As R&B makes it unstoppable comeback on the Billboard Hot 100, all eyes now turn to Kelly Rowland to see how she plans cash in on its revival.
At the forefront of the genre during its “quieter” years, Rowland‘s contributions to the field have seen her win the support of its more loyal followers, but are yet to see her score the mainstream acclaim / sales nabbed by the likes of Miguel.
So, as she begins work on a new studio album, we want you to weigh in on the matter.
Confused?
Details below…
With sales, the Grammy awards and mainstream appeal in mind, we want you to list thirteen songs that you’d use references if tasked with producing Kelly‘s new LP!
Indeed, if handed the opportunity to steer the star’s creative ship towards multi-Platinum status, which direction would you take her in?!
Need a little inspiration.
Peep our reference track list below!
1. Teedra Moses – ‘Be Your Girl’
2. Tevin Campbell – ‘Can We Talk’
3. Cher Lloyd – ‘With Ur Love’
4. Destiny’s Child – ‘Lose My Breath’
5. Christina Aguilera – ‘Woohoo’
6. Azealia Banks – ‘Luxury’
7. Little Mix – ‘Move’
8. Janet Jackson – ‘I Get So Lonely (ft Blackstreet)’
9. Mariah Carey – ‘My All’
10. Keisha White – ‘The Weakness in Me’
11. Alicia Keys – ‘Unthinkable’
12. MKS – ‘Flatline’
13. Tamar Braxton – ‘The One’
![Nelly & Kelly Rowland Reunite to Perform Their 2002 Hit 'Dilemma' at the 2024 Baby2Baby Gala [Video]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/kelly-rowland-baby2baby-thatgrapejuice-2024-dilemma-nelly-464x260.jpg "Nelly & Kelly Rowland Reunite to Perform Their 2002 Hit 'Dilemma' at the 2024 Baby2Baby Gala [Video].")
Why is Ms. Kelly giving me RuPaul tees in that photo??? No gawd i’m not here for dat!
LMAO, Kelly Jas been trying for 10 years to get a platinum album and it hasn’t happened; what made you so delusional to think that anyone can steer her towards multu-platinum status? I cannot.
First of all, Kelly is too lazy to work with so which A&R rep would waste their time trying to make someone who is not interested work?
Secondly in music just like any business, there are phases (Begin, growth, peak, decline); Kelly peaked with motivation and quickly declined.
So you tell me, what sort of budget would you give Kelly; I would simply quietly drop her and develop a new talent instead; it’s not worth the stress. She’s a done deal.
Y’all should be tired of these Kelly A&R posts by now. Kelly is satisfied with just getting by. She’s lazy, her team sucks and the GP only cares about her red carpet looks/abs. She’s a lost cause tbh.
TGJ be knowing s***, that’s all Imma say.
Kelly’s been dropped.
This list slays 2bh.
Universal Republic dropped Kelly.
blah blah blah Kelly is yet to peak WTF you talking about ? It doesnt matter too much which direction she takes the problem is always budget,promotion& marketing.
PS : I think she should fuse dance/pop and urban to crossover just like every other black artist did from MJ to Beyonce, Mariah to Rihanna. Its clear you need a dash of pop to crossover and steak claims in mainstream.
Can y’all do one for Trey?
WHY DO U HAVE SO MUCH HATE ON YOUR HEART FOR HER , WHAT DID SHE EVER DID TO YOU? DID SHE HURT YOU ONE DAY WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU . THIS IS BULLYING JUST STOP
Receipts that she’s been dropped?
Trey is fine. He sells way more than Kelly.
Kelly is labelless again.
blah blah blah Kelly is yet to peak WTF you talking about ? It doesnt matter too much which direction she takes the problem is always budget,promotion& marketing.
You forgot MATERIAL and Kelly’s material is meh.
Luxury slays Idk if Kelly could nah.
I’ve been reading this site for six years and the trick is to look at the timing of everything they write about. The world finds out that Kelly has left her label and they do an A&R thread about her new album.
Some people are so corny. Don’t come for Kelly when your fav, vocally, is NOWHERE near Kelly’s stature. She may not sell the most, but the b**** can sing!!! Could your fav do a Mariah Carey tribute and succeed? No. She can’t even succeed in her own songs.
Anyway love Kelly and glad she is still coming hard, all her albums are good and she sings!!!!!!
http://youtu.be/ohdW8Im8oC0
Things like this remind me why I came here in the first place, keep it all about the music and cut down on the shade because you guys are excellent writers.
