Here’s a word of advice to any up-and-coming R&B divas (who just so happen to be reading a blog about penises). If you’re going to make an album about female empowerment, you probably shouldn’t have Chris Brown on the tracklist. That’s the first of many sins on Keri Hilson‘s latest effort No Boys Allowed.
From the beginning of Hilson’s career, she’s lacked an essential element for any musical artist–a sense of self or personality. Thankfully, she’s a pretty person who knows the right people in the industry, and she lucked out with hits such as “The Way I Are”, “Turnin’ Me On” and “Knock You Down”. However, her luck may have run out on this album…
Although it may sound vaguely sexist, Hilson’s most successful songs have all benefited from the presence of a high-profile male guest star. She tries to recreate this equation with featured spots by J. Cole, Nelly Rick Ross and an impressive list of hip-hop’s elite, but the results fall flat when she lets one of them rap about “shaking your anus”.
For an album called No Boys Allowed, the boys seem to be pulling a lot of the strings, both behind the scenes and within the lyrical content of each song. Noticeably, there are no other female vocalists. Because apparently it’s really difficult to get Nicki Minaj to do a guest verse on your track.
Granted, these aren’t even the biggest issues with Hilson’s sophomore project! The songs themselves are mostly lackluster, aside from guilty pleasure “Pretty Girl Rock” and the fun-for-a-few-minutes bounce of “Beautiful Mistake”. Long story short? You might want to take the advice of the caution tape on the album’s front cover.
– Dewitt
To listen to select tracks from this album, follow the JUMP:
it’s called “no boys allowed” because she wants a grown man…not an immature boy
To be fair, her intention was to not have any other females on the album, and as the person before me said, she wanted men, not boys. That aside, sadly I’ve got to agree with you. However, the more I listen to it, the more I enjoy it! But Nelly is definitely letting us know that he likes a little butt play…
This Is the first time That I have spoken on any of the Aural Only’s, but that was the most asinine assessment of her work. I mean my goodness, no personality? she stays very true to the personality and genre that has built her up that is why she is an R&B Diva, not a pop starlet. She is pretty and from the hood. The Tracks Pretty Girl Rock and Breaking point are definite defining moments. I think you need to look at more angles than what a gay men would think to be an effective blog journalist. It is a good album, with sometimes too much going on, but definitely a good album. She maturing more into her style instead of just following the trend to go totally techno like almost everyone else. She gets much respect fro me.
It still baffles me when this site tries to review a hip hop or R&B album. Just stick to the dance music.
tired CD
@Leo
What is wrong with reviewing Hip Hop and R&B? I am sure there are quite a few people here who appreciate the diversity (besides me). And I don’t about anyone else, but I do dance to this music too. With that said; Hip Hop and R&B are forms of Dance Music.
if the title takes that much explaining then its not a very good title.