Dialogue, Transformation, Identity

Let It Burn: An R&B Legacy in Suspension

Great music isn’t born in isolation; it’s crafted in dialogue across generations, a timeless conversation in melody, harmony, and rhythm. “Let It Burn,” the sultry, simmering ballad by Jazmine Sullivan, stands as a testament to this enduring exchange. Anchored in a sample from After 7’s iconic “Ready or Not,” the song exemplifies the art of honoring the past while creating something unmistakably fresh. It’s not merely homage; it’s a collaborative improvisation across decades, linking the voices of Sullivan, Babyface, Key Wane, and the ethereal resonance of R&B’s golden era.

The Building Blocks: After 7 and “Ready or Not”

To appreciate “Let It Burn,” one must first revisit “Ready or Not,” the chart-topping masterpiece from After 7’s 1989 debut. Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the song ascended to #1 on Billboard’s R&B chart and achieved crossover success on the Hot 100. With its lush instrumentation and Babyface’s signature suspended chords, “Ready or Not” became a defining track of its era—a sublime encapsulation of romantic devotion framed by the soft glow of late 80s R&B.

The song’s chord progression in Ab Major—rooted in a harmonic interplay of stability and longing—sets the stage for its timeless appeal. Babyface’s use of suspended chords, particularly the recurring sus2 and sus4, creates a lingering sense of anticipation that mirrors the emotional tension in the lyrics. This suspended quality became a hallmark of Babyface’s compositions and influenced countless artists who sought to replicate its emotive power.

Jazmine Sullivan: Reinterpreting the Canon

Fast forward to 2015. Jazmine Sullivan’s “Let It Burn” emerges, not as a derivative work but as a reinterpretation. Built on the skeleton of “Ready or Not,” Sullivan’s track recontextualizes the original’s yearning into a celebration of vulnerable passion. With production helmed by Key Wane, the song’s synth-heavy instrumentation and dreamy textures pay homage to the past while situating the track firmly in contemporary R&B.

Lyrically, Sullivan channels personal introspection, her voice a molten stream of raw emotion. Inspired by a past relationship, she described the track as reflective of a time when she felt she wasn’t an ideal partner. Yet, the universality of her storytelling elevates the song beyond the autobiographical, inviting listeners to find their own narratives within its layers. Remarkably, Sullivan recorded her vocals in one take—a feat that underscores her vocal mastery and emotional authenticity.

The Suspended Chord: A Shared Language

What unites “Ready or Not” and “Let It Burn” at their core is the suspended chord—a harmonic device that defines their shared “vibe.” This element, rooted in Babyface’s inspirations from Luther Vandross’s “A House is Not a Home” and El DeBarge’s “Time Will Reveal,” threads a common emotional DNA through the works.

Consider Luther Vandross’s seminal ballad, also in C Major, where the suspended chords act as the gravitational center of its yearning. The longing inherent in the harmonic shifts underscores the emotional weight of the lyrics, leaving listeners in a state of suspended anticipation. Similarly, in “Time Will Reveal,” El DeBarge’s delicate phrasing is buoyed by the harmonic tension of these suspensions, creating a sense of unresolved beauty. Babyface, deeply influenced by these tracks, imbued “Ready or Not” with the same harmonic sensibility, passing the torch to Sullivan’s “Let It Burn.”

Generational Collaboration: Honoring the Legacy

“Let It Burn” isn’t just a song; it’s a dialogue. When Sullivan and After 7 performed a mashup of “Ready or Not” and “Let It Burn” at the 2015 Soul Train Music Awards, it was more than a performance—it was a celebration of continuity. Babyface, honored that evening, stood as a bridge between the old and the new, a figure whose influence reverberates across generations of R&B.

Sullivan’s admission that she didn’t recognize the sample during the song’s initial creation adds another layer to the narrative. It speaks to the subconscious nature of musical influence—a kind of inherited memory that transcends the boundaries of time. Her eventual realization didn’t diminish the track’s originality but rather affirmed its place in the lineage of great R&B.

Chart Success and Recognition

“Let It Burn” became the highest-charting single from Sullivan’s Reality Show, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart. Its critical acclaim culminated in two Grammy nominations for Best R&B Song and Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. These accolades affirm the song’s dual role as both a modern classic and a custodian of R&B’s rich history.

The Wheel Need Not Be Reinvented

The genius of “Let It Burn” lies in its acknowledgment that the wheel—once perfected—need not be reinvented. Sullivan and Key Wane’s decision to sample “Ready or Not” wasn’t an act of laziness but one of reverence. By weaving Babyface’s timeless melody into their own narrative, they ensured that the song’s emotional resonance would endure for another generation.

Music, at its best, is a conversation—a polyphonic exchange that spans time and space. “Let It Burn” reminds us that the most powerful creations don’t emerge from isolation but from the dialogue between past and present. In honoring the legacy of After 7, Babyface, Luther Vandross, and El DeBarge, Jazmine Sullivan not only preserved the soul of R&B but also enriched it, proving that great art, like a suspended chord, lingers beautifully in the spaces between.