Kelly needs something big, something who goes beyond R&B, something who can cath every formats. And about some others comments I see here, Robin Thicke need 8 albuns to make a big thing, is not about how long she try, is about the right move. One step I think can be a HUGE thing is join forces with Ciara, for a song link Janet’s feedback.
My list on references:
1 Janet Jackson – So Excited
2 Destiny’s Child – Lose My Breath
3 Mariah Carey – We Belong Togheter
4 Janet Jackson – Feedback
5 Lauryn Hill – Doo Woop (That Thing)
6 Mariah Carey – It’s Like That
7 Beyoncé – Single Ladies
8 Robin Thicke – Blureed Lines
9 Destiny’s Child – Soldier
10 Rihanna – We Found Love
11 Whitney Houston – It’s No Right, but it’s okay
12 Eminem feat Rihanna – Monster
13 Drake – Take Care
Republic took her name off of the roster.
I pretty much agree with the list TGJ composed. I can see Kelly incorporating her own style in to each of these songs. She is very talented, Just needs to find her lane, stick to it and promote. She could really be a force in the Pop/R&B world. TAGG was a solid album, with several potential singles. I hate she just let it go to waste. Better luck next time.
@AlexGrey The difference between Kelly and Robin is that Robin always put 100% into everything, Kelly has not. She was held back when she was with Matthew but what’s her excuse for abandoning albums since she left him. I think she has brief moments of really wanting to kill it but is too content with her lifestyle to go all the way.
Of all your A&R articles this is my favorite, I like how you put the upbeat songs in the middle and sandwiched them with quality R&B.
Kelly has so much potential but she does need to wake up and realize that she’s been to lazy in recent years. Nothing is impossible so I believe she will have her moment in the sun but she has to want it for herself.
Kelly has lots of potential, is incredibly talented and makes great music. She just needs to promote the damn music and quit signing onto other projects and quit ignoring her albums.
Nice list but music is only one of her problems. Her work ethic is the biggest issue.
Can Mariah’s fans worry about their own fave and her tanking single before coming to give Kelly advice. Please and thank you.
I like Kelly but I think she hates the pressure of having to be a star because of how it affected Beyonce.
Kelly is boring and lazy. She tried to stir u controversy with dirty laundry and failed horribly. Until Kelly learns to stop being content, she will forever be known as Beyonces backup singer.
Excuse me, can anyone explain why Rihanna is following my fave around the world like a damn passport.
Kelly may be lazy but when Kelly makes album she’s actually in the studio working on the songs. How does Rihanna find time to write when she’s too busy chasing Drake up and down Europe like the rent-a-s*** that she is.
At this point, the best album Kelly can release is a cover album of Beyonce: the Visual Album BYE
Rihanna needs the attention. u kno she jumps in and out of “relationships” when she has a new album comin. tryin to bey like ha boss Beyonce again with the “secret” relationship hahahah
Yet Rih has more writing credits than Kelly and was listed as executive producer for RR, TTT and UNA. Try again stupid trolls lol.
She would have a mega hit on her hands had she been more humble and less snobby to my producer friend….. She said “i need someone who’s going to help me blow up, not the other way around.”
Yup- thats why the b**** stays in Bey’s shadow…..
Kelly has a fiancee who loves and adores her, Rihanna has an overactive p**** that’s clocked more airmiles than a damn carrier pigeon just so she can be with Drizzy.
WHAT.
A.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE.
And he really a hit for her! Many in the industry have already called the track the “female version of get lucky”…. Yet- she’s still flopping right? boo, goodbye b****. keep looking for someone to make you a hit who isn’t looking at bey first b****…. keep looking
@CICIFINNABEATROLL that was cute. Call me when Ciara founds out about Futures next baby mama, or when Kelly can get a non-Skype proposal lol
@TruthMeter Tell us more please.
Rih’s p**** has been smashed more than old sidewalk gum. A man will neva wanna wife that
Sam post a guess who post on the picture of Madonna rocking her Beyonce ‘I woke up like this’ sweater.
Rihanna’s been cocked more times than Rambo’s rifle.
jennifer will be pawning that oscar in a few years. can’t find ha career
I didn’t know Rihanna was this thirsty. What kind of international hoeing? B****** deadass be travelling the world just so they can get the same peen every night.
Oh b****, don’t you worry your slutty little head about Queen Jennifer when Katy is still Grammyless.
A Rita Oral
trollstan coming for other peoples vaginas? Hilarious. Where’s that single boo?KEYSHIASHOULDHAVECHEATED??? Lmao please get more creative with these usernames DEATH!!
