It’s Women’s History Month! All March, I’ll be digging through your album ranking requests and finally delivering my thoughts on some of the ladies y’all have been asking about for ages. First up is one of the greatest vocalists in recent memory – although she rarely gets the credit she deserves.
When you think of KeKe Wyatt, you probably think of reality TV hijinks or her collection of kids, of which she probably has more than Charles Xavier’s School for the Gifted. But we don’t talk enough about her show-stopping vocals – easily among the best of her generation. And we certainly don’t talk about her albums.
So that’s what we’ll do today. No relationship drama or silly memes – let’s look back at the albums fueled by one of R&B’s greatest voices.
7. Unbelievable (2011)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: If you didn’t know it before clicking on this post, one thing you’re gonna learn today is that Keke Wyatt LOVES to cover a classic track. Album No. 3 is chock-full of remakes and, as always, she does them justice. We even get a new version of “Mirror” from the ill-fated Queen Project (Mass Appeal, can we PLEASE get a Kelly Price/Tamia/Deborah Cox album for your Imagine That series!?). Unbelievable shines when KeKe pays tribute to the past, but stumbles when she works in new material. It’s a solid listen but certainly not essential.
Forgotten favorites: “Travel the World,” “Tears In Heaven,” “Mirror”
6. Certified (2024)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: I feel like KeKe’s most recent album kinda came and went – likely because, like several projects on this list, it fails to deliver a standout track to cement the project. While it’s not an all-out cover album (don’t worry, that’s coming…) several of Certified’s tracks borrow from past hits, from “Smooth Operator” to “Be Careful.” Of course, we do get a great throwback performance, and she soars on “Unchained Melody.” BUT, as I’ll say time and again, the road gets a little rocky when KeKe leans on original material. Thankfully, when the writing and production stalls, the vocal performances elevate things.
Forgotten favorites: “Somebody,” “Water Into Wine,” “Deliver Me”
5. Soul Sista (2001)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: Almost immediately after turning heads on Avant’s “My First Love,” KeKe jumped at the chance for solo glory with Soul Sista. And I was on board with her – I wore this album OUT in 01/02. “Nothing In This World” recaptured her magic with Avant and her cover of “If Only You Knew” proved she had the vocal chops to spar with legends. But besides those big-ticket items, there’s not a lot left – just a bunch of so-so early 2000s joints. Soul Sista is a tough album to rank because it’s home to her best and most beloved singles, but as an overall project, it has a fair share of weak spots. “Push Me Away” ABSOLUTELY should have been a single, though.
Forgotten favorites: “Push Me Away,” “Don’t Take Your Love Away,” “I Don’t Wanna”
4. Rated Love (2016)
Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Edd said: Before I relistened to all of KeKe’s projects for this review, I recalled Rated Love being an disappointing and underwhelming release. But, all things considered, it’s probably KeKe’s best produced project. The album is a strong mix of ballads and upbeat numbers that all feature modern production (for its era, anyway). Gentle acoustics, country-inspired efforts, pop-leaning joints, it’s all here. While the sonics are sound – and the vocals are as robust and crisp as ever – the writing is just … predictable. Better than I remembered, sure, it but it still misses out on fulfilling its potential.
Forgotten favorites: “Love Me,” “24 Hours,” “I Know”
3. Who Knew (2010)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: It took nearly a decade for us to get KeKe’s official sophomore debut, and it was a quite a wild ride. After her planned Emotional Rollercoaster and Ghetto Rose projects were shelved, KeKe cherry-picked the best tracks from both worlds for Who Knew, easily her most consistent (non-cover album) LP to date. KeKe forgoes the power ballads for more midtempo, understated R&B – and it works. The biggest flaw is the production – there isn’t enough diversity for my liking, making a few songs run together. But overall, it’s a big win, her best constructed album by far.
Forgotten favorites: “Who Knew,” “Daydreaming,” “Weakest”
2. KeKe Covers (2017)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: Y’all have heard me rant about cover albums a million times on these rankings posts. They’re almost always a losing proposition – a cover artists has to both outdo a legendary singer on a legendary song, while not making their version a carbon copy of the original. But since KeKe has made a career making other folks’ songs sound even better, a cover album is the perfect project for her to tackle. And she nails it. Give her props – a lot of these covers are completely out of the box. Who wakes up and says “I want to cover a Jeremih song!” or “lemme get on that Zayn track!” While most can’t beat the originals, she utilizes a lot of cool techniques to add flair – lowering her register to hit Prince’s notes on “Diamonds and Pearls” and bringing much more poise and control to Rihanna’s “Diamonds.” Sometimes she goes a BIT overboard (all that yelling on “I’m Goin Down” strips away the sorrow of the original). But overall, KeKe Covers is the best showcase of her incredible gift. I mean, she gives Nippy AND Dolly a run for their money on “I Will Always Love You.” Never doubt the vocals.
Forgotten favorites: “Diamonds and Pearls,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Love on Top”
1. KeKe (2014)
Soul in Stereo rating: 4 stars out of 5
Edd said: Have you ever enjoyed an album so much that you get MAD that we didn’t have more tracks? That’s my reaction to KeKe’s brief but bangin’ 2014 EP. While most of her albums falter becaue they’re too samey or lack strong production, KeKe nails the formula. “Lie Under You” showed that she could dominate the country scene long before those R&B crossovers became a fad. “Fall in Love” has KeKe at her sexiest while “Remember” and especially “Rain” proves that she should have inhabited the hip-hop soul space more often.The EP’s biggest sin is that I wanted more. While you could make a strong case for KeKe Covers as her No. 1 project, it felt weird to give a cover album the top spot, especially when this EP shows that she can stand on her own as an artist. Short, sweet, and her strongest work thus far.
Forgotten favorites: “Rain,” “Fall in Love,” “Lie Under You”
Soul Sista and Rated Love defenders, step up – share your favorite KeKe albums below.
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