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Gulf Today
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Keri Hilson's latest album marks her return to music after 15-year absence
The last time Keri Hilson put out an album, Barack Obama was in the second year of his first term as US president, the iPad was released and Instagram was brand new. 'On some days, I'm like that was just a blink away. But for the most part, yeah, it feels like a long time because I've been waiting. I felt stagnant, I felt stuck for a while, and conflicted,' said the two-time Grammy-nominated artist. 'I'm very much approaching this like I'm starting over because that's how it feels to me. I've lived nine lives since I last released ... I'm a whole different person.' Hilson, the 42-year-old R&B star known for late 2000s hits like 'Knock You Down,' featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo. and 'Pretty Girl Rock,' released 'We Need To Talk: Love' on Friday. It's her third album, following 2010's 'No Boys Allowed,' and is the first of a trilogy set for release this year. Led by the sultry single 'Bae,' the nine-track album delves into romance and introspection. 'I feel resolved, both with the art and within about stepping back into the light. So, I think that resolve kind of had to be found before I felt confident enough to release the body of work and also unleash myself to the world again,' explained Hilson, who said she's never stopped recording. 'There were songs in my past that I felt were political moves, songs I didn't really love that I had to sing ... I didn't want to feel like that this time around.' One of those songs was a leaked remix to her popular 2009 single 'Turnin Me On' featuring Lil Wayne, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lyrics included a diss fans perceived to be aimed at Beyoncé. Hilson, who had yet to drop her introductory album, 'In A Perfect World,' which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 1 on Top R&B albums, claimed that she was forced to sing the lines, 'She can sing / But she need to move it to the left, left,' assumed to reference Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable.' She says she was threatened her album might not be released if she refused. Last week, Hilson trended on social media following an interview with iHeartMedia's 'The Breakfast Club' after recalling the incident. While she has talked about it several times in the past, during that interview, the singer publicly named those involved, including producer Polow Da Don who she was signed to. She did not name singer-songwriter Ester Dean. However, after social media users tagged Dean in posts, she later identified herself. The ending of a decadelong relationship, a lack of control over her career and the intense, never-ending backlash from the BeyHive triggered depression and led to her retreat from music. During her time away, the Georgia native embarked on a journey of healing that included therapy, journaling and spiritual retreats. Associated Press
Asharq Al-Awsat
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Keri Hilson's 'We Need to Talk' Marks Her Return to Music after a 15-Year Absence
The last time Keri Hilson put out an album, Barack Obama was in the second year of his first term as US president, the iPad was released and Instagram was brand new. 'On some days, I'm like that was just a blink away. But for the most part, yeah, it feels like a long time because I've been waiting. I felt stagnant, I felt stuck for a while, and conflicted,' said the two-time Grammy-nominated artist. 'I'm very much approaching this like I'm starting over because that's how it feels to me. I've lived nine lives since I last released ... I'm a whole different person.' Hilson, the 42-year-old R&B star known for late 2000s hits like 'Knock You Down,' featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo. and 'Pretty Girl Rock,' released 'WE NEED TO TALK: LOVE' on Friday. It's her third album, following 2010's 'No Boys Allowed,' and is the first of a trilogy set for release this year. Led by the sultry single 'Bae,' the nine-track album delves into romance and introspection. 'I feel resolved, both with the art and within about stepping back into the light. So, I think that resolve kind of had to be found before I felt confident enough to release the body of work and also unleash myself to the world again,' explained Hilson, who said she's never stopped recording. 'There were songs in my past that I felt were political moves, songs I didn't really love that I had to sing ... I didn't want to feel like that this time around.' THE DISAPPEARANCE One of those songs was a leaked remix to her popular 2009 single 'Turnin Me On' featuring Lil Wayne, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lyrics included diss fans perceived to be aimed at Beyoncé. Hilson, who had yet to drop her introductory album, 'In A Perfect World,' which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 1 on Top R&B albums, claimed that she was forced to sing the lines, 'She can sing / But she need to move it to the left, left,' assumed to reference Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable.' She says she was threatened her album might not be released if she refused. Last week, Hilson trended on social media following an interview with iHeartMedia's 'The Breakfast Club' after recalling the incident. While she has talked about it several times in the past, during that interview, the singer publicly named those involved, including producer Polow Da Don who she was signed to. She did not name singer-songwriter Ester Dean. However, after social media users tagged Dean in posts, she later identified herself. The ending of a decade long relationship, a lack of control over her career and the intense, never-ending backlash from the BeyHive triggered depression and led to her retreat from music. THE COMEBACK During her time away, the Georgia native embarked on a journey of healing that included therapy, journaling and spiritual retreats. 