Met with continued success, it peaked at number 12 on the chart and earned three Grammy Award nominations.

Her fourth studio album, Heaux Tales (2021), debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and was met with widespread critical acclaim, supported by the platinum-certified singles "Pick Up Your Feelings" and "Girl like Me" (featuring H.E.R.).

[5] Sullivan is a 2005 graduate of the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts where she was a vocal music major.

[14] At the time, she wrote and composed many of its songs and served as the album's executive producer alongside Missy Elliott, Salaam Remi, and Peter Edge.

[15] The album received production from Elliott, Remi, Stargate, Carvin & Ivan, Jack Splash, and Fisticuffs.

[19][20][21] "Bust Your Windows" appeared on the first season of the Fox hit television show Glee and was also nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Song.

[26] Sullivan later pursued success in the United Kingdom and she first released "Dream Big" as a single in the UK in February 2009.

[29] The album has a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America and has sold more than 510,000 copies in the United States.

[30] Sullivan was featured on a song entitled "Smoking Gun" with Jadakiss on his third studio album The Last Kiss.

[31][32] The song was influenced by a family friend, Devonte Wongwai, from New York City, who wanted to hear the duo on a record.

[37] Additionally Sullivan made a guest appearance on Snoop Dogg's tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland, on the song "Different Languages".

[39] Producers contributing to the album included Missy Elliott,[40] Lamb, Ne-Yo, Anthony Bell, Los da Mystro, Ryan Leslie, and Salaam Remi,[41] who was also a major contributor to Fearless.

Songs recorded for the album include "Love You Long Time", "Don't Make Me Wait" (a tribute to Prince), "Redemption", "Excuse Me", "Good Enough", and the reported sequel to "Bust Your Windows" titled "You Get On My Nerves", which was co-written by Ne-Yo.

'Bust Your Windows' shows that part of me, but now I feel like I'll think about my reaction and take my time, and react 10 seconds later, I live life and it gives me the material to write for the next album.

In an interview with Billboard, Sullivan described her return as inevitable, saying she "...can't escape [her] calling".

Slant Magazine commented, "Despite what the rasp in her voice might suggest, Sullivan clearly sees herself as something other than R&B's next great queen of pain.

Her central themes—love and self-image—don't stray far from genre convention, but her musical versatility and keenly observed characters make her one of the most captivating artists in R&B today.

Sullivan was the lead writer for these four songs on Mary J. Blige's album Strength of a Woman, and sang backup vocals on the first three of them: "Thick of It", "Set Me Free", "Glow Up", and "Thank You.

"[67][68] She in partnership with fellow American singer Bryson Tiller released "Insecure" for the soundtrack for the second season of the HBO series of the same title.

In August 2020, Sullivan announced the release of a new song titled "Lost One", marking her return to music.

On February 7, she performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" alongside country artist Eric Church at Super Bowl LV.

[80] Also in 2021, Sullivan teamed up with soul singer-songwriter Curtis Harding on the duet "Our Love", for the soundtrack of the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series Arcane.

[85] She describes her writing style as "flashbacks", in reference to her songs about failed relationships that were both physically and emotionally abusive.