Album Review: R. Kelly | Love Letter
By Susan Mutharia

“I am not a man who believes in resting the gift – the gift doesn’t rest, you rest when you are dead,” said R. Kelly on the show Inside R. Kelly that aired on BET. Indeed he has a gift that is hard to contend and in his new album Love Letter, the artist proves that his ability to write and sing is what keeps him standing.

This album brings to the ring a mature R. Kelly; the ‘playa’ hat is off after a whole lot of bumping and grinding in previous albums. Now comes the album about love, a word whose translation has evolved but definition remains the same.

The first single of the album When A Woman Loves has a soul tune to it. Not only does the song take our memory back to the generations of great singers such as Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles but, it also brings the yearning for songs you are not afraid to listen to while your kids are in the car. Thankfully, you can now include this album as a stocking stuffer.

If I were to pick the second single, it would be either be Lost In Your Love or Number One Hit. Let me take you back for a minute to the groove Happy People. Remember how it got you in the mood and made you want to move? Now these two songs keep the world of love turning. Lost In Your Love is definitely a great song to chill out to while sipping on a chilled glass of Moscato with that special one who has a whole lot of loving waiting for you. Number One Hit on the other hand is the jam your woman wants to hear you sing to her:

"Baby you are the song of my life/and the sweetest melody/ and I love making love to your eyes / it’s like singing in a perfect key/ you are my number one hit/…"

One thing that has always made R. Kelly a master of his game is his ability to take us through all possible outcomes of an emotion in one album. In the song How Do I Tell Her, the singer faces yet a bigger challenge – how do I say goodbye to someone you promised to be with forever? The artist closes the album with the Michael Jackson memory/song You Are Not Alone.

R. Kelly has had his legal woes that have put him in a questionable position. While his personal life is between him and God, his new album is for me to judge – it’s a total knock out with fabulous tracks to close the year and usher the next.