Welcome back, Keri Hilson! The singer-songwriter landed more than a few hits between 2009 and 2010 with her albums In A Perfect World... and No Boys Allowed. And then, for various reasons, her output dried up and she switched gears to acting. Fifteen years and a couple starts and stops later, Keri is ready to reclaim her spot in the music world. She restarts her journey with her new single “Bae” and the announcement of her third studio album WE NEED TO TALK.
“Bae” sounds almost as if it picks up where Keri left off back in the 2010s, but with a slightly more modern twist. Produced by Mel & Mus, the track relies heavily on rattling hi-hats and spare strums of guitar with the occasional interpolation of Hurricane Chris’ hit single “A Bay Bay.” It’s an interesting mix, but the mid-tempo production is enough to have the singer waxing romantic about her man.
The verses show Keri singing her love’s praises as she names all the little things that drive her wild and keep her coming back for more. All this works her into a breathless awe before we finally get a sweet release by the chorus.
“Damn, I feel so lucky / Love it when you call me bae / Love it when you love me, hold me, touch me / Comе here, bae,” she sings. “I’m gon’ always be your one and only / You know that I’ll never change / Love it when you love me, hold me, touch me / Come here, bae.”
“Bae” is just a foretaste of what’s to come from WE NEED TO TALK. The nine-song set, which she’s been rolling out with a series of videos on Instagram and across her socials, boasts titles that suggest that we’ll be getting into the psyche of Keri Hilson. These include “Naked,” “Searchin” featuring everyone’s hip-hop crush Method Man and “Weigh Me Down.” We can’t help but wonder what it all sounds like. We’ll find out soon enough when the set arrives on Friday, April 18th.
For now, you can listen to Keri Hilson’s comeback single “Bae” when you press play below, and keep scrolling to view the WE NEED TO TALK cover art and tracklist. For even more Miss Keri Baby, tune in to her co-starring in the original Lifetime movie Fame: A Temptations Story, the latest film in the Temptations series, which will premiere on the cable network on Saturday, April 26th.
Keri Hilson WE NEED TO TALK tracklist:
1. Grateful – Intro
2. Naked
3. Searchin feat. Method Man
4. Somethin (Bout U)
5. Bae
6. Scream
7. Whatever
8. Weigh Me Down
9. Say That