'There were some perspectives that I needed to uncover ... untruths, beliefs that I kind of picked up or inherited about myself,' said Hilson, who shifted to acting. Her comeback has included very selective press, avoiding what she describes as 'new media' outlets such as social media-driven platforms, saying monetization can reward the promotion of gossip or incentivize the creation of lies. The salacious blog culture of the 2010s was a driving force in fanning the flames of her perceived beef with Beyoncé, who has never publicly commented on the situation. Hilson 'can definitely operate and navigate within the realm of R&B. She has a fan base,' said Keithan Samuels, founder of the popular website 'Her core fan base has matured ... she can navigate within this new era of R&B where there's a lot of diversity and sound.' THE MUSIC Crafted with unofficial writing camps and records created throughout the years, 'WE NEED TO TALK: LOVE' finds Hilson delivering vulnerable and flirty lyrics over a wide range of R&B sounds. Writing on all but one song, she avoided current R&B trends that developed during her absence, citing individuality as a key to her early success. She also believes algorithms have created a culture of musical homogeny, rather than creativity. There are quintessential 'Ms. Keri Baby' songs like the fun, Pop&B styled 'Somethin (Bout U),' but there's also the introspective 'Naked (Love),' and 'Say It,' in which she expresses, 'I won't say I love you / 'til you say you love me.' 'I'm very 'girl boss' in my life, right? When it comes to relationships, I prefer to be a lady. I prefer to be approached. ... I prefer for the man to say 'I love you' first. I just prefer for a man to lead,' said Hilson. 'I'm really a damsel – without the distress.' The bedroom mood is set on the sexy slow jam 'Scream,' while the bright 'Whatever' floats with beautiful stacked harmonies. 'I feel like it's something I would have written for Whitney. And I actually wrote a song for Whitney that she never was able to record,' said Hilson, who began her career as an in-demand writer whose credits include songs for Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears. 'This reminds me of a Whitney Houston record, where I think she would be now.' Samuels of says this project is evident of the newfound control Hilson has over her career. 'It's definitely not, to me, an attempt to have this commercial comeback ... it feels more personal,' said Samuels. 'The other two albums, I feel like were more catered to what was current then.' THE FREEDOM Hilson says she's still open to writing for other artists and giving away songs that may not fit her current musical era. She also has a new Lifetime movie, 'Fame: A Temptations Story,' co-starring Keshia Chanté, premiering April 26 at 8 p.m. EDT. Hilson says acting is now an equal part of her career. Though Hilson may be cautiously re-emerging musically, fans are welcoming her return. After The Breakfast Club interview, fans flooded her with sympathy and positivity, possibly due to a combination of her finally telling her side of the story in detail, as well as the passing of time. Some fans said they forgot about the incident or were too young to know about it. 'I just control what I can control ... I control what I allow to bring me up or down. These are realizations that I've had since I've been away,' said Hilson. 'I feel unburdened ... I'm not projecting too much of the past onto now, and all of that is freeing.'
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Keri Hilson reveals battle with 'depression' at the height of her career: 'Fame was a beast for me!'
Keri Hilson was "depressed" at the height of her fame. The 42-year-old singer burst onto the music scene in the late 2000s with hits like 'Knock You Down', but her second album 'No Boys Allowed' in 2010 turned out to be her last record for 15 years as she tried to deal with the "beast" of being well-known. She told People: "I didn't even know [it would be my last for so long]. "I was also depressed at the new height of my career with the success of 'Pretty Girl Rock.' I was just not okay. I was not well, I needed a break. I hadn't taken a break since I was 14 years old in my first girl group. When we disbanded, I went headfirst into songwriting at 17, got my first big check by 18. I joined another group and was also writing while in college. So I never had a break from 14 to, say, mid-20s. "It was already a decade of just pure dedication, and I needed a break. Fame was a beast for me, and I fell into a really dark place. I needed to step away for a moment. I thought it'd be just a one-year moment, not a 14-year moment, but it turns out it was necessary. I really can't regret it. I, as a human, needed that time." The 'Turn My Swag On' hitmaker - who has just released her new album 'We Need To Talk' - found "new rock bottoms" in her time away from the spotlight, and actually considered quitting her career altogether before deciding to embrace her struggles to produce her latest record. She said: "I found new rock bottoms throughout the process. I hit many rock bottoms, honestly, of many different kinds. " I just wasn't sure of it anymore. The industry was changing. I love making the art, I love doing music, I love making music, I love performing music — but I didn't love everything that came with it. "I didn't love the heavy criticism. It's just not like the old industry now, and that, to me, felt like a threat. It felt like you have to be so careful and so cautious in how you speak, what you say, where you go, what you do, how you're perceived, things you say or [post online]. It felt like I was playing a game of, 'How many ways can I be misunderstood?' "You're crucified for making an honest mistake, and that just became a lot to bear. You have to let rock bottom occur to rebuild. So that's what I did."