Remember when Sam asked Kelly in an interview when she was going to hit the promo road because fans were asking and her response was “I didn’t know there were so many record execs on board!” Then realised it didn’t sound so great so added that she has a great team who know what they’re doing. http://thatgrapejuice.net/2011/07/grape-juice-interviews-kelly-rowland-2/
She’s delusional and has a bad attitude. Obviously wants to remain basic?
Kelly needs to have more mature music and return to sounds that transcend time like on her first album. The Soul grooves of the first album, the edge of the second with the Dance of the third would be great. Obviously, TAGG was mature but the single choices were AWFUL!
Rather than suggest other artist’s tracks it’s better to look at what she’s done well so far:
Simply Deep
Heaven
Obsession
Beyond Imagination
Gotsta Go
Work Remix
Daylight
Shake Those Haters Off
When Love Takes Over
What a Feeling
White Christmas with Michael Buble
Gone
Feet to the Fire
Other tracks like Commander, Haven’t Told You, You Changed, The Show, This is Love (from Ms. Kelly) etc are also excellent.
TAGG showed that Kelly has real songwriting skills, she needs to tap into this and add a few Whitney numbers too so people can understand what LeToya meant when she said, “Kelly has a beast of a voice”. A collab with her and LaTavia would be great too.
No more oversexed songs, no more promo trails about Beyonce and Beyonce’s daughter either!
Kelly sure gets a lot of chances doesn’t she? Keri Hilson and Teira Marie over in a corner cryin’!!!
Rihanna really pushes the envelope when it comes whoring in my opinion. I mean really, I even heard she was staying at the Holiday Inn just so she could be in the same city as King Aubrey.
Does her p**** have no chill?
oh no, miss thing don’t you dare shade the QUEEN of the Hot 100 while Ms. Hudson is still searchin for that hit 7 years after that oscar kiiii kiii kiiii
I’ll worry about the single and you worry about Rihanna’s h*****.
“Does her p**** have no chill?”
kiiiiing DOWN! no miss thing, u haven’t heard? that p**** is burning. ask Chris Brown
Remember when Sam asked Kelly in a 2011 interview when she was going to hit the promo road because fans were asking and her response was “I didn’t know there were so many record execs on board!” Then realised it didn’t sound so great so added that she has a great team who know what they’re doing.
She’s delusional and has a bad attitude. Obviously wants to remain basic?
Kelly needs to have more mature music and return to sounds that transcend time like on her first album. The Soul grooves of the first album, the edge of the second with the Dance of the third would be great. Obviously, TAGG was mature but the single choices were AWFUL!
Rather than suggest other artist’s tracks it’s better to look at what she’s done well so far:
Simply Deep
Heaven
Obsession
Beyond Imagination
Gotsta Go
Work Remix
Daylight
Shake Those Haters Off
When Love Takes Over
What a Feeling
White Christmas with Michael Buble
Gone
Feet to the Fire
Other tracks like Commander, Haven’t Told You, You Changed, The Show, This is Love (from Ms. Kelly) etc are also excellent.
TAGG showed that Kelly has real songwriting skills, she needs to tap into this and add a few Whitney numbers too so people can understand what LeToya meant when she said, “Kelly has a beast of a voice”. A collab with her and LaTavia would be great too.
No more oversexed songs, no more promo trails about Beyonce and Beyonce’s daughter either!
Kelly sure gets a lot of chances doesn’t she? Keri Hilson and Teira Marie over in a corner cryin’!!!
Hopefully she can get a new xfactor job cause music is over for Kelly all her albums flopped & only one hit as a solo artist mess.
As a fan, why is she recording a new album? She’s just gonna let it die faster Chris Brown in stomp the yard. She never promoted her work, Talk A Good Game was a really good album and she released the two worst songs off TAGG and called it a day. She’s really big in the U.K and some of her fans didn’t even know she had an album coming out. If she really is going to record another album, please promote the hell out of it as if you don’t have the chance to record another one.
@Matthew YES I remember! She had the nerve to say that they were going for longevity. Motivation sold that album; all 250k copies. Her other singles did nothing, mainly because they were dropped months later with no promotion as usual.
If kelly is done. ciara been done since 2009
Dead at these trolls attacking you @TheBoyToy what you said about Kelly is the truth the bitchh is nothing.
Go find Katy some grammys babe then get back at me. All them hits yet still GRAMMYLESS how embarrassing.
she’s no longer on their website and that usually is a sign that they’ve been dropped or they’re no longer with the label.
what is a ciara? the last time she had a certified album was in 2006. that b**** in nothin as well lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
I feel as if Kelly is her own worst enemy sometimes. I have been saying she has potential since she first went solo twelve years ago, but she’s been stagnant ever since. She doesn’t take advantage