pas fan du style RnB, les chants etc., et j'ai trouvé ça boring de fou

abuse les interludes

Les mélodies sont sympa et le sujet important, mais wow les lyrics c’est vide. Et surtout qu’est ce que ça fout là !?

Git doch öppe 20 besseri albe us em 2021. wenns scho so wenig neus in dere liste git chönnts doch wenigstens ultraguet sii.

The worst parts of RnB and being online all rolled into one blessedly short album of warbly nasal melisma and d-tier gender theory. Like, damn, you're saying there are transactional elements to sexuality that intersect with the economy? No way. So bored of people having these realization every 11 minutes. If you can get past the spoken word bits and the vocals there are some decent if generic 90s style jams with deep beats and lush arrangements.

I liked how it was presented very much, like a collection of stories. My favorite song was Price Tags.

Kinda sounds like "Hotel". Is that something?

1.4 1x this wasn't great and can't imagine listening again. Driving CLT to home

This went from a 2 to 3 on my second playthrough. Very questionable lyrics for the most part, but I liked the voice and enjoyed some of the songs. Standouts are Pick Up Your Feelings and Lost One. Another positive is the short runtime, an easy listen.

Just what I needed Reminder to be Motivated for heauxitry

I like Jazmine Sullivan and I want to give this a 4 but the album as a whole doesn't hold together for me. There are some banger songs on here though so it's worth a listen just kind of dies off in the 2nd half of the album.

I like music about female empowerment but this album is just kind of boring. There's some good raw emotion here but nothing to keep me coming back 5/10 Favourite: Pick Up Your Feelings Least Favourite: Lost One

It does not seem like an outstanding R&B album. It is a good listen, but nothing groundbreaking or particularly iconic that would deserve its inclusion. 6/10 [DROP]

Really not a fan of this style of music nor the lyrics

The soul parts of this album are the most listenable bits, but the rap is just phenomenally annoying. Monotone-almost-mumbling with no variety that just goes on and on. Additionally, the beats are just about as basic as you can get. The half-dozen interludes range from introspective to unintentionally hilarious, but really add nothing to the album except just enough time to get it over the half hour hump. This whole record feels half-baked. 1.0/5.0: Embarrassing

how did this make the list? there is barely enough music for an ep and what is there isnt very good

no me encantó y no es mi estilo

nothing special for me, themes include dick, penis and cock

This is decently appealing and smooth, but ultimately didn’t stick with me.

Aivan perus pop rnb. Eipä mitään erikoista. Parhaat: The Other Side

Second listen through I really warmed to this and increased my rating. Enjoyed the lyrics, singing and overall vibe of the album + several individual songs. Works incredibly well together!!

I absolutely hated every second of this. I'm not the intended demographic, and I get that, but man did I really not like this one. Basically it just comes off as if the girl referenced in Kanye West's "Gold Digger" wrote an entire album about her life. I don't want to hear this many details about anyone's sex life, regardless of whether it is a female or male artist. I have to imagine that this album will be near the top of my most hated list when/if I complete the full 1089 album journey.

mall music

Loved this play on the Canterbury Tales where you hear a woman’s own words and then the song inspired by them. Unique and well done songs.

Respect the message, admire the singing, indifferent to the music, expensive and producer-heavy, which reminded my wife of the background music of a certain high street store that I won’t advertise here, “are you buying clothes for teenagers?”

Jesus christ, people - did we run out of Elvis Costello albums?!

I can't relate personally to this on all levels, but that doesn't detract

Another amazing R&B album.

Joah : )

3.5

Not music I particularly enjoy, and the interruptions with talking were kind of annoying.

Really good arrangements, both vocally as well as the instrumentation. But this is an album for women. I'm a guy so nobody gives a fuck what I think about it.

Hip hop is probably my favorite genre but albums like this cause its rating to drop

Very Bad

lovely grooves and textures, strong vocals and lush harmonies

How is this on the list? It’s neither culturally or artistically important in any way- just a crappy R&B album.

like the message, but the songs.. eh. 2.5.

Dug this much more than I thought I would and appreciated the brevity. I liked her voice, the features, and the concept. Would listen again. 3.5

I actually liked this one more than I expected. Among a genre I don't really love, this was pretty interesting. It's between 2 and 3 stars for me.

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Confident, sexy, and occasionally pretty funny, there's some really excellent lyricism here.

Very generic and boring R&B album. The atmosphere is just unfun. Most of the vocals is just her stretching out random syllables. It wasn’t painful to listen to, but it defines wasn’t entertaining.

tries to be anti-sexist the immediately falls back on those stances. amazing, isnt it? completely forgettable. if you want an album like this, there’s always To Pimp a Butterfly.

As a concept, creating a set of songs about women being 'Heaux' or 'Hoes' from the perspective of women rather than men in hip hop and R&B labelling women as hoes with very little other context or story, is a smart idea. The layup of also having a woman tell her tale and then Sullivan doing her thing to tell it, is also quite a nice approach - as a concept I can understand its conclusion. In execution terms, the songs are pretty weak, the production is very poor and I couldn't help but think that there are some artists who could have done much better justice to the 'idea' than Jasmine managed. Good candidate for removal on the next edition.

awesome. i still think about this album everytime i hear pick up your feelings. bangers

Works pretty well as a concept album. Some songs are stronger than others and a lot of themes can feel a bit repetitve, but Jazmine voice is strong and her passion is real.

