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In 2011, despite receiving eight Grammy nominations in three years and reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart, Jazmine Sullivan announced that she was taking a break from music, as she no longer considered it fun. (More recently, she said that an abusive relationship had also taken a toll on her.) This year, Sullivan is back with a new album, Reality Show, that she describes as a way to get on with her life. The record features lyrical character studies about what people will do for the person they love (the Bonnie and Clyde-like tale “#Hoodlove”), self-empowering anthems (“Masterpiece (Mona Lisa)”), and breakup odes (“Forever Don’t Last”) that offer straight-forward but never trite insights about romance and self-worth. Even if one doesn’t identify personally with the verbiage, it’s hard not to be impressed with Sullivan’s phrasing and musical presentation; her backing adeptly blends several decades of quiet storm soul and hip-hop influences. When she wails “He ain’t always right, but he’s just right for me” on “#Hoodlove,” she has the power and passion of Aretha Franklin. Jazmine Sullivan performs at 8 p.m. at The Fillmore, 8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $32.50. (301) 960-9999. fillmoresilverspring.com.