Babyface weighs in on the Adele/Jazmine Sullivan comparisons
Quote:
Last question, there are a lot of people who believe Adele, despite her talent, and many accolades, a part of her success has a lot to do with her skin color and then you have Jazmine Sullivan who’s equally as talented and can hit just as many notes but isn’t as successful. What’s your take on that?
I think it’s unfair to compare Jazmine Sullivan to Adele. I think they’re two different kinds of artist. Let’s take color out of it. Do you like Adele’s songs? Do you like what she sings about? Adele ultimately did well in such a large way because she effects everybody, and the way that she writes seems to be popular music, not because of her skin color but because she writes great music and it’s popular in that way. Now, when you add all that on and the skin color you say ‘Oh, that’s unique, I didn’t know it was this girl.’ No different then when Elvis Presley started singing and we found out he was a white man, so it certainly made for an interesting story. When Adele gets a hold of something it turns into something else, but the reality is, it’s about her music, her emotion and her pain. I think Jazmine Sullivan is amazing and I think she sounds great, whether I can say Jazmine Sullivan has written the Adele songs? I don’t know if I can say that. Whether at this point she has written copyrights like Adele has written, I can’t really say that. Or if Adele had of done one of Jazmine Sullivan’s songs that it would’ve taken off. I think that with Adele, and that’s why I wouldn’t compare because Adele really writes from personal experience and all that stuff, and her pain and all of that goes into her records, and that’s what makes her stuff real. What did I start the whole conversation off with? Honesty Really honest, and you feel it.
Tbh, I hate any comparison between artists but like Jazmine is a good vocalist like Adele and had the better album yet there's a certain lack of recognition for her. Adele is certainly great, no one can deny it. But on her hype along if Adele even sang Mascara it would still be bigger than what Jazmine is able to do. And Babyface also implied that Jazmine doesn't writes from personal experiences like wtf
Major record labels wouldn't even let Jasmine Sullivan or any other black girl make music like Adele anyway. They only pushed Emeli Sande because Adele left a void in market with her vacation. But Emeli had to bleach her skin to extremes before she was ever given a shot.
When she was dark-skinned she wasn't even in her own music videos. So the race point is very salient actually
Yeah, I don't agree with him about the personal level thing because Jazmine does write from a personal level. But he is right about Adele being basically pop vs. Jazmine's completely R&B sound.
Talent does not take you anywhere unless the world is actively looking for talent. Usually it isn't. Most talented people have very focused talents: a very good writer is very awkward at speeches, a crazy-good painter leads a secluded life, an excellent musician cannot sing or is not handsome etc. Usually there is a separation between "talent" and the ability to market it. You need an agent, and you need an image.
We live in a very visual world, in which image is every thing. We don't only "hear music", we see videos, watch shows, buy posters etc. In the past — when videos didn't exist, shows were seen from afar (no widescreens with live footage) and posters were in low-res — people didn't mind that singers were "ugly", they just had to sing, they didn't need to be sexy symbols, or to be featured in advertisement.
Sullivan isn't half the artist Adele is. Burst Your Windows vs Chasing Pavements? I mean
Lol they are on the same level, Jasmine is an amazing writer. They are actually very similar artists. However, their music is similar in some ways, but also different. Jazmine's use of hip hop beats and cursing/urban vernacular would limit her appeal even if she got the same platform as Adele. Adele also incoroprates country/folk influences that appeals to broader audiences. Their general styles are same, and some songs on their recent albums are definitely interchangeable.
Also, mess at Babyface lowkey saying Jazmine doesn't write her songs?
That's not what he said. If anything, he implied that Jazmine doesn't write from a personal level. I also think Babyface isn't as familiar with Jazmine outside of the music he's heard from her.