Reviews (page 4 of 7)
The quality of the music is very high. This all sounds great. It makes me feel old / stupid to say this, but the lyrics are so sexually explicit that I feel like it really limits the timelessness of the album.
Interesting. Like the vignettes and how this is all put together.
Not for me but I get the hype
Really well put together album. Can't personally relate to most of the content but I admire how coherent it is. The interstitials are compelling bad argumentation. Production is top-notch and the songs feel varied while still managing to stay in the same general tone and genre mix. I don't know that I'll ever spin it up again but I am gladly surprised by it in general.
I don't hate this but It's not for me. I admire the ambition of it, even if I won't listen to it again.
Crazy that I already knew this one in full! I'm a fan.
kind of repetitive, redeemed by the ending songs
It was fine. Fairly uneventful rnb
so far it's so good I love her voice so much this is the type of rnb that I loveeeee
This is fine, but it's not really my style. Didn't care for the interludes much.
Most of the songs are really nice. Replace the Tales with proper songs like the rest and you'd have a solid album, but I know they're pretty much the point of the album. She's a very pleasant singer.
Decent album about terrible women
Good
OVERALL: I heard of this album before, a video was talking about "best new artist" nominations and mentioned this album. They said it was pretty good, but wouldn't beat Adele in 2009. After listening, I think I agree. It's good I guess. The actual songs are pretty good, but the skits take away from the listening experience. Also, the genre is not really for me. The instrumenals are often not that good, but when they do they're often above average to pretty good at best. The vocals are absolutely incredible. The lyrics are freaky as hell, but it's literally called 'stories about hoes' so I can't really hate on that. The features are fine. I don't think this should be on the 1001 albums, despite the message. There are way better albums from 2021 and 2020 that are still very popular, such as RTJ 4, Alfredo, Folklore (I guess), Circles, LP!, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, For the first time, Call Me If You Get Lost (NO TYLER IN 1001???), Mercurial World (ig it's not popular), Silk Sonic, Happier Than Ever, Sour, and 30 (the last three are maybe stretching). My point is that this doesn't really need to be in here, and the amount of skits are not helping. I still liked some songs, though. SONG AVG: 8.5375/10 (no skits) PERSONAL RATING: 6.5/10 Bodies (Intro): Fire. Great vocals, surprised it's only an intro. Nice dissonace. Pretty sure "Heaux" means hoe, so I'm kinda expecting horny. 8.75/10 Antoinette's Tale: Slay. This album is reminding me of Alligator Bites Never Heal but if it's only the R&B songs. SKIT/10 Pick Up Your Feelings: Fantastic vocals and delivery, pretty good lyrically. I like the production, but it kinda sounds like Spaceship by Kanye at some parts. Actual banger. Feels surprisingly short. 9.25/10 Ari's Tale: ok. I do like the production. SKIT/10 Put It Down: Freaky as hell. Also, is she using a trap beat? The delivery is kinda like a rap song, probably because I think it's supposed to be one. Pretty catchy, and the chorus is pretty nice. I'm just gonna ignore the lyrics when I listen to this (for example; "My girls ask me what it is, I say, 'It's the D'" and "But he's so big, call him King Kong"). Still sounds good despite being freaky. Also, every song so far uses a fade out outro. 8/10 On It: Also freaky. PLEASE elaborate on what they are sitting/spitting on. The vocals are incredible, and the instrumental works, but it's surprisingly boring. I wouldn't regularly revisit this song, but I wouldn't mind it if it were playing in like a restaurant or something. 6.5/10 Donna's Tale: Okay, the amount of skits so far make me think this is a rap album. I think the concept is that each tale is supposed to be a different hoe, and the songs after are from their perspective. SKIT/10 Price Tags: I feel like the beat goes nowhere, the only interesting thing about it are the backing vocals. Also, Anderson .Paak is on this???? His verse is pretty good, it does the expected thing of being from the other perspective pretty well. It's also fire. Quite literally the only bad thing about this is the boring ass beat, which I guess gets slightly better. It's also freakier than the other songs. 9.3/10 Rashida's Tale: Just realized that 6/14 songs are interludes. Pretty nice story. SKIT/10 Lost One: Great atmosphere, the instrumental is objectively trash but is unexplainably unnerving. The vocals are incredible, and the lyrics are really good. Unfortunately, the instrumental is objectively dogshit. 7.5/10 Precious' Tale: On youtube, some fucker put a 7 minute long "interlude" before this that wasn't on this album, called "Interlude IV" by some guy named Paul Del Bello. Anyways, starting this interlude with "To be honest, money makes me cum" is wild. I guess it's a good skit? SKIT/10 The Other Side: Sure. Freaky, but that's to be expected. The only real problem I have with it is that the pre-chorus is kinda bad. Other than that, the instrumental is surprisingly good, the vocals are great, and the lyricism is pretty good. 9.5/10 Amanda's Tale: LAST SKIT LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOO. I am NOT listening to the deluxe, and if I do, I'm skipping the extra 5 skits. SKIT/10 Girl Like Me: Really good. The bridge at the end is a bit too loud imo, but it's good regardless. Everything is really good, and H.E.R.'s contributions are surprisingly minimal. I really like everything about this song except for the bridge at the end, the lyrics, instrumental, and vocals are very good. 9.5/10
Pretty good R&B I think? My ear for genres is still developing. She tells a story about love and life and career, it was good.
Never heard of this, not bad.
Its different than most albums on this list. Also its not really an album, being 32min long. Interesting themes that you dont hear much in this list. I really liked anderson paaks part. But nothing else makes it go higher than middle of the road for me. I doubt this album would remain in future iterations of the book.
Better than expected
I'm definitely not the demographic for this, but it's got some solid jams mixed in. Has a few tracks I've gone back to. Damn girl, get it!
More to like than I expected here. I’m not the target audience and I usually lean against horny music. But this led one track into another, no real duds, and when it was done I thought “Hey, nice!”
As a middle aged English guy let me be the first to say Gosh 😳 But also I quite liked this though it is obviously not aimed at me
5.5/10 Favorite Tracks: Pick Up Your Feeling, On It, Put It Down Least Favorite Tracks: Girl Like Me, Lost One, The Other Side
While not particularly sensitive to swearing in conversation, when done in music in such heavy density, it rubs like sandpaper. The music is solid. The arrangement matches. It seems like there was a contest to see how much trash language someone could fit into an album.
Middling R&B. Extra star for being mercifully short. Also, I really don’t need tracks of someone’s conversations or memory dumps unless they’re profound or funny or have SOMETHING to offer.
Pretty cool, didn't love it but it was good fun.
Not sure 😁
Enjoyed the R&B vibes of this, wasn’t too in your face and had a classy sound to it. R&B isn’t usually my cup of tea but my wife enjoyed it so 7.5/10.
This wasn't bad, but it also didn't do all that much for me.
ok
I like to think that I'm pretty attuned to modern pop culture. But I had never heard of this person or their music before. And honestly, I don't think I was missing out on much. This was fine, but very much middle-of-the-road R&B. Dunno how this album won a Grammy - maybe there was nothing else that year that was better.
A solid ep, unique topic but done well enough, Production was good and I picked up on a lot of Lauryn Hill inspiration throughout this which is always a good thing to me, though I don’t think I can see myself returning to much from this album over time. Favorite Tracks: Lost One, Price Tags, and Pick Up Your Feelings
I really hate listening to skits. the songs are by and large incredible,though.