Forbes
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Keri Hilson Returns To Music With New Album ‘We Need To Talk'
Keri Hilson Getty Images R&B singer Keri Hilson has largely been absent from the music world since the turn of the last decade, instead focusing on film and TV roles rather than a follow-up to her 2010 sophomore album No Boys Allowed. Now, 15 years after the release of her second full-length project, Hilson is back with her long-awaited third studio album, We Need to Talk: Love. Hilson confirmed the album's impending release last month with the single 'Bae' sampling Hurricane Chris's 2007 hit 'A Bay Bay." Taking a step back from the music world was necessary for Hilson following the success of 'Pretty Girl Rock,' her last single to make a splash on the Billboard Hot 100 more than a decade ago. She confessed to People she was 'depressed' as her career reached new heights with 'Pretty Girl Rock''s success. "I was just not okay. I was not well; I needed a break,' she said. 'Fame was a beast for me, and I fell into a really dark place. I needed to step away for a moment. I thought it'd be just a one-year moment, not a 14-year moment, but it turns out it was necessary. I really can't regret it. I, as a human, needed that time.' It got to a point where Hilson considered leaving music altogether. 'I just wasn't sure of it anymore. The industry was changing. I love making the art, I love doing music, I love making music, I love performing music, but I didn't love everything that came with it. I didn't love the heavy criticism. It's just not like the old industry now, and that, to me, felt like a threat.,' she admitted. 'You have to let rock bottom occur to rebuild. So that's what I did.' Now, Hilson has regained her confidence as an artist and isn't afraid about putting herself out there after all this time. She alludes to this inner struggle in her new video series WNTT to accompany the album. 'I just don't want to put me, my life or my art into the hands of people who don't give a f**k about about me,' Hilson said honestly. 'And the thing is, I don't fear being human. I love being human in my own hands. I fear being human in their hands. And it's like, I want to be in the game. I want to be at the top. But I still want to feel like I belong to myself.' The new LP is just the opener for a trilogy of albums Hilson has planned. We Need to Talk deals with love while the forthcoming projects center around drama and redemption. Giving her fans lots of new music was her way of making up for lost time. 'I've been gone for so long. I wanted to give enough to satiate my fans,' she told People. 'Once I became clear on how I wanted to present this album, the story I wanted to tell became love, drama, redemption. It's also a parallel to my career — loving music, encountering drama and feeling redeemed, finally.' Hilson is set to perform alongside share the stage with other R&B and hip-hop stars at Girls Night Out in Bridgeport, Connecticut on April 26 and in Providence, Rhode Island on May 9.
