Whatever happened to talent? What’s missing from our new artists? It seems like all you need to do today is follow a certain formula to get that hit track. Growing up in my household, Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack, Jackie Wilson, Otis Redding, Phyllis Hyman, Boyz II Men, Etta James and Al Greene were my best friends. Now I know it doesn’t make sense to compare today’s artists to these legends but it is evident that most songs on heavy rotation today lack soul. It just doesn’t feel right, like the artist has no personal or emotional claim to it.

I recently saw singer/songwriter Jazmine Sullivan perform at the Knitting Factory in NYC and wow! what an amazing show. I must admit, I was captivated from the moment she stepped on stage and followed every movement of her tender-yet-confident vocals. Her new album, Fearless on J Records, dropped a few weeks back on September 23rd. In that time, there are already comparisons to absentee genius Lauryn Hill. The songs—and yes, they are songs, not just great tracks—on her album cover all aspects of life: good and bad relationships, joy, revenge, cheating, and dreaming. You can feel the passion in her voice, you can feel the truth in her words. The reggae ballad “Need You Bad” is one of the many gems on the LP, as well as the piano-driven “Bust Your Windows” and soulful bone-chiller melody of “In Love with Another Man.” Now that’s artistry!

Check out “Bust Your Windows” and let me know.