Honestly I didn’t pay very good attention while listening to this album but I think I liked it.
2.5
Groovy
Not a bid R&B guy but she put some heart in the album and it kept me engaged. 3.5 stars.
Listened to this one twice. Great voice. Beats and production are solid. Interludes were fine at best. Even though this was 32 minutes it felt longer.. Anderson Paak was a good feature. High 3 here. Thought the second listen would get it to a 4, but it wasn't quite there for me. January 2021 puts this at the latest release so far!
Don't really like this style of rap, but can't lie this album had some good beats and pretty entertaining songs. Really liked that it was only 30 minutes long I am not sure if I could have done another 30 minutes of it. Lots of dick and pussy talk in it though which was a bit strange. Shout out to Anderson Paak for being a baller on that one song I always forget how good he is
Bonus point for Anderson .Paak
Charming, sounded great, made me blush just a little. We've done a lot of albums with little skits and interludes but I enjoyed how they structured the album.
I have heard a little bit of Jazmine Sullivan before but not a whole album. This really slipped by smoothly. A little disappointed there wasn't a track about heaux tales, mo' tails, and holidays in
Honestly, pretty dope. Love the concept, love the execution in a medium I don't really enjoy. The songs all had a groove, they had a clear voice, and I can understand why it hits. Again, probably not coming back because it's not my jam, but I could see cruising to this.
Its ok. Every 2nd track being a spoken word aside took me out of the album. I would have preferred more tracks. Pick up your feelings and Price Tags were bangers. Just wanted more from it 2.75/5
I thought this was alright. My favorite tracks were Put It Down and Price Tags. I also listened to the bonus tracks from the deluxe edition. I didn't like them as much as the standard edition tracks, but I'm not considering the deluxe tracks in my rating.
Engaging at times, too many interludes at others, an update to the Misseducation of Lauryn Hill, but I don't feel it had a unique doo wop(that thing) that is a highlight above the rest of the material. 6/10
I don’t get the hype.
This album did certainly get some extra eyes on it due to it having been released during the peak of the me too movement by a female artist dealing with female issues , however it is genuinely good and at times thought provoking music. The comparison to Lauren hill at overblown as neither the rapping or signing is up to par but a fun listen in any case I am enjoying this hiatus from classic rock with the past few albums as well , nice to get some diversity
Short and snappy. I'm not a fan of contemporary r'n'b but this sounded fresh. I can see myself revisiting.
It’s fine. But just that. Fine. Maybe I’m missing something. But it didn’t seem at all special to me.
Absolutely absurd themes and lyrics, and the asides throughout the album truly take away from what is really good R&B. Super disappointed as there are some really good songs on here Best Song: Girl Like Me Rating: 5.0 /10 3 Stars
респект женщинам, но рнб и интерлюдии про рнб чаще всего не захватывают меня. задумалась как нормально воспринимаются хорни альбомы из 20х вс. из прошлого века
Price tags is pretty good
I want to love it. I feel the message, the perspectives, the dynamicism of it all. It just feels hit or miss on each track and the ambition seems greater than the work.
pretty good
Gillar Pick up your feelings, men i övrigt var det här ganska slätstruket, utan att vara dåligt. Hennes röst är bra men produktioner är lite väl avskalade och banala. Temat och snacket är också småtöntigt och pupertalt och bidrar inte med något positivt. Trea åt det svagare hållet.
a fascinating album about feminine sexuality and empowerment as well as the struggle some women have with self esteem thinking that men see them as commodities rather than people.
Sound wise ok. Voice ok. Lyrics???
This is how you do interludes
I spaced out during the spoken diary tracks.
It's nice to get something so modern on here, and I like the theme of having women talk about their various "heaux tales" throughout the tracks. A rare example of spoken word interludes adding to the album; though I like the idea more than the actual content. Musically this sounds very modern. It's hyper produced and you can tell her voice is pitch balanced, ran through seven thousand filters, etc. That isn't to say she's a bad singer, when it comes through she really can sing pretty well and has a great range in terms of vocal tone (nearly tenor to soprano) it's just not exceptional. The content of the album is overtly sexual, as the title implies, and some of it is laughably vulgar (On It). I don't mind it, but the juxtaposition of what is essentially the narration of a porno clip with a soulful plea for someone to show her what it means to earn the right to participate in it is very funny to me. This isn't unique to her at all, lots of artists do this, but I do laugh every time. This is a pretty average modern rnb album I feel. There’s maybe one stand out track in “Put down your feelings” but this isn’t anything I haven’t heard done before.
It was ok, chill r&b vibes
... there were a lot of songs about getting dick? I'm all for female empowerment but lyrics such as "that money keeps that pussy wet" was a bit too much 🥴 I loved the beats, a very nice vibe going on. She had a nice voice too. Not a fan of the skits/talking whatever you want to call them The Other Side was my favourite song, it had so much potential and then she'd lose me singing about getting her titties out and getting her booty done 🫠 Would have been a higher score tbh if the songs were instrumentals or had different lyrics. This album had a lot of potential to be poignant and beautiful - but then she'd ruin it by throwing in words that made it comical and unserious 3 ⭐️
3.5
When Heaux Tales started popping up on various "Best Of 2021" lists I gave it a listen. Liked it. Listened to it a handful of times and then forgot everything about it. Revisiting 3 years later, I get why I forgot about it.
Conceptual character studies disguised as R&B. I like the concepts and themes. I will probably forget the music itself rather quickly.
I was unaware of this album prior to the 1001 Albums generator's recommendation. Jazmine Sullivan's Heaux Tales is a bold and intimate declaration of women's agency, needs, and desires in the often-murky world of relationships in a patriarchal society. This is arresting R&B fronting a powerful female presence, a power alternately expressed in agency and vulnerability. The songs are interspersed by spoken soliloquies from different women adding to the power of the project overall. This deals with some frank stuff, but is an illuminating glimpse into how the frameworks of gender roles and relationships can be explored and troubled.
I didn't like how it kept switching back and forth between slow and fast-paced songs. However, I liked Price Tags. I also like Lost One.
I realize that I'm probably not the target audience for this album. I like the fairly stripped down instrumentals, she has a nice voice, but I'm not connecting with the lyrics that well and I could do without the spoken word interludes. I don't think it's bad, but I don't think it's one of the best albums of all time, though it does offer a different perspective than most of these albums have.
3/5
Not my normal cup of tea, but actually quite enjoyed listening to this. Fantastic vocals and good flow to lyrics. Can't say I will be rushing to listen to more, but it was a pleasant change of genre.
probably will give a woman pluspoint but this really wasn't good!!! and quite sad!!!!
An EP. 🤨 If you'll allow me to channel Walter from "The Big Lebowski" for a second.... THIS ISN'T 'NAM, DIMERY, THERE ARE RULES! Adding an EP to the list is, ugh, par for the course, I suppose - Dimery is so clown shoes. Anyway, on to the music itself - I'm very much not the target audience for this, so some of it didn't land. I do like the conceit of including interview snippets and then having songs expand on those themes. Can't help comparing it to Solange's "A Seat at the Table" for that reason, and "Heaux Tails" suffers somewhat in that comparison, but again, that's comparing an EP to an album, so 🤷 Fave track - "Put It Down". "On it" raised my eyebrows and caused a blush! 😳
3.5. Talented
Bodies // Put It Down // Price Tags // Lost One //
Pretty interesting r & b album. Little stories in between songs helped the album move along
smoooth rnb
This was nice. Not annoying. I really don’t love interludes on records. Had no idea this was such a popular thing. Anyway, this was nice. 3/5
Loved the overall sound, and the idea of women sitting round talking about sex, but some of the lyrics were a bit explicit for me, I'm such a prude! I saw how many writers were involved, and I'm surprised that it felt so cohesive. Very mellow but also quite rude.