The Independent
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Keri Hilson's 'We Need to Talk' marks her return to music after a 15-year absence
The last time Keri Hilson put out an album, Barack Obama was in the second year of his first term as U.S. president, the iPad was released and Instagram was brand new. 'On some days, I'm like that was just a blink away. But for the most part, yeah, it feels like a long time because I've been waiting. I felt stagnant, I felt stuck for a while, and conflicted,' said the two-time Grammy-nominated artist. 'I'm very much approaching this like I'm starting over because that's how it feels to me. I've lived nine lives since I last released … I'm a whole different person.' Hilson, the 42-year-old R&B star known for late 2000s hits like 'Knock You Down,' featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo. and 'Pretty Girl Rock,' released 'WE NEED TO TALK: LOVE' on Friday. It's her third album, following 2010's 'No Boys Allowed,' and is the first of a trilogy set for release this year. Led by the sultry single 'Bae,' the nine-track album delves into romance and introspection. 'I feel resolved, both with the art and within about stepping back into the light. So, I think that resolve kind of had to be found before I felt confident enough to release the body of work and also unleash myself to the world again,' explained Hilson, who said she's never stopped recording. 'There were songs in my past that I felt were political moves, songs I didn't really love that I had to sing … I didn't want to feel like that this time around.' THE DISAPPEARANCE One of those songs was a leaked remix to her popular 2009 single 'Turnin Me On' featuring Lil Wayne, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lyrics included a diss fans perceived to be aimed at Beyoncé. Hilson, who had yet to drop her introductory album, 'In A Perfect World,' which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 1 on Top R&B albums, claimed that she was forced to sing the lines, 'She can sing / But she need to move it to the left, left,' assumed to reference Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable.' She says she was threatened her album might not be released if she refused. Last week, Hilson trended on social media following an interview with iHeartMedia's 'The Breakfast Club' after recalling the incident. While she has talked about it several times in the past, during that interview, the singer publicly named those involved, including producer Polow Da Don who she was signed to. She did not name singer-songwriter Ester Dean. However, after social media users tagged Dean in posts, she later identified herself. The ending of a decadelong relationship, a lack of control over her career and the intense, never-ending backlash from the BeyHive triggered depression and led to her retreat from music. THE COMEBACK During her time away, the Georgia native embarked on a journey of healing that included therapy, journaling and spiritual retreats. 'There were some perspectives that I needed to uncover ... untruths, beliefs that I kind of picked up or inherited about myself,' said Hilson, who shifted to acting. Her comeback has included very selective press, avoiding what she describes as 'new media' outlets such as social media-driven platforms, saying monetization can reward the promotion of gossip or incentivize the creation of lies. The salacious blog culture of the 2010s was a driving force in fanning the flames of her perceived beef with Beyoncé, who has never publicly commented on the situation. Hilson 'can definitely operate and navigate within the realm of R&B. She has a fan base,' said Keithan Samuels, founder of the popular website 'Her core fan base has matured … she can navigate within this new era of R&B where there's a lot of diversity and sound.' THE MUSIC Crafted with unofficial writing camps and records created throughout the years, 'WE NEED TO TALK: LOVE' finds Hilson delivering vulnerable and flirty lyrics over a wide range of R&B sounds. Writing on all but one song, she avoided current R&B trends that developed during her absence, citing individuality as a key to her early success. She also believes algorithms have created a culture of musical homogeny, rather than creativity. There are quintessential 'Ms. Keri Baby' songs like the fun, Pop&B styled 'Somethin (Bout U),' but there's also the introspective 'Naked (Love),' and 'Say It,' in which she expresses, 'I won't say I love you / 'til you say you love me.' 'I'm very 'girl boss' in my life, right? When it comes to relationships, I prefer to be a lady. I prefer to be approached. … I prefer for the man to say 'I love you' first. I just prefer for a man to lead,' said Hilson. 'I'm really a damsel – without the distress.' The bedroom mood is set on the sexy slow jam 'Scream,' while the bright 'Whatever' floats with beautiful stacked harmonies. 'I feel like it's something I would have written for Whitney. And I actually wrote a song for Whitney that she never was able to record,' said Hilson, who began her career as an in-demand writer whose credits include songs for Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears. 'This reminds me of a Whitney Houston record, where I think she would be now.' Samuels of says this project is evident of the newfound control Hilson has over her career. 'It's definitely not, to me, an attempt to have this commercial comeback … it feels more personal,' said Samuels. 'The other two albums, I feel like were more catered to what was current then.' THE FREEDOM Hilson says she's still open to writing for other artists and giving away songs that may not fit her current musical era. She also has a new Lifetime movie, 'Fame: A Temptations Story,' co-starring Keshia Chanté, premiering April 26 at 8 p.m. EDT. Hilson says acting is now an equal part of her career. Though Hilson may be cautiously re-emerging musically, fans are welcoming her return. After The Breakfast Club interview, fans flooded her with sympathy and positivity, possibly due to a combination of her finally telling her side of the story in detail, as well as the passing of time. Some fans said they forgot about the incident or were too young to know about it. 'I just control what I can control … I control what I allow to bring me up or down. These are realizations that I've had since I've been away,' said Hilson. 'I feel unburdened … I'm not projecting too much of the past onto now, and all of that is freeing.' ___ Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