Meh

Low 3. Came in and out.

Great R&B record

High quality R&B

A smooth half hour of deeply impassioned R&B with a pitch perfect flow. I was particularly taken by the emotionally charged ballad Lost One and pop rap infused The Other Side. It has a lot to say about sexual politics and gave me an empathetic insight into Jazmine Sullivan’s experience, which is very different from my own.

Giving Jazmine Sullivan a high 4, not quite a 5 but it’s a really cohesive, conceptually tight, well executed sensual and smooth and engaging set of v 2010s R&B

I liked it, but I don't know if it was that memorable. I'd happily listen to the album again, but other than one or two songs, none would ever stand out to me.

Nice contemporary r&b

Not really into it, beats are pretty good, but not a fan of this

I just can't....

R&B, hip-hop.

Buen disco de hip hop y R&B. Se agradece que dure solo media hora, se pasa rápido y aunque uno no sea fan del género, se puede disfrutar.

I remember this being a hit with the critics a few year's back and I always meant to get around to it. It's not really my bag but I can see why some people liked it. The production is pretty sick but it'll be tough for my honky ass to sing a long to some of these.

All the write-ups on this site are either "patrick bateman talking about heaux lewis and the news" or "guy with Dark Side of the Moon printed Klan hood feverishly telling me he's not racist but..." Can I filter you guys by age? Or voting record? That said, this is a bit thin. Pop feminist stuff which comes from a good place but is overly literal, lacking abstraction and variation which could make it more interesting. The project feels like a nuts and bolts project; simple, direct lyrics and basic, catchy beats which could be interesting but felt to me like something made to overcome writer's block. This got a ton of praise when it dropped (including pitchfork AOTY) and idk I thought 2021 was a pretty tepid year for music & this isn't convincing me otherwise.

1.5 Entirely unremarkable. Except for the "tales". I tried to use the mandated GBA+ training at work to relate and strived to understand what the people and characters are going through, and why those would be included once in an album, let alone every other song. I think I need more training...

Not really my thing. Nothing bad though.

often guilty of reviewing the reviews on here, but jesus, you're all weird about sex! i'm sure many listeners claiming they have no way of relating to this album have had it, and if you haven't, you've wanted it, which gives you plenty to chew on regarding Heaux Tales. when it's not being had on this record, it's being desired, discussed, dismissed. which is, in my experience, like life! i'm not sure why we've collectively decided something so central to human experience isn't worth singing about especially when it's being sung like this, because good lord can Sullivan sing! she's got this agile, androgynous voice that bowls me over on pretty much every track. whether she's slipping into a kind of knotty, diaristic cadence on the opening track or belting through the closer, she always impresses. this does, to me, extend to the lyrics and stories. they're blunt, they're sexy, but they're layered, especially when you look at them across the record. i think the more straightforward tracks work well to show the absolute power sex can have over us, why it so complicates things, the high we're chasing - it makes the cynical use of sex on Price Tags richer, and the absence of connection on Lost Ones more devastating. the latter really deserves a mention - i was broken up with by the person i thought (and still, delusionally, graspingly think/hope) i would marry at the beginning of the year, for reasons completely my fault, so naturally this made me cry so hard i dropped a mug of tea all over my desk and had to tearfully, snifflingly clean off my laptop/phone/rolled-up Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie poster anyway! sex, love, power, self-worth - all essential, visceral parts of being alive, all worth writing about. can't wait to get back on this soapbox even more loudly when Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On comes around

Have never heard of this artist, and was happy to see the 32 length. Albums should be shorter! This doesn't do much for me though, seems to be standard enough R&B but wrapped in a concept. Seems slight. 3 Heard before? No Owned: No 60/250 (24%) Will I get: No

6/10… r&b / new age / *2021

nope. the music is just annoying noise, the song is just dull

Modern (or most) r&b is not my preferred genre, I could appreciate the thematic concept and cohesion behind the album.

Emotional and raw. I felt everything she was singing right along with her. Great listen.

Fine

whoever added this should have their account banned

Wow, how this woman won a Grammy for R&B is beyond me. While I am sure there is a market for this toxic femininity I wouldn't want to listen to a man sing about how much he blames woman for his problems either. Beyond the ignorant lyrics is bland music ripped off of Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston albums of the 80s and 90s. This one can go straight in the trash along with any money people may have spent on it. Definitely could have lived my life without listening to this drivel. My first 1 star rating and very well deserved. :(

Refreshingly feminist and some great harmonies.

R&B opskriften i sin reneste form. Så er der lidt snak, så synger hun lidt om det, og så det samme igen. Det var fint nok til at spille som nat musik til ungerne.

Alt for mange interludes og musik der ikke siger mig noget

"Pick Up Your Feelings" is a fine enough song. I don't think this album is dreadful or offensive, but I could think of a thousand and one albums better than it. Wake me from a drunken stupor and I could still probably name like eight hundred.

Been waiting for this one to come up because I knew it was the most recently added album to the list, if I'm not mistaken? I think it's cool! I love this album a lot!

mm better than i remembered. you know this sorta brought up an issue for me with this list is that there should be way more EPs on it!! less long playing please more extended play. come on!!

v cool!

I loved it - this album has something that the genre have been missing for a while, so much personality and power, plus its own sound. It clearly takes some inspiration from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill but in a way that feels like a tribute rather than an attempt to copy it. I've listened to it twice now and there will be more.