An interesting album. I've seen it described as a concept album, and I wouldn't argue with that. The interludes are there for a reason - sometimes interludes are to be endured, this is the artist having a bit of a giggle - but here they not only tie the album together, they provide a platform for the next song to jump from. Standout: Price Tags (with a certain Anderson .Paak in full flow)
Surprised me Never heard of it somehow, quite decent 67/100
Not my thing
It's okay, decent sound/grooves. Nothing special though...
Crecida en el gospel, Jazmine Sullivan educó su voz para convertirse en una de las autoras de R&B más creativas y versátiles de las últimas décadas. En esta colección de auténticos cuentos cantados, destaca "Lost One", una balada desnuda sobre el desamparo del desamor. También "Pick Up Your Feelings", la voz de una mujer empoderada en el momento de la ruptura. Pero lo que hace especial este disco son las seis historias de mujeres (Antoinette, Aris, Donna, Rashida, Precious y Amanda) que hablan sin tapujos de temas como el deseo sexual, el materialismo, el rechazo, los cánones de belleza corporal o las dinámicas de poder. Y qué decir de la deshinibida "On It", líricamente explícita en el reclamo de satisfacción sexual. Cierra el disco la colaboración con H.E.R. "Girl Like Me", con la ruptura y el desamor de nuevo como asunto central de la canción.
Pretty good, strong female empowerment message and nice rapped/sung vocals which remind of Lauren Hill.
Enjoyed it. Good use of interludes, songs were cool Standout songs: Price tags Lost ones
Not exactly my thing but good for what it is
This was an okay album. Fine for background, I got bored when trying to intensive listen. Not much to say
Not really my thing, but she has a wonderful voice.
Strong three
Hm I have no idea who this person is but she's got a rockin body! This just came out 3 yrs ago. I mean it was okay. I didn't hate it. I'll give it 3 stars.
More my wife's thing than mine, but it wasn't totally unpleasant
Pretty good hip hop, short and sweet. Coop beats and lyrics. 3.0
This was interesting. Didn't hate it, but wasn't a fan.
actually pretty enjoyable and has some interesting ideas, but its really nothing special i think its fine for a first listen but id never come back to it
By mistake I ended up listening to it twice so at first I found it long and repetitive but it’s a cool album on second though
Complicated feelings - it was one of the better r&b albums I've heard in terms of having something to say and a unique sound. That said I wasn't entirely gripped by it. Despite being adamant it had a message, it sure was vague about what it was. I will go 3* as there's merit, but I didn't think "wow I'll listen again" and it didn't feel 1001-worthy
Another album that gets a bump for the messaging, but… **Yawn** The music itself is so generic. One song just blended into the next - and not in a good way. Listened multiple times and can’t hum a lick of it.
Rating: 6/10 Pretty decent, really enjoyed her combination of singing and rapping but a few songs were quite underwhelming.
I love the concept of this album and really applaud the theme and honesty you can feel here. Reminds me a bit of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. I saw others say similar in their reviews! I really like the confessional spoken word tracks between the songs as well as the confessional nature of some of the songs themselves. The music however did not grab me very much for the most part. While I am not sure I completely disagree with other reviewers that this may not stand the test of time, I think it's still worth an open minded listen.
No doubt Sullivan has a great voice, I just think her songwriting style is not correlated to my own tastes for the most part. I think fans of adjacent artists will get a lot out of this record.
Slut rap
Misschien komt het omdat ik een boze witte misogyne racist ben, maar ik snap echt niet dat dit in de lijst staat. Een nu al compleet insignificant album, laat staan over een jaar of 5 tot 10. De AliExpress namaak versie van The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Typisch zo'n album waar de moderne muziekcriticus voor warmloopt, net als die Janelle Monae. Het allerergste? Ik kan hier een 3 voor geven. Minder kut dan Astrud, maar tegelijkertijd daardoor ook een stuk minder memorabel.
Listening to the first song I was sure this would be a 1 or 2 for me. But listening through, I can appreciate it. But not one I’ll likely intentionally listen to again -
not the usual R&B I listen to, it's okay. not something i'd listen to regularly
Didn't love it, didn't hate it either. I am probably not the target market but do agree on two things I have seen in other reviews here: -The production felt a bit light on, even sounding flat in places -Jazmine is definitely inspired by Lauryn Hill which isn't a bad thing. Some hard hitting lyrics that get a bit juicy. Not my thing but it works here. My only issue is it felt a bit tired by the end of the album
From the creators (not really but I liked the joke) of pussy, we bring you dick. It wasn't bad but it felt uninspired
A bit Lauryn Hill-esque but not as captivating
This was a really interesting album that nails its concept while staying on point musically. Assertive and soulful. Pointedly honest and even occasionally uncomfortable in the way it presents the nuances of modern sexual politics. Centers the point of view of women in a way few albums do. This is also one of the few albums I can think of where interludes/skits are used effectively. Fave Songs: Pick Up Your Feelings, On It, Girl Like Me, Lost One
I appreciate the feminist slant of the lyrics and message made. I'm probably not the target audience here, but it was an interesting listen. Girl Like Me stood out for me.
decent. nothing leaps out at you but gives a fair listen and tells a story.
OK, but nothing too distinctive for me. Price Tags was pretty good.
OK. Nothing new here, just OK
Nice to listen to something hypermodern since this is one of the newest albums on the list. I'd never actually heard of Jazmine Sullivan, but I don't pay much attention to this genre. As a woman, I appreciated the themes and the messages of the songs and spoken interludes, but overall I found the music wholly forgettable.
Love the vibe. Others do it better. 3/5
Good!
Really liked this one! I had listened to this one before from a recommendation from Pop Culture Happy hour and really enjoyed the relisten. Great features
Somehow never heard of this, but it was good. Smooth beats and delivery.
Super sexy, it's been a while since I listened to a new R&B artist. Felt classic but also very much of the current decade.
Although I liked some tracks, I thought this album was average. That said, it's refreshing to hear some new R&B!
Ich frage mich auf wessen Couch man schlafen muss, um innerhalb von 3 Jahren in die Liste der Grundgesamtheit von 1001 Alben aufgenommen zu werden? Inhaltlich ist die Platte eines der besseren R&B Alben, mit einer frivolen Stimme und aufeinander abgestimmten Songs zum Thema Sex - wobei wir wieder bei der Couch sind. Ich selber konnte dem Album weder ein Happy End noch einen Höhepunkt abgewinnen.
3.5 I was expecting to like this more. Really strong concept and her voice is outstanding but I found it a little boring musically. Usually I appreciate something so short but this left me wanting more in a bad way.
This is a good R&B album by Sullivan but interesting choice as Reality Show is definitely better than this album. This one is good and her singing is well done and production is fine. But there isn’t as much depth on this one and the skits are more prevalent. I’d revisit it but it’s not her best work. 6.5/10
It's OK but rather conventional
this was pretty decent, some whack songs but a few were kinda nice, lotta mid but nothing too offensive.
