I thought I’ve seen all of Jazmine’s live performance videos of “Girl Like Me”, from Tiny Desk, Jimmy Fallon, Pandora Live, to HBO. But I just came across this performance today, my girl Jazzy posted a clip from on IG. It’s an ‘Okay Now’ Listening Session that took place at Soho House in LA, sponsored by Netflix.

This version is different, I felt every word she was singing. She sang it like her boyfriend left her for another woman right before this performance, especially from 2:57- 3:50. I’ve had this song on rotation since her “Heaux Tales” album came out in January 2021, but today was my first time looking up the lyrics to this song. Wow… It’s word for word how I felt and thought after my last bad break-up; the insecurity, doubt, and lack of closure. I never turned into a hoe tho, lol.

“Y’all n*ggas be makin’ us sad (makin’ us mad)
Then say y’all don’t know why we mad (know why we mad)
So we start actin’ like we don’t care
‘Cause y’all n*ggas be takin’ us there
‘Cause you don’t want us no more, ooh (ooh-ooh)
It breaks us to the core, ooh
Boy, you must wanted somethin’ different
Still don’t know what I was missin’
What you asked I would’ve given
It ain’t right how these hoes be winnin’
Why they be winnin’?
No hope for a girl like me
How come they be winnin’?
I ain’t wanna be
But you gon’ make a hoe out of me (ooh)”

Jazmine Sullivan