#3 Perfectly Imperfect by Elle Varner
You could call the vocally-voluptuous Varner this year’s Jazmine Sullivan and it wouldn’t be too far off-base. But it would be slightly limiting, because Varner his a vision that’s all her own. She’s capable of vulnerability-with-a-wink; not so much of the heartbroken fury that the aforementioned Sullivan is known for. Varner’s willingness to make fun of herself is refreshing in an R&B climate that too often relies on convenient caricatures to tell stories. Weaving between R&B and folk-pop, this debut proves that she’s not just a stellar singer—she’s one with a clever perspective.
