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“I’m free … I had to give up music for a while. I thought it would just be for a year. I realize now I’m grateful for all of those years because I have built myself back up. It is kind of a comeback.”

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So declares Keri Hilson in “Grateful,” the track that introduces We Need to Talk: Love — her first album in 15 years since 2010’s sophomore set No Boys Allowed. Released April 18 on her own imprint Audible Art Club via Create Music Group, the nine-track Love finds the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter back in true form after a memorable run of multigenre-fused hits such as the platinum singles “Knock You Down” and “Pretty Girl Rock,” “Energy,” “Turnin Me On” with Lil Wayne and her vocal feature on Timbaland’s “The Way I Are,” which she co-wrote with the artist-producer.

This time around, Hilson collaborated with songwriters and producers like Tiffany Red, Danja (who, she says, “has worked on every project I’ve had”) and Needlz and Donut. Prefaced by lead single “Bae,” the album’s other notable tracks include the raw “Naked,” “Say That” (“It’s like a soft rock song… It’s different for me”), “Whatever” (“It’s going to touch people”) and “Somethin (Bout U)” (“I couldn’t stop ad libbing in the booth”). Hilson also notes this album is the first in a three-project arc — Love. Drama. Redemption. — that chronicles her 15-year break from the solo career she launched in 2009 with debut album In a Perfect World.

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“‘Grateful’ is actually an excerpt from an interview I did with [psychic medium] Reginald Lewis that aired on Steve Harvey’s show,” recalls Hilson. “It was a real and special moment; I was in tears. So we decided to put that on to help explain as I’ve got several albums’ worth of music and want to tell a cohesive story — love, drama, redemption — like a movie. I realized I had a thread that would weave this tapestry together.”

While the rollout of the next two albums is still being determined, Hilson is also starring in a new film: Temptations: Fame. Premiering April 26 on Lifetime, the movie is the latest chapter in an acting career that began with 2012’s Think Like a Man.

During a recent sit-down with Billboard, Hilson shares what she’s learned about Keri the person and Keri the singer-songwriter over the last 15 years: “That I’m pretty freaking courageous… I also learned how important and necessary freedom is as you call your own shots. Those are the two biggest things. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s definitely welcome.”

Was there one moment that sparked your decision to finally release new music?

There was no defining moment. But there was a phase during the last five years where all these serendipitous moments started happening: acting auditions, movie offers, fans walking up and saying, “You helped me leave an unhealthy relationship or marriage” with songs like “Beautiful Mistake.” Then there were happenstance encounters with people that could help me on the business side to structure my label the way that I wanted. So I felt redemption, vindication. Energy in the universe made it so very clear that it’s time. I couldn’t deny it.

What was the deciding factor in choosing midtempo “Bae” as the lead single?

It was the perfect first song for the simple fact that it’s straightforward. You’re hearing me without a lot of heavy arrangement. You’re hearing me just carry on the mic, with no feature. There is a sample [of Hurricane Chris’ 2007 single “A Bay Bay”] that is supportive but not overpowering; we were very intentional on that. It felt like a toe in the water and the perfect tempo to reintroduce myself with. And my partner loves “Bae.”

While recording, I was listening to my repertoire, which includes Bobby Brown, Babyface, Ms. Lauryn Hill: the things that have inspired me are still the same things that always inspire me. I’m also a Bruno Mars fan, and that Silk Sonic collaboration was everything, doing old things in a new way.

Why was Method Man, the only guest on this album, your choice for the song “Searchin’”?

There’s a tribal nature about that song, but there’s also this New York street essence that reminded me of Wu-Tang and only Wu-Tang. And I love Method Man; always been a fan of his cadence, voice and his look, which ain’t bad either [laughs]. Plus I’d just done a film [2021’s A Hip Hop Family Christmas] with his partner in crime, Redman. So I got in touch with Method Mad and he was so gracious, saying “Just let me know when you need me, what you need from me; just tell me and I’m there.” That’s just the energy that you want to have as an artist, especially [when you’re] re-emerging. It’s scary. You want and need the support. And he’s just such brother energy; a good guy.

Looking back on the music industry then vs. now, has it changed for the better or worse?

Starting with the better, artists have more freedom to literally create and carve out their own space, like real estate. And because of social media, people are flipping the channel to find where artists are setting up shop. That’s a great thing. Now we [artists] are in charge of curating our own channels. But while we’re in a new world, there are also some negatives in that it has created a lot of fear for the average artist. You want your music to work. You want the traffic, the sales and streams, to sell out shows. So it creates an environment, a culture of safe music.

Even within your own sphere, you’re like, “This is what I’m known for. I can’t deviate from that. This is what they want from me, and I have to serve that.” Your fans will even say it: “Keep making songs like …” and put you in a box. It’s pressure both internally and externally. And that’s the sad part. I’ve never followed rules, and I don’t plan on starting now. It’s necessary for people to come in and mix this shit up. That’s what I’m aiming to do.

Speaking of social media, you recently experienced a trending moment after sharing your regrets about a Beyoncé diss on the remix to your 2009 hit “Turnin Me On,” which later drew reaction from songwriter Ester Dean.

Obviously, the scope of social media has changed to be very salacious, a lot more than when I was out before. And that can be difficult to navigate. But despite this culture of negativity and click bait, nothing feels better than truth. That’s the best weapon. If you know you’re being honest and truthful, then you can stand up to anything because your authenticity and integrity are all you have at the end of the day. And that’s all I want to say about that.

What role does acting play in satisfying yourself creatively?

It’s a longer escape. Music can be an escape for a day or two. But while I’m creating movies, I get to pause time for much longer periods. It allows me to escape reality, and that’s really part of why I dove head first into it. My father passed in January 2020. I’d done a couple movies prior to that but now it was a departure from my grief, a welcome thing. I realized that I can kind of pause time, step away from myself and these heavy feelings. To smile and laugh because the character’s bubbly. It helped pull me out of that dark space.

Keri Hilson ‘We Need to Talk’

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