Everything was good but her lyrics. For an album that has so many good things going for it, the repeated themes of "big dick, don't be broke" got old. Reminds me of how people dislike low effort hip hop for the same reasons. She has a great voice, style, band - I wished she expressed it a little more artistically than "big dick put it on my face" "it's the d it's the d" it comes across as trap rap lyrics in rnb. I loved some of the gospel inspiration on some of the songs. I think it worked really well. The album was really personal which helped me stay interested in her story. The features were solid but nothing that stood out.
First, I was kind of surprised that this album was on this list. I knew it was critically acclaimed, but it didn’t really seem like something that was major enough to feature on this list. However, this list makes a lot of weird choices and I guess it’s hard to pick the more recent albums. As for the album itself, it’s OK but R&B isn’t a genre I have a lot of interest in. For this album, it felt like a lot of it was relying on the vocals with limited instrumentals, whereas I usually prefer more instrumentals. I also don’t pay too much attention to lyrics and this is a concept album, so that didn’t really help. I feel like the cover reflects the kind of clinical sound that the album left me with. I know this is pretty critical for 3 stars, but 3 stars is a huge range for me when it comes to this list/generator.
Thoughts before listening: Very recent album. I remember this getting a lot of praise in 2021, but it's not really my thing. Also feels like an odd choice for the list. In general its hard to evaluate the recent entries on this list that is so focused on an album's legacy and inspiration to future releases. Review: As far as modern R&B goes this is pretty good. I like the concept of story songs that are each inspired by different female perspectives. This album won Grammys and made the top of a ton of best of the year lists. Its a good album, but its just not something that I relate to. Perfect example of an album that I can respect even if its not really my style of music. I will give this a 3-star rating, but I don't really know that it belongs on this list.
Really loved Pick up your feelings. It’s a good album but for how recent it is I don’t know if it’s going to be a classic?
Liked it better than I thought I would.
A couple of great tunes, not revolutionary as it would like to be
It's really an EP once the skits are removed (serious skits rather than those on 3 feet high...) - but these half-a-dozen songs are a great listen, and they get stronger as things progress. solid three stars, in a genre that's not really in my comfort zone.
I hadn't heard of Jasmine Sullivan so this was great to hear. I can see why it gets great reviews. The vocals are impressive. It's more my daughter's style than mine though. Favourite track Pick up Your Feelings
Nice
3.5 stars
So many horny albums, sexual transmutation is probably real tbh Best Song: Bodies - Intro Worst Song: Ari's Tale
This album is right up my alley genre-wise, and has all the elements I like, but it's surprisingly just listenable.
Fairly basic and simple. It wasn't unpleasant but it didn't sound any different from anything I hear being played by the urban youth today. Call me old-fashioned and\or demanding, but a good album is one that crosses boundaries i.e. old gits like me, and youngsters, and everyone in between, can agree it's a standout.
It's fine.
I can see why this is listed as a statement piece However as music, it doesn't really rate being on this list. 4 stars for statement 2 stars for musicality Total = 3 stars
This album was not for me. The beats were great, though.
Non male, ma non esagerato.
An honest exploration of sex, relationships, and bodily autonomy. Heaux Tales starts off strong for me with the narrative of "Bodies" and the groove of "Pick Up Your Feelings," which I also appreciate as a turn of phrase. I would like "Put It Down" a lot more if it weren't for that infernal trap style hi-hat. "On It" is fun lyrically, but otherwise boring to me. "Price Tags" I mostly like (wish I could place that sample), and the Anderson .Paak feature is great, but the languid chorus parts bring it down a bit. In general this type of R&B influenced rap isn't really my style, but I liked it more than I thought I would.
Some fun, poppy R&B. I'm curious to see how influential this album becomes.
A mix of R&B and rap, a couple songs were catchy, most were mid. Could've done without the skits/dialogue after almost every track
R&B brought back the album after streaming threatened to make it irrelevant. I don't know if the sounds on Heaux Tales will age well but the concept is unique.
personal stories, stories of heartbreak, relationships and growing up as a woman. it's pretty empowering, but its got that modern typical trap hip-hop flow and plenty of lyrics that are unsurprising at best, talking about money and her pussy at all. the money and pussy mentions aren't just bragging but even so i just... couldn't get into it too much.
Very open about female sexuality and her struggles with it. It was a very compelling lyrically and a good listen as an artistic work. I thought the production was good and the rapping pretty decent. I don't think many songs are going to make it onto playlists or get revisited though.
she's talented but just not my thing
not generally my cup of tea, but i thought this album was fairly interesting. i felt like the structure of a song being led in by a "tale" was neat and gave the album a pretty good narrative flow. the music, production, and performances were alright, but ultimately this just isn't totally my thing. i still appreciate what it was going for and am happy i got exposed to something outside of my normal bubble.
Horny Btec Lizzo
Some nice tracks, shame they’re mainly about getting shagged by men with massive cocks or they might have ended up on my playlists.
Très bonne idée les interludes où Jazmine va répéter "ah nan mais moi j'aime trop baiser tsais, ché pas si tu vois ce que je veux dire" à tue-tête.
Prochaine interlude de pétasse tu prends un bourre pif Robert
Nice retro-sounding moments mixed in with a contemporary Beyoncé-meets-Mary. J Blige vibe. Some of those lyrics though- I Blush! I’d need a few more listens, but I bet in that time the album would really stick with me. 3.4
Groovy at times
Reminds me of Miseducation, but less memorable
https://www.primevideo.com/region/eu/ref=atv_pr_sw_sc
Perfectly pleasant laid back rnb
Hip-hop/r&b, with some "stories" between songs.
Sin pena ni gloria. No sé qué pinta en este listado. Canta bien.
Was alright.
The intro got my hackles up. The phrase "sexual being" is like nails on a chalkboard to me. But Pick Up Your Feelings is pretty good and Put It Down and On it are pretty funny. I came to appreciate the concept part of the concept album by the end. I didn't love it, but by the end I had at least thawed towards it.
Je suis un peu biaisé négativement car ce genre de RnB ne raisonne pas tellement avec moi. Par contre je reconnais qu'il y a beaucoup de soucis de qualité dans cet album. La production est impeccable, les artistes invités rajoutent une bonne touche, les paroles sont vraiment bonnes. Tout de même une artiste à suivre. Considérant que c'est un album très récent, reste à voir s'il va traverser l'épreuve du temps. 7/10
Half chub throughout. Well done.
I’m very torn by this album because musically it’s pretty interesting and the overall ideas behind it are really interesting but I think it’s presented in a way that turns me off a bit. Maybe I’m just a prude.
Somewhat average rnb helped by guests like paak
This was... fine I guess? Not the most exciting album I've ever heard in my life TBH. Wasn't blown away.
Good
2.5
im fr so curious how this album even showed up on this guys radar. like how did he ever even find it and what the hell made him add it here. gotta be a daughter or niece or something. it aint that bad fr tho, i like new R&B but compared to other projects that have come out, even buy artists shes featured, its shocking that this is on here. man i love anderson paak thoooooo. the otherside is good too. again, this is not bad but im not sure about its long term cultural relevance.
