Rating:
* * *
She's written hit songs for Britney and Mary J. Blige and sung back up for Ne-Yo and Timbaland. But to date, Keri Hilson's name has rung only a distant bell in people's minds.
In a Perfect World ...
, her debut solo album, is intended to turn that faint tinkle into a fully fledged fanfare. Supported by an army of writers, producers and guest vocalists, including R&B royalty Timbaland, Ne-Yo and Kanye West, it has all the makings of a hit record.
But somehow the album is less than the sum of its parts.
Hilson's vocals are adequately soulful to pull off the lovelorn lyrics but lack any defining characteristics or real personality. It could be Hilson - or any of the other thousands of R&B back-up singers out there.
There are some standout hits on the album -
Knock You Down, Return the Favour
and
Turnin Me On
- but all see Hilson play a bit part in her own show, while her guest stars step to the fore.
Return the Favour
is a classic Timbaland track - with Hilson riding shotgun.
In between these star-studded showcases, Hilson presents some standard R&B tunes that fail to captivate or see her shine in her own right.
In a perfect world, this would be an excellent record. In reality, it doesn't quite work.
Joanna Hunkin
The host has been spotted across the Atlantic post-election.