For an album entitled “No Boys Allowed,” there sure are a lot of men featured on Hilson’s 12 tracks. Putting this anomaly aside, Hilson has produced a decent album and a worthy follow-up to her 2009 debut “In a Perfect World…”
Her second album is an upbeat and fun attempt at female empowerment, embodied by its second track, “Pretty Girl Rock.” The song itself, through its bold and self-loving lyrics (“All eyes on me when I walk in/no question that this girl’s a 10/ Don’t hate me ‘cause I’m beautiful”) coupled with its infectious beat and piano melody, results in a catchy and uplifting title anthem.
On many of her other tracks, however, Keri steers away from this typical pop tune and explores different styles. For example, her track “Bahm Bahm (Do It Once Again)” incorporates Caribbean rhythms; this results in a more relaxed and slow version of Hilson we don’t see on many of her other tracks. Even the first track “Buyou” is quite different with its Southern “swagga” beat. Featuring the up-and-coming J. Cole, this track is also quite praiseworthy. Under its very horn-heavy backbeat, Keri is actually bringing up quite relatable issues about relationships.
But, as the discrepancy between the album’s title and its featured stars reveals, this album still has a few contradictions, most notably the song “One Night Stand,” featuring Chris Brown. For an album she claims is about female self-empowerment, including the notorious Chris Brown pulls away from that message. In addition, the cutesy and flirtatious natures of songs like “Pretty Girl Rock” and “Beautiful Mistake” are completely disregarded in her salacious track “The Way You Love Me.” In this raucous track, Keri screams in the chorus: “Fuck me, fuck me/It’s the way you fuck me,” taking away from some of her more empowering and fun tracks earlier on in the album.
Some of her most interesting tracks include “Beautiful Mistake” and “Gimme What I Want,” which incorporate a tinge of electronic and spacey beats. “All the Boys” is also quite praiseworthy. Hilson slows down in this track and takes us through introspection on her past relationships and love. This song’s value, however, comes from its simple melody that, for a change, allows Hilson’s soulful voice to shine.
The tracks “Lose Control (Let Me Down),” featuring Nelly, and “Breaking Point” are also worth discussing. While the song “Lose Control” itself is catchy, with its constant repetition of “shake, wind and roll,” it sounds a little too much like Rihanna’s “Rude Boy.” On the other hand, the song “Breaking Point” is the one track closest to achieving Hilson’s goal of female empowerment. On this number, in a traditional R&B fashion, she even stops her singing to speak to her female audience, making the title of her album quite appropriate.
Overall, the lack of thematic continuity and contradictions in “No Boys Allowed” are made up through its infectious, catchy and upbeat tracks. Even though the album as a whole falls short of reaching its girl power message, it still has value because of its fun, varied songs. Furthermore, while there aren’t any tracks that really stand out, their variety allows there to be something here for everyone. Thus, it would be worth it for interested listeners to give the whole album a try, not only its few title tracks.