Monnie1976's Full Review: In a Perfect World... [PA] * by Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson has been on the scene for quite awhile. She’s been working the periphery writing hits for various different artists and guest starring with high profile artists like Timbaland, Lloyd and Chris Brown. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that she’s drop dead gorgeous. As part of the The Clutch, a group of songwriters which have on various different projects the last few years, she’s written for stars like Usher, Britney Spears and Mary J. Blige. Many people, including myself , were waiting for her album to drop. While the album itself is pretty disappointing when comparing it to something like “Futuresex/Lovesounds” from Justing Timberlake it does at least have some replay value. More than I thought it would on initial listens.
After a brief but likable intro we start with “Turnin Me On”. This track has minimal instrumentation and maximum ability to inspire movement. Even Lil’ Wheezy has it going on for me in this track. His lyrics are a bit stupid but his flow does nothing to distract from the vibe of the song and his raspy styling works. Her voice is distinctive and commanding. “Get Your Money Up” has grown on me but it’s extremely repetitive. Featuring another one of my girls Keyshia Cole, the song has more stealth production with eighties inspired synthesizers riffing over the top. This song also features rapper Trina. The strange thing about both of these tracks is that if I actually REALLY listen to them they are nothing special yet I always find myself singing along when they come across my MP3 player. So while they aren’t songs that impress on close inspection they work nicely for casual listening.
“Return The Favor” is pretty much a literal description of what’s going on with this track. Hilson lended her girlish vocals to rub against Timbaland’s deeper trademark sound on “The Way You Are”. Timbaland gives his vocals for this easily recognizable Timbaland joint. He’s being lazy on this one but my ear still enjoys the sound even as I realize he‘s really just jacking his own prior creations. “Knock You Down” features Ne-yo and Kanye West and this song is another one that has grown on me. If you know some of her songwriting credits such as “Love In This Club Part II” you can hear the blend of her sensibilities with Ne-yo’s. I do think this song is lacking something in the melody department. I don’t know what exactly but it just feels like it never went where it was supposed to go. Since it’s her first number one on the R&B charts though it must not be missing too much.
Then we have a few slow jams. This is where she has the edge on Ciara ever so slightly. Her voice is better and more flexible so she can carry the love songs. She also has considerably more range. “Slow Dance” features some writing from Justin Timberlake even though there is a bit of trademark tricks that have been borrowed from Missy Elliot. This song is another grower and while I wouldn’t say its original I think Hilson gives it some convincing sex appeal. There is a nice blend of beat boxing and Keri riffing with her deceptively gossamer vocals towards the end of the track. “Make Love” is beautiful and Hilson takes you by surprise with her nimble ability to deliver a melody. There are lots of familiar elements but for some reason I’ve completely fallen in love with this undeniably girly jam. There is no doubt Hilson has a great voice. This song would be at home on Keyshia Cole’s last album as well.
“How Does It Feel?” engages me but the unfortunate thing is this is too derivative of others. The space age beats and the whole production sounds unbelievably familiar and the way she adlibs jacks Beyonce. I wish she had given her own unique spin or done something a little different. “Intuition” isn’t overly amazing either. It’s not necessarily worth a push of the skip button but the repetitive Asian motive is the only thing worth a second listen and it gets old quick.
“Alienated” is interesting as in the beginning I didn‘t think that much of the song. Yet now its one of my favorites on the album. It’s a bit busy even though I love the sample they use. (which I can’t place for the life of me). Basically, imagine what would happen if Cassie had any sort of talent and you get an idea of what this song is like. It has this beautiful undercurrent of wistfulness combining R&B and pop perfectly. “Change Me” finds Akon’s distinctive vocals really dominating the landscape of the song but the fact is Hilson does some great singing. I enjoy the song but it feels like Akon’s song and she’s guest starring. Akon gives a more passionate vocal than most of what I heard on his album.
The album begins to close with a song I absolutely love which is “Energy”. It’s so mainstream and I think that’s why its not the song that broke her wide open like “Knock You Down”. It’s a bit to Rihanna and didn’t differentiate her enough. Yet I really like this song just as much as most of Rihanna’s body of work and honestly Hilson has a better voice. The last song of the album is “Where Did He Go” and shows she can do the pop/R&B thing very well. There is a subtle something in her delivery which is pulls you in.
This has been one of the more difficult albums to review because while I know its not really that good I still enjoy listening to it from time to time. If you are looking for a top ten R&B album for 2009 you won’t find that here. But you won’t find the worst either. Hilson is worth a few listens and then make your decision. While she has a better voice than Ciara, Ciara’s album was a bit more ambitious. So in the end I give Hilson a high three stars. I am hoping her second album will find her further defining herself as an artist.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![In a Perfect World... [PA] * by Keri Hilson](http://di2.shopping.com/images1/pi/39/16/cc/2046983890-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.