Keri Hilson We Need to Talk is officially here — and so is Keri Hilson, after nearly 15 years away from the spotlight. The R&B icon has reemerged with a deeply personal nine-track album, and she’s finally ready to share her truth.
After initially rising to fame as the pen behind chart-topping hits like Britney Spears’ “Gimme More” and Usher’s “Love in This Club,” Keri stepped into her own spotlight in the late 2000s with unforgettable tracks like “The Way I Are” with Timbaland, “Turnin Me On” with Lil Wayne, and “Pretty Girl Rock.”
While she began teasing a third project back in 2011, Keri eventually took a step back from the industry. She stayed active through occasional tours and acting roles, but her absence from music left a noticeable gap. Now, she’s re-engaging with her audience in the most honest way possible — through Keri Hilson We Need to Talk.
Keri Hilson We Need to Talk — A Fresh Start After the Storm
“I won’t lie — it’s kind of scary. It feels like I’m hitting reset,” Hilson admitted. “But I’m excited, grateful, and more than anything, ready.”
Reflecting on her early songwriting days, she shared how fulfilling it was just to create music behind the scenes. “I was singing demos, producing, arranging — and that was a dream on its own,” she said. “I didn’t wait for things to happen. I worked hard and was living my dream.”
Keri mentioned how she could’ve sung some of the hits herself — like “Gimme More” — but believes each song finds its rightful artist. “As a songwriter, I’ve always trusted that songs land where they’re meant to,” she explained.
Her breakthrough came when Timbaland told her she reminded him of Justin Timberlake and Aaliyah — two wildly different stars with one common thread: greatness. “I thought, wow, do I really have that kind of potential? I was all in,” she said.
Keri Hilson We Need to Talk — Rising from Rock Bottom
Among her most surreal moments was being nominated for two Grammys in one night. “I’ll never forget when those cameras zoomed in — I thought, ‘This is it.’ I didn’t win, but I felt like I had truly arrived.”
Ironically, her biggest hit, “Pretty Girl Rock,” also marked one of her darkest periods. “People didn’t know, but I was battling depression. I’d been grinding since age 14 — no pause, just nonstop hustle. Eventually, I burned out,” she revealed. “I thought I was stepping away for a year, not over a decade. But I needed it — the fame, the pressure, it was overwhelming.”
Even through moments of despair, fans kept her going. “Someone would come up to me and say they still play ‘Pretty Girl Rock’ every morning or that ‘Tell Him the Truth’ changed their life,” she said. “Those things made me feel seen. They reminded me I wasn’t done.”
She addressed the rumors about an earlier project, Love Is a Religion (L.I.A.R.), chalking it up to excited fans creating buzz. “It was a little overwhelming, but also a compliment,” she laughed. “Honestly, I believe the timing now is perfect.”
With Keri Hilson We Need to Talk, she wanted to deliver something meaningful. “I’ve been gone for a while, so I wanted to give fans something real. The album is about love, conflict, and redemption. In a way, it mirrors my career — loving music, facing hardships, and coming out stronger.”
Right now, her focus is purely on the music. “I’m in a relationship with my art again,” she said. “If love comes along, great. But right now, this is where my heart is.”
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Source: www.people.com
