Love Songs I Love: Let It Burn and Ready or Not

Let me tell you about two of my favorite songs—Jazmine Sullivan’s Let It Burn and After 7’s Ready or Not.

Let It Burn by Jazmine Sullivan is an incredible record, and I love the tone it sets. Jazmine is an amazing singer—her voice and the emotion she pours into every note are pure perfection. But it’s more than just her voice; this song is about recognizing when love shows up for you and embracing it, no matter how intense it feels. That fire she talks about, it’s real. The theme I can catch throughout the song is to lean into love and don’t shy away from it. My absolute favorite part of the song is the bridge when she says, “You can’t get away from love, come on y’all and get you some. Watch what it’ll make you do, knock the cool right outta you.” That line really hits home because when you’re truly in love, it’s no longer about appearances or keeping up an image. You’re all in—vulnerable and open, ready to give your heart fully.

And what makes Let It Burn even more special is that it samples another one of my favorite songs—After 7’s Ready or Not. Now, Ready or Not is an iconic banger. This record came out in 1989 and still goes hard. It’s is a straight-up profession of love. They’re singing about giving “the sun, the rain, the moon, the stars AND the mountains” because of the love they feel. Talk about coming with offerings. Lol. There’s such raw vulnerability in the song.

Both of these songs are incredible on their own, but when they are blended together, it’s like heaven for me. I saw a DJ on Tiktok do a great job recently who did a cool mashup, I could listen to for hours. Jazmine’s Let It Burn builds on that same vulnerability from Ready or Not, and every time I hear them, I feel something profound. They just do something to me and makes my heart smile.