This album was added to the 1001 albums list merely ten months after being released, a bold choice to be sure. While sceptical of it's inclusion at first, I was won over by reading some of the reviews on here. Among the many positive ratings, a number of reviewers simply did not accept anything other than canonized white male rock music from the sixties and seventies being on the list. Being of your time is no bigger a sin than being of a time long passed. By mistake, I first listened to the extended version, which I found to be interesting, yet a little long. The "tales" ask you to accept bold, flawed women, adding a lot of challenging interest to the songs. On my second listen, I went for the pure musical experience, listening only to the songs. Whitout the interludes, the album loses most of it's ability to challenge the listener, leaving a musical experience which is pretty good, yet decisively not of my typical taste. I can see this album being a really big deal to some people, thanks in no small part to the statement it makes. For me, it's not quite it. I'm glad I listened, but I don't think this is a stayer in my library. 3.2
Eh it was ok
Not bad solid 3.4/5
Jazmine Sullivan- She’s a good singer, I was expecting to like this more. Idk 2.5? Another one I’m not sure I get why it’s on here. 3
I liked pick up your feelings. Otherwise some of it seemed unfinished. Maybe it was the length of a lot of the songs.
No conozco de nada a esta señora, pero sin gustarme el tema "divas" con buena voz me ha sorprendido. Me ha recordado lo mejor de Lauryn Hill. Pick up your feelings y Lost one en especial.
Þetta er, já já, alveg fín plata. Ég skil samt ekki tendensinn sem ég sé hjá mörgum artistum að vera með mínútulangt blaður inn á milli laga. Janet Jackson púllaði það '97, en allt annað missir marks, finnst mér.
Enjoyable and powerful, but lacking tunes. It feels like she's one song away from become a global superstar.
Her voice is stunning, but not my genre.
Heaux Tales is concise and replayable. The concept is rock solid; Soul waxes and wanes honestly, with Lost One the standout heart this spin. Probably and properly retro, with no weak production.
I like the crisp clean arrangements and the beats are smooth. The album peaks early (Put on your feelings) and outstays its welcome despite its 32 minute run time
I can appreciate this in a lot of way actually, but musically it loses me somewhere. Pretty solid 3 I think, it's fine.
Get it, girl.
Tiene unos bangers por ahí. Se siente bastante cohesivo, como post R&B.
Аче вполне неплохая музыка для секса Кому не нравится тот лох и девственник 6/10
Joo, mutta miksi juuri tämä monista vastaavanlaisista nyky-rnb-levyistä? Pidän kyllä tästä aika paljonkin, etenkin äänestä, se on kaunis, ja levyssä on vahva mutta kaunis tunnelma muutenkin. En vielä nostaisi pakko kuunnella -listaan, ensin pitää ajan kanssa nähdä, erottuuko tämä.
Basic but ok
Good album, for once I feel like it’s actually accurate when the description says “explores themes of sexuality etc etc”, the lyrics were definitely thoughtful, but kept the songs viby
Too cliche
Decent and short-lived R&B
Editors of 2021 edition: Look, we have a tough decision to make, we need to pick an album that's gonna be timeless, people who will be listening to this in 2060 gonna be losing their minds how remarkable it is. Also editors of 2021 edition:
Some of the other reviews here made me think I was really gonna hate this but this was better than I expected. I'm definitely not a big fan of current mainstream hip hop which I think was what I was expecting and there's some of that here but there's enough of a neo soul influence that makes up for it. It did occur to me that one fault of this list is that it seems to be quick to embrace some modern artists to I guess stay or become relevant to a younger generation when there is a clear lack of some forerunner artists on the list. I think you can draw a line from Betty Davis in the 70s to Miss Sullivan (with a few notable detours in the 80s) and yet nothing by Betty Davis on the list. That's disappointing. Anyway, like I said better than I expected, the music is fine to really good and honestly I thought the interludes were the best part of the album. I guess there's a first time for everything.
Heaux Tales is by no means a casual listen, but Jazmine Sullivan puts on a masterclass in destigmatizing sex through music here. Some of the tracks, like “Put It Down” and “On It,” push the boundary on taboo topics artists (and particularly women) can get away with singing about. It’s no Silk Sonic, but Anderson Paak is a great feature on “Price Tags.” “Lost One” is a welcome emotional interlude amongst the album’s physical focus, yet the six “Tales” add a personal touch to the album that conventional tracks simply can’t add. This is a fascinating idea for a concept album, and Jazmine nails it. I can’t say I’d go out of my way to listen to it again, but I can at least appreciate the artistic value.
Interesting concept
It’s ok.
Very enjoyable. Didn't previously know,
I enjoyed parts of this and found a lot of the spoken word pieces thought provoking, but overall I think I have a bit too much ex-catholic guilt left in me to enjoy music so sexually explicit to the full. I have similar problems with Prince and some gangsta rap groups.
Pretty fun all round. The interludes weren't as cringey and jarring as interludes often are on these albums
I really enjoyed a lot of the music and grooves from this album. Wasn't a fan of the little stories between songs and a couple of the lyrics, but I would consider this a solid R&B album. I'm not going to touch the message she's throwing out there, but I know that i grooved in my seat while working and that's enough for me. Thought her voice was very good. Best songs to me were Bodies, Pick Up Your Feelings, Lost One and The Other Side. Have to give her props in that this album was a conversation piece at the house the last few days. Not too many albums get discussed a week after hitting the list. Could have gone higher but I'm going with a 3.5. Will score a 3. 3.5
3 Classic 90s R&B sound with a feminist twist to it - I can definitely see this one pissing off the Ben Shapiro types of the world. Call it graphic if you want, but it isn’t without purpose, one I feel the first interlude, Antoinette’s Tale, sums up best: In a world in which sexual conquest is both expected of and enabled in men, why shouldn’t women have the same agency over their own body and desires? Whether it be for romantic, lustful, empowering, or ulterior reasons, women are at liberty to do with their body as they wish, just as men can and choose to do. This album takes a unique approach in tackling that concept as a sort of anthology, featuring a series of women’s “tales” that explore this range of sexual motivation and help tee up the next song, related in topic. That was an aspect I really enjoyed - it added a layer of personal depth that helped me connect with the music and view each track in a certain light. Of all these, the most insightful and profound for me was probably the finale, Amanda’s Tale and Girl Like Me, which describes the insecurity of someone who loses her man to the type of woman she finds herself constantly comparing herself to on social media, ultimately resulting in her embracing her sexuality as a form of value. In an album focused on tales of sexual agency, this last tale is probably the most tragic one, reminding us that there’s more to sexuality than just lust. Anyway, while I clearly appreciated the topical nature of the album, musically… I found this kind of meh. Nothing I disliked, but at the same time, I can’t help but wonder if recency bias was a major factor for this album’s inclusion on the list. Of course the messaging is important, but I’m not sure it has quite the level of songwriting to hold up as an all-time great years from now. There was no song in particular that made me want to go back and give another listen - If I were to revisit this album, it would likely be for its narrative. Feel like this had the potential to be something absolutely great, but it didn’t quite get there for me. Still, glad to have been exposed to it.
I hate skits but this album was pretty alright overall
A poor man’s Miseducation.
3.8 - A straightforward concept album about the intersection of money and sex. Some impressive R&B vocal performances and spoken word interludes. Standouts: “Price Tags”, “On It.”
Sin pena ni gloria. No sé qué pinta en este listado. Canta bien.
Very entertaining R&B album. Great guest vocalists, interesting talk tracks between songs, overall pretty good! I'm just not the biggest fan of R&B.
smooth
3.5
inte lyssnat klart men lite ointressant album
3 - too much talking, too much auto tune. underneath some tunes though.
