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