If Jazmine Sullivan used a devastating heartbreak as a catalyst to record her third album Reality Show, she showed little sign of sorrow during a sold-out show at New York City’s Irving Plaza (Mar. 11). The 27-year-old, who took a five-year hiatus between her last release Love Me Back and her latest, was triumphant during the hour-long set, powered by acrobatic vocal runs and a display of creative passion that fans once feared she had lost.
The performance, part of her current Reality Show tour, spanned singles from her soulfully robust 2008 debut Fearless as well as deeper album cuts and a cover of The Fugees‘ version of “Killing Me Softly.” Though her voice was noticeably raspier than when she first debuted, her vocal control was mint, and no note went to waste. Backed by a live band and two backup singers, the Philadelphia native kicked off the show with a brief rendition of “Famous” before segueing into “Dumb,” the first single off Reality Show.
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“When I was gone, I was working on this album,” she told the teeming crowd, which was so packed that patrons spilled out into the hallway. “This album is my baby. I spent two years working on it, and I finally put it out. It was a real personal project for me and I took some time off and I didn’t know if you guys were still going to be here, and I’m so happy you’re showing love for me. My mad appreciation.”
Indeed, the audience pledged their allegiance in return, shouldering the duration of the show by singing along to fan favorites including “Bust Your Windows,” “Lions, Tigers & Bears” and “Holding You Down (Goin’ in Circles),” during which she paid tribute to artistic analogue Lauryn Hill with a powerful rendering of “Softly.” She slowed the pace midway through, grabbing a seat on a stool for an acoustic portion of the set.
“I was a really stupid girl,” she explained before the fiery “Stupid Girl,” “but we’ve all been a stupid girl, stupid boy. Because you can’t be smart unless you’re stupid first.” She hinted at her relationship woes on “Forever Doesn’t Last,” but the evening was about perseverance through emotional struggle. She lived up to the task, coming out on the other side during “Masterpiece (Mona Lisa)” and “Mascara.”
But perhaps the strongest offerings came when she took it back to her debut, which struck a satiating equilibrium of love and its pains. After the buttery “Need U Bad,” she gave an encore performance of “In Love With Another Man,” a gospel-inflected confession of infidelity to a more-than-qualified lover. The sound was rich, her voice elastic, her confidence apparent — everything that fans could have hoped for.