Pop suave, tranquilo y relajado. Algún atisbo de algo más bailable. Buena voz. Escuchable, pero sin dejar huella
Sin pena ni gloria. No sé qué pinta en este listado. Canta bien.
I usually just listen to the album of the day without doing any research but today I had some extra time and did not know who the artist was so I looked at the Wikipedia entry on her. I immediately thought back to an album that we listened to in November by SAULT, which I did not enjoy. The Wikipedia description sounded similar, and so I was predisposed to dislike this album. But I was wrong and I liked this album. I especially liked the tracks with Anderson Paak and H.E.R.
Hmmm... North Philly, so Jazmine's got that going for her. I appreciated the approach to the album, the interstitial conversations, the vibe that we were sitting around hanging, that was cool. But just as I get a headache watching video with too many quick jump cuts, I was getting that feeling with this — a little too disjointed when taken as a whole. And, as a general rule, I wasn't enamored by the lyrical content. I could go into detail about her sexual exploits, but she's gone and done it already. TMI.
I dug this, and I had never heard of Jazmine Sullivan before today. Didn't care for the spoken word passages. I get that they are kind of the point of the album, but at the same time, they don't make for a good listening experience. I mean, they're cool once, but I don't need to hear them again. I have the same complaint with so many Hip-hip albums and their skits (Wu-Tang, Fugees, Lauryn Hill, etc.) Other than that, this was cool, though I can't say any song really stood out. But I dug the vibe and the performances.
a totally fine wistful heartfelt ponderous r&b take on female sexuality. but will it stand the test of time??
I have nothing against this album. It's just mediocre R&B. It's my personal opinion that nothing that is under 5 years old should be considered for this list. But that being said I still think there are many albums from 2021 that deserve a spot on the list over this. Not bad, just not great. My favorite song was "Price Tags" anything Anderson .Paak touches turns to gold and it just took what would have been a decent song and turned it great.
I felt like this started stronger than it played out. Great singing, good but not that memorable music. Conceptually kind of a mess.
Modernish US 'rap'? Not me
Great achievement, just not my thing.
BL: never heard of Jazmine Sullivan, but having a look at the track listing I know .Paak and H.E.R - both very talented artists, so if she’s akin to them I’m looking forward to it. AL: in some ways this album worked for me and other ways it didn’t. I loved the structure of the album, and the spoken word interludes where women would share their struggles, it was very insightful and it really made me think about a lot of things as a man. I thought the first track was quite garish and over the top but then I reflect on what was said in the track immediately after that “Antoinette’s Tale”. Listening to a lot of male rap which a lot of the time utilises very misogynistic languages and treats women as hoes and sluts it’s quite refreshing to see someone who reverses the roles and embraces their sexuality. In an industry that profits off of the mistreatment of women for an album to have tracks that empower women and give them that voice to express the same rhetoric those men often do is powerful and because of that the album is a cultural landmark. However on the same note. I felt a lot of the album wasn’t massively interesting. I loved the interludes and a few tracks stood out but generally the instrumentals felt quite samey and all bled into one. They were all nice to listen to and the album flowed well but only a couple tracks really stood out to me and remain in my memory now it’s over. I’ll listen to the Deluxe version too and see how that goes down. FT: “Price Tags”, “Girl Like Me” (original), “Hurt me so good”, “Roster” (Deluxe) AL (Deluxe ED): I liked these additional tracks a lot more. The tales were just as gripping and also one of them had a male story, I guess it just goes to show that love is hard for all. 3/5 (Original) 4/5 (Deluxe)
3.5
Look, I liked this. Could take or leave the spoken bits, but musically I thought it was good. Her voice is great. The tunes are good. Highlight for me was the one featuring Ari Lennox, “On It”.
Look, the 1001 albums list has a clear problem with being incredibly white-boy, rock centric. The list is heavily weighted towards male, 60s and 70s white rock. Like, a lot. It is sweet blessed relief to hear a black woman singing it out. And she's pretty good. Great voice, great feminist point of view, good production. I dig it. My position on skits is well established; don't like them. Also, I wonder if this album (or EP?) is just too recent to really award it a must-hear classic status? Surely there are a few more albums from the past that would fill out the massive blind spots on this list (especially with regards to female artists). Like I said, I dig it. And, as I am sure Jazmine Sullivan herself would agree, the 1001 list needs to put in some effort to properly representing the whole history of female artistry in the list.
Interesting. She has a broad variety of musical styles. R&B poetry about dicks.
Wow, an album from 2021. Very cool. It's not my favorite genre by a longshot, but I actually can appreciate this. I like the concept behind it and the songs aren't bad. 3 stars.
Not my type of music but think it’s an interesting concept for an album. It’s not too long and does not demand a lot from the listener. The songs deal with multiple topics and put women as the center of the narrative. I loved the interludes; all with great storytelling. I don’t think I’ll revisit most of these songs but I’m taking a couple of tracks for my R&B playlist.
At the time I’m writing this review, “Heaux Tales” is the newest of 1001 albums to hear before we die. It was released six years after I first read through the list, and is certainly a welcome change from the constant stream of white male 70’s rock dominating the canon. Showing how far hip-hop has come since the days of Dre and N.W.A, “Heaux Tales” is a feminist semi-concept record about women reclaiming their identities: essentially eight tracks padded out with six spoken interludes (Antoinette, Ari, Donna, Rashida, Precious, Amanda). Each of them has their own story to tell, with their own perspective on sex, empowerment, relationships and social pressure which come across very loosely in the songs. The material is of varying strength, and the more lush and mellow the sound, the more I enjoyed it. While “Bodies” is an underwhelming start and “Put It Down” is a fairly generic R&B jam, “Lost One” is fantastic. Paired with just a bass guitar, Sullivan’s vocal perches on the precipice of heartbreak, pushing itself to the limit and cracking just slightly on the edges: sublime.“On It” is the most sensual, soulful and mellow delivery of the words “I want to sit on it / I’m gonna spit on it”: worlds away from what I might have imagined. And “The Other Side” is the best of all: yearning, wistful and anthemic. Sullivan’s vocals are excellent throughout, with strong features from the likes of Ari Lennox and H.E.R. If there’s a criticism, the album feels a tad underbaked at 32 minutes, being described as more of an EP on release. As strong as the concept is, it doesn’t quite pull together in a satisfying way at the end: the “tales” feel more like retro-fitted springboards for the rest of the songs. It would have been great to tie it up in a stronger conclusion, but strangely, “Girl Like Me” is a mournful break-up ballad which is hung up on being rejected by a man and lamenting the “hoes” he’s gone for instead. It’s a great performance, but it’s not the thematic closure I expected. Maybe Sullivan wanted to show womens’ relationships with sex, their bodies and each other as a messy, grey and contradictory area, perpetually divided by the whims of men? It’s not my place to mansplain any more of this to you: just do yourself a favour and have a listen. It’s a good one.
Hätte ich fast aufgegeben. Ab dem Song mit Anderson .Paak wird es immer besser.
Another album for sex. Not bad.
Parfait pour une pm tranquille et de qualité
Ehh it was alright.
Perfectly serviceable contemporary r&b for the new decade. Doesn't feel like it's doing anything particularly new or innovative so I don't feel too strongly about it. The Other Side is easily the best part of the album, with beautiful and memorable production. I appreciate the spoken word interludes too, as they bring a new dimension to the album's message and theme.
Not fully my bag. Enjoyed parts of it
Good r&b album, not too long
Buen Album, me hizo acordar a Amy, pero no tan solido.
Some decent songs, but some parts are pretty cringey, imp
Favourite song: The Other Side
Possibly a little early to be putting this album on a list like this, but as far as I’m concerned it fully deserves to be up here. Great concept album, a more modern take on traditional R&B ideas. Some places could be improved, such as production, but it’s overall a pretty fun album to listen to (not the interludes though, never like interludes). 3/5
Pretty solid but nothing massively noteworthy imo. This was my first time hearing the deluxe edition which was good, it definitely feels like a continuation of the album rather than a set of b-sides. Looking forward to the super deluxe edition Heaux Tales Mo' Tales Heauxliday Inn
Best Song: Pick Up Your Feelings. Classic bouncing R&B rhythm with a great vocal performance. Worst Song: Price Tags. This song loses the subtlety and nuance of the other tracks and just beats you over the head without innuendo. Anderson .Paak was good on it though. Overall: Pretty solid R&B that is excellently produced. The "tales" which set up each track are actually really well done in communicating the general vibe of the upcoming song in a concise way. Not a big fan of the materialist thread that runs through sections of the album, but thankfully that thread doesn't touch all tracks.
Some great tunes! But also a few duds. Frank ocean meets deangelo
I need more time to take this in.
This is a super-interesting and bold album that has some truly funky tunes exploring important topics. That said, I'm a white male prude who listens to music that doesn't challenge or intimidate me too much so I still have a way to go to feel this might be for me.
Pleasant enough rnb. Not sure specifically why on list?
3.5/5. This was alright. Not bad, but nothing amazing.
I listened to this on a weekend, and didn't have a great opportunity to really focus on this album. This was okay overall. Nothing I really didn't like, but nothing that particularly stood out. I'd like to listen again while better being able to focus on it.
Too many skits. Good music
cool?
Not bad, but certainly nothing exceptional.
Jazmine Sullivan has a wonderful voice and chooses her collaborators well. But this is an EP where the idea of it(women taking control of their sexuality and grappling with their places in a man’s world) is more intriguing than the execution.
I guess I grasp the accolades here. Giving voice to women and using true stories and feelings drive the expression in each song. It’s a novel approach. I think my favorite song was the last one, Girl Like Me, but many were good. Some parts of these stories, like where people express materialistic goals as some form of liberation, just makes me sad that they aren’t looking at their own self worth first. But I guess part of the point is just to listen to how they feel. So this gets that across.
3.5. Decent overall album, fun listen. Lost One is very poignant. Standouts: Price Tags, Lost One, The Other Side.
Some good jams here. Wish I could give it 3.5.
3.5/5
70/100: Never heard of this artist before, but this was a really good album. In general, though, I wasn’t vibing a bunch with how much this album harps on sex. It’s unfair because male artists, especially rappers, do the same thing and no one bats an eye, but it still bothers me then too. If your entire album is just rapping about tits and ass, I’m not gonna listen to it. I felt a similar way hearing Jazmine Sullivan talk about how “that dick spoke to her.” It just doesn’t feel very substantial to me. With that being said, I still enjoyed this album musically. The highlight was definitely Anderson .Paak’s verse on “Price Tags.”
That was alright. Felt like I was in an episode of This is Us quite a lot.
Yeah, ok.
Feeling myself with this one. I liked it.
This is a funny one. I think the vibe and themes on the album are great, I love it's honesty to a fault, I think the skits are great and the features are great too. There's a lot to love. Unfortunately, what let's it dow is the fact that the tunes just aren't that memorable!
Este lo escuche cuando p4k lo puso como mejor álbum del 2021 y aunque no me parece malo creo que estoy muy desacuerdo en esto de que sea el mejor disco del año, en mi opinión hubo mucho mejores pero bueno tampoco soy muy fan del género.
Good R&B, but the only weird parts were when the singer talked between songs about her personal experiences.
Interesting to hear something so new on the list, seems like pretty progressive hip-hop but overall not my thing, sounds pretty typical for R&B these days.
I found it more interesting than expected, though I feel it could be a bit generic at points. As part of the series it seems kind of early to put this as a must-listen, but if you're gonna put anything by Jazmine Sullivan this ain't a bad place to start. I've heard stronger and more memorable R&B though, so I don't know how often I would return to this.
I knew this one was on the list, and frankly, I dreaded the day it would pop up on this app. Not because it is a bad album by any means. As a matter of fact, the music in it can be pretty good at times, especially on its last half, with the groovy, A-Tribe-Called-Quest-flavored "Price Tags" (featuring Anderson Paak), or the minimalistic-yet-moving, acoustic-guitar-driven "Lost Ones" and "The Other Side". But the problem is, can this record be seriously considered as 2021's album of the year, just as Pitchfork, Entertaiment Weekly or NPR said? I mean, really? If you take a look at all the other records released that year, I can at least see twenty other that could win that trophy instead of Heaux Tales, and this in a wide variety of genres. So what did those critics see in this record that I couldn't see? Or, should I rather say, what did they *fail to see* that makes this album quite *corny* sometimes (and even problematic on some of its songs)? First let me elaborate on that issue of critics conveniently NOT drawing attention to the obvious flaws of this record. Seems to me they singled out this loose concept album about African American women's agency because they couldn't agree on a less "topical" record, where music would be at least as important as the lyrics. So they chose a record that looked like it made a strong overall topical statement instead. I'm not too bothered by this, but that default consensus also implies they didn't know where to look to find good stuff. To be honest, I fear that retrospective looks on the year 2021 will be harsh on such critics' choice. But maybe I'm wrong, who knows? Now about the flaws themselves, at least as I see them: First the music. As I said before I quite like the songs on the second side. I also admit that Sullivan's strand of modern r'n'b / nu soul has a wide stylistic range, just as her very nice voice has. The thing is, as wide as that stylistic range is, it seems to me that tracks such as "Put It Down" or "On It" of the first side are way too generic musically speaking. There are probably dozens of other female r'n'b singers out there doing that sort of stuff better than those borderline-clunky tunes here. And since the album is *very* short, that couple of clunky tunes takes its toll on the whole thing. Now comes the moment I truly dreaded, which is explaining why I think the "message" of this album is terribly awkward at times. What starts as a record defending women (especially African American ones)'s right to own their sexualities and bodies against patriarchal prejudice too often ends up being muddled by the *other* important theme of this record, clearly emerging in tracks such as "Price Tags" and "The Other Side": and that theme, just as in many other hip hop / r'n'b records of the last twenty years, is good old Capitalism. Sullivan here naïvely rehashes tired and worn-out clichés about "success" in America, suggesting that true emancipation from mysogynistic prejudice against the liberation of women can't be accomplished without having access to money and material goods. True, you can also interpret all of this as a realistic commentary about said capitalism and its sway on us all. But frankly, if there is self-irony in Jazmine's takes on the issue, it needs to be more clearly stated. Before anyone tells me that *as a male*, I'm not well positioned to address such criticisms about how ambitious women can navigate through the challenges of the world of success and money, let me just point out that I would express the exact same reproach about a whole chunk of Jay-Z's songs, that is to say songs expressing a similar idea from a male point of view. OK, I'm also *white*, so I understand if someone takes my skepticism with a huge grain of salt. But I won't pretend that skepticism of mine isn't there. If the "message" here is that individuals should just get rich to be "free" (obviously at the expense of those who *can't* get rich), I can't possibly *fully* condone it. It doesn't matter what my gender or my skin color are. It's a matter of principle, as far as I'm concerned. On a more positive note, and to go back to Sullivan, I readily admit that she does pepper her *Heaux Tales* with very funny one-liners once in a while. But even there, I find there's something lacking in the execution and overall presentation of that humorous side of things. One striking example is when she mentions her "pussy is wetter than water" in one song to then say it is "wetter than Chesapeake Bay" on the NEXT one. Objectively, the second joke is funnier. But by the time you get there, having heard the first one takes off the edge of the second one-liner. Repetition here makes the whole idea sound tired and lazy instead. Just as some of the music, actually. As a conclusion, I can see many missed opportunities in this record. The whole thing is not so bad, but it's not brilliant either. Admittedly, I've only properly listened to it three times by now. Maybe there are intents and subtleties I didn't properly perceive during those few spins, so I'm ready to give Jazmine Sullivan the benefit of the doubt here. But not much more than this. There are things that all the money in the world *can't* buy. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 845 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 83 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 39 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 32
i love this concept for the album!! it's so daring even in the year 2021. the stories in spoken word format in between the songs is a brilliant choice. the stories are varied but still are women's stories. i loved hearing the different perspectives! sullivan touched on so many topics that are important to women and in such a well done way. the album's actual music was good but it didn't really grab me. an enjoyable listen and i was able to really listen to the lyrics.
7th July 2022 Listened while walking in to work from Douggie’s. Drove back home and painted the ceiling in the evening. Really liked this, down to earth with a strong feminist message and some tight beats and lines.
Heaux Tales is a very poignant album, released in 2021, with themes of feminism, sexuality, classism, body-shaming and all other struggles that women face, and seems to have become even more relevant in mid 2022. Having never heard of Jazmine Sullivan she is not my general go to listen or even something to have in rotation on a playlist, however I can see the importance of this album in the overall worldview. Best: Pick Up Your Feelings Worst: The Other Side
Huh. Can't really say this was my thing but I appreciated it just the same. A very honest, soulfully sung album. I wasn't in love with any of these tracks but they were all solidly good. "Lost One" was by far my fave.
Goed album en toffe listen maar nu niet iets dat (al) in deze lijst thuis hoort imo
Soul. R&B
Þyrfti kannski að hlusta aftur og hlusta betur á textann, en ég veit ekki hvort ég nenni því. Fín tónlist en ekki mjög eftirminnileg.
allt i lagi bara eins og meirihlutinn af plötunum herna...
I'm really not a modern R&B guy, I have never heard of this album or artist before. Even though this is not a genre that I like, generally I can't deny the quality and uniqueness of this album. The spoken word intros are interesting and generally delivered with a sincerity and conversational style that lends an authenticity that I found provocative. The songs are strong and intelligent. I appreciate the brevity of this album as well. 3.5 🌟
Sin pena ni gloria. No sé qué pinta en este listado. Canta bien.
Unusual to hear a concept R&B album. It was pretty good, but probably not something I’ll come back to.
contemporary r&b, bit slick for a scruffy manc
3/5 I liked it, her voice was quite distinct to the average hip hop colored woman's voice. But in terms of the album itself, it's just nothing new or different to it. Still liked it tho
The production was quite nice and the theme of the album was different than what I am used to hearing (in a good way). The music itself is a bit derivative, but she sings well and has a nice voice.
Buen disco
Interesting, but not really my thing.
This was a pretty interesting RnB album, I appreciate the narrative elements woven into it.
Not my style AT ALL. Charmed anyway.
2021? Dakle, vidim da je ovaj album prošao meni preko glave ili stvarno nisu ni pitchfork, ni consequence ni reddit gdje pronalazim albume iz istoimene godine rekli nešta o ovom EP-ju. *Osvrt*: I dig that concept shit, općenito. Podsjeća me na Little Simz - Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, ali samo u vezi koncepcije. Tematika se tiče seksualnosti, odnosa i osjećaja u vezi toga, to je što sam pohvato. Prvi dio me nije baš nešta držao, ali pjesme poput: Lost One, The Other Side i Girl Like Me su mi digli za zvjezdicu. Vjerujem da će ovo biti nekako Anitin štih, da će joj bit ovaj EP dobar, bar bolji nego što je meni.
Not my thing, but an accomplished piece of work
Not bad
Enjoyed this album and made a change from what I've heard this far. The music reminded me of Missy elliot and the lyrics seemed to tackle issues!
Listenable but not outstanding
It wasn't bad, but nothing stood out for me.
some sexy r+b
Lot's of nuanced sex in this album. I doubt that I'm the ideal demographic of this album, but I appreciated Jazmine Sullivan's attempt at pulling back the curtain to expose realities and thoughts of her audience. That was enough for me to engage with this album. Different self-reflection interstitials connect themes of sexuality and feminism and provide short glimpses into the headspace of the artist. These are the highlights of this album. The 'tales' are short (each one less than two mins.) and convey candid, and I assume genuine, thoughts from different women about the pussy, the money and the self-worth. The tales are relatable (even for those without vaginas) and the effect on the listener is a stronger connection to her music. In an age where artists are defined more by their carefully choreographed social media splashes than their music, it's a welcome change that JS has opted for. The inclusion of some authenticity seems to be counterintuitive for aspiring singer / songwriters but that's what I love about this one.
The 1001 albums generator has embraced the updated edition, and after a long streak of albums that never got more recent than the early 90s, here comes "Heaux Tales" from 2021. I think the process of updating a list like this is tricky. It's hard to properly judge the place in music history for an album less than a year old. But to be one of only 2 albums added from this year, this must be a revolutionary, stand out album, right? Well, yes and no. But mostly no. "Heaux Tales" bounces back and forth from fine but not special R&B to short vignettes of women presenting their "tale." The tales offer glimpses of modern sexuality, from the too often overlooked perspective of ordinary women. They are real and raw, but in their rawness and prevalence they dominate the album. They make up 5 of the 14 tracks, and made more of an impression than most of the songs did. One exception from the songs was "Put it Down," which clearly stood out from the rest. While most of the tracks are fairly average R&B, "Put it Down" features a trap beat and a mix of rapping and singing. I generally find trap beats to be super similar and very repetitive, but it was actually put to good use here, and the blending with R&B provided something fresh.
Reminiscent of the miseducation
This album offers an interesting perspective on womens’ self worth, sexuality, and relationship power dynamics. Also interesting is the spelling “Heaux”. I’m always down for the Cajun version of words that rhyme with go (e.g., geaux). I’m not really sure what to make of this album. Is it positive? Negative? Or just is? I lean toward positive. There is some objectification present, similar to what is found in male r&b. However, women have taken over the narrative here. And there are certainly more favorably buoyant views of women than what I’d expect from a male lead. In the end, I like the music, but it’s not really my thing and there are too many interludes for me.
Not a bad little hip hop / neo soul album. Nothing remarkable though interesting conceptually where themes of female (sexual) empowerment. 3.5 🌟
funky and soulful.
Enjoyed more than I thought I would
Honestly it was pretty average R&B. I did really enjoy the songs On It and The Other Side, though.
just not for me I really struggled to connect but she has a great voice
Provocative title but I found it pretty dang boring.
This one disappointed me. Was not a fan of the interludes between songs.