Album Review: R. Kelly, Write Me Back

R. Kelly

Write Me Back (released June 26, 2012)

I’ll be honest, I really had no intention of reviewing Arruh’s latest effort. That all changed when a friend passed along Kelly’s video for “Feelin’ Single.” One listen and I was hooked.

I, like many listeners, have a love-hate-HATE-love relationship with The Pied Piper. For every classic R&B cut he gives us, he follows it up with something absolutely ridiculous (like the time he had sex in outer space or the “Trapped in the Closet” nonsense). But his talent is undeniable, and he lures us back in each and every time.

That’s the goal of Write Me Back, his 11th studio album. No longer is Kelly trying to be the creepy old man in the kiddie club; he’s appealing to his core audience – the Grown ‘N’ Sexy crowd. That’s why “Feelin’ Single” is such a great track; it’s full of youthful vibrancy, but it’s not at all immature. The party continues with “Lady Sunday” and “Believe That It’s So.” Both are perfect for the steppers, although the latter wears out its welcome by the time he starts talking about “clowning with his friends” and yelling “YAAAAAHAHAH-AH.” But that’s our Robert. You should expect nothing less.

The remainder of the album is a callback to the great eras of R&B. This is where Kelly’s diverse vocals come into play and his true talent shines. Arruh channels Barry White on “Love Is,” complete with preachy intro and warbling vocals. “Fool For You” is right out of the Temptation’s playbook. Most surprising of all is “All Rounds on Me,” which sounds like a goofy pop number from the old TV show Gidget. That’s not a bad thing, mind you. It makes me wanna go grab my surfboard.

Kelly also makes sure to pay homage to himself. “Green Light” is a classic 90s R. Kelly slow jam. Close your eyes and I bet you can hear Sherry Carter and Donnie Simpson raving about it on BET’s Video Soul Countdown. And I was ready to hate on “When A Man Lies,” in which Kelly does his usual shtick of pandering to the ladies by talking about how horrible men are. But when Kelly reveals that the he’s actually upset with the man in the mirror, I had to give him credit for that piece of introspection.

Like his last album, Love Letter, this is a much more mature Kelly. Still, even though the tracks sound great and I appreciate the throwbacks, there’s almost a tepid mood here, like he’s holding back. He seems to be missing a bit of his fire here. Don’t confuse me, when I say fire I don’t mean filth. Lord knows we don’t need another song about having sex in the zoo. Grandma n’ dem probably will love this set but until Arruh finds a balance between inspiration and insanity, my  love-hate-HATE-love relationship will continue.


Best tracks: “Feelin Single,” “Green Light,” “Lady Sunday”

3.5 stars out of 5