Fearless (Jazmine Sullivan album)

Background

In a September 2008 interview with Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul, Sullivan disccused the album's title and lyrical themes, stating "I named the album 'Fearless' because I'm just not afraid of ANYTHING right now. I'm young, I'm 22 years old... And I just feel that, if YOU embrace your uniqueness by not being afraid to take chances and being different, then everybody ELSE will! You know, I definitely did not wanna exclude ANYBODY! So, if you buy my record and think you're gonna get just a bunch of reggae beats or just a bunch of R&B beats, you'll be wrong! You're gonna get EVERYTHING! I mean, the genres can range from jazz, to gospel, to pop... Because that's who I AM! And, with me having been inspired by so much, I wanted everybody to SEE that diversity in me."

Singles

The album's lead single, "Need U Bad", was released on May 13, 2008, and its music video premiered in July 2008. The song reached number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Bust Your Windows" was released as the second single from the album on September 16, 2008, and its music video premiered in October 2008. It reached number thirty-one on the Hot 100 and serves as Sullivan's most successful single. It also reached number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming her second top-ten hit on that chart. "Lions, Tigers & Bears" was released on December 16, 2008 as the album's third single. Its video premiered in January 2009. The song reached number seventy-four on the Hot 100 and number ten on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming her third top-ten hit on that chart. "Dream Big" was released on February 9, 2009 as the UK's lead single and on April 14, 2009 as the fourth single from the album in the US. A Dream Big EP was also released through the UK iTunes on February 9, 2009. The song's music video premiered in April 2009. It did not chart in the UK or the US.

"In Love with Another Man" was released as the album's promo single on August 24, 2009. The video was released in March 2009, five months before the single was released. The single reached number thirty-seven on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs but did not reach the Billboard Hot 100. "Switch!" was going to be released as the sixth single from the album on November 17, 2009, confirmed via Sullivan's Twitter account on November 9, 2009, but this release was later canceled. A music video was reportedly filmed in November 2009 but was never released.

Commercial performance

Fearless entered at number six on the Billboard 200, with first week sales of 65,000 copies. It fell to number 10 in its second week, selling 42,000 more copies. The album also peaked at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. As of November 2010, Fearless has sold 517,000 copies in the United States.

Critical response

The album received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Sullivan received many comparisons by critics to other well-known female R&B artists, such as Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse, Mary J. Blige, and Alicia Keys. Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave the album 4½ out of 5 stars and praised her performance, stating "There's a lot of range on display here, and there is just as much depth". Vibe's Erika Ramirez praised Sullivan's singing and lyrical substance, writing "Sullivan's vocal perfection pilots her debut album... and boasts her self-penned lyrics which are filled with struggle and heartache, embodying every inch of the soul star she is". In his consumer guide for MSN Music, critic Robert Christgau gave Fearless a rating of honorable mention (), indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure." NOW's Benjamin Boles commended Sullivan for her "strong voice" and the album's production, stating "she’s pulling from a pleasingly wide range of influences – dropping bits of doo-wop, roots reggae, Motown and hip-hop into the mix while maintaining a consistent feel". Q gave it 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "[H]er voice merges Beyonce and Amy Winehouse and is backed by slick productions". Houston Chronicle writer Joey Guerra wrote favorably of her songwriting and called the album "a collection brimming with attitude, edge and soul". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine gave it 4 out of 5 stars and commended Sullivan for her lyrical honesty and musical range. The Washington Post's Allison Stewart described Fearless as "a mix of awkward-but-novel devices (reggae beats, Daft Punk samples) and nakedly confessional songwriting" and called it "a snappy, intensely human debut".

However, Entertainment Weekly's Simon Vozick-Levinson gave Fearless a C+ rating and described most of its music as "schmaltzy pop-&-B". Giving the album 3 out of 5 stars, About.com's Mark Edward Nero viewed her vocals as "generic and lack emotion or urgency" on some songs, but ultimately wrote that "there are more hits than misses here". Nero lauded Sullivan's vocal performance and compared her songwriting to that of R&B musician Ne-Yo, writing "due to both artists' talent for writing on-point, introspective lyrics. Like Ne-Yo, Jazmine has a knack for crafting intricate, deeply personal verses that make you feel at one with the singer. Even on the weaker songs on Fearless, the songwriting is still above par". USA Today's Steve Jones gave the album 3 out of 4 stars and wrote that she "sings every word as if she means it". MusicOMH writer Michael Cragg praised Sullivan's vocal range and themes on the album, writing "Sullivan has created a mature, engaging R&B album that doesn't rely solely on the usual tropes of sexuality, money and posturing. Instead, Fearless deals with real emotions sung in a way that convinces the listener she means every single word". Okayplayer's Jeff Harvey called it "a well produced urban pop album" and wrote that Sullivan's voice "carries a subtle tenderness that adds intriguing nuance". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times wrote favorably of Sullivan's performance and wrote "Her sense of humor is her best asset. She doesn't have a huge, imposing voice, but she's versatile, dabbling in jazz and reggae phrasings with ease".

Accolades

She earned five 2009 Grammy Award nominations for the album including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance ("Need U Bad"), Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("I'm in Love with Another Man"), Best R&B Song ("Bust Your Windows"), and Best Contemporary R&B Album. She was also nominated for Best New Artist. Vibe magazine named the album one of the Ten Best Albums of 2008.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits for Fearless adapted from Allmusic.