Jazmine Sullivan was born and raised in Philadelphia, but by the sound of her debut album, it is not very easy to tell. In case you are unfamiliar with the name, Sullivan is the singer of the summer banger “Need U Bad.” The single was No.1 on Billboard’s R&B chart. This track has a reggae flavor to it, enhanced by the ad-libs of Missy Elliot.

Fearless, her first project, was released in the U.S. on Sept. 23 by recording label J Records. This is not your typical R&B album. She has a number of surprising cultural influences throughout her work.The 21-year- old singer was partly discovered by the legendary Stevie Wonder. Through a string of fortunate events she was able to sing for Wonder who was so impressed by her that he invited her to perform at his annual “Toys for Tots” event. After that her name spread like wildfire. She was contacted by a representative of J Records and worked for a year in preparation for a face-to-face meeting with Clive Davis.After she belted out her honey-drenched voice for Davis, he simply said, “Welcome to the family!”

Davis, who is notorious in the music industry for signing and nurturing top acts such as Alicia Keys, saw something in Sullivan.

I must admit that what I expected to hear is not what I heard. Sullivan’s low-key demeanor makes it hard to imagine her singing “Switch!,” a song reminiscent of doo-wop, in which she belts out how she would rather date her man’s best friend. One thing that I did find predictable about this album was how its primary focus was on the ups and downs of love. By touching on other subjects, Sullivan could have really set herself apart from the rest of the R&B crowd.

Her whole vibe is similar to that of Lauryn Hill, mixed with some Chrisette Michelle, and a little bit of 1960s soul pop. In the end I found her and Fearless-classic. She hasn’t reached her peak, but is well her way. There are far more positives than negatives with Fearless, and for that I give her a B+.

• Ashley Gilmer