Jazmine Sullivan Gives Her Perspective on “Blue Eyed Soul” Singers & Lack of Sales, Support for Black Singers

Posted February 4, 2016

JazAdele

The on going debate of why black R&B/soul singers aren’t selling as much as their white counterparts (Adele, Sam Smith) continues this week following K. Michelle and Tank giving their respective thoughts on the matter earlier this week. Tank spoke on the hot topic HERE during his visit to The Breakfast Club to promote his new album, Sex Love & Pain II while K opened up during an appearance HERE.

Now one of the most underrated yet vocally talented singers of our time, Jazmine Sullivan is giving her perspective. The singer has been nominated for eleven GRAMMY Awards for her three albums and has yet to win a coveted golden statue.

Via Hello Beautiful:

“I guess I’m glad that people are recognizing me in some way, and kind of see there’s a little injustice in how black soul artists are received,” said Jazmine in an interview with the Associated Press. “But, at the same time, I try not to focus so much on the negativity.”

She also adds that while the people who listen to her, “…may not be as many people (who) listen to Adele, there are people who are listening. There are people who appreciate me. There are people who love my music.”

Jazmine acknowledges that there’s more work that she needs to do to build her self-confidence especially as a survivor of domestic abuse.  “I think it’s just a matter of making myself known to more people. I think it’s about spreading Jazmine Sullivan’s brand, I guess, to more people,” she said.

“It was definitely hard to open up, and then to open up about something like physical abuse and mental abuse…that was even harder,” she says on explaining her personal life in interviews. “That was a lot of the fear, and kind of just being ashamed, and having to relive it, talking about it even.”

While Jazmine slayed her most recent performance at the Soul Train Music Awards in a tribute to Babyface, she said getting back on stage after five years was an adjustment. “I guess you kind of lose your confidence. Kind of lose your mojo, and you have to gain that back,” she said.

Now that she’s back in the spotlight, the singer said she cares more about connecting with her fans than monitoring her album sales.

“The tours were sold out and I just felt so much love,” she said “I don’t get too much into album sales and anything like that. What I do tend to do is, if I go to a show, and it’s sold out, and if people are singing the lyrics to the songs, that’s the kind of stuff that makes what I do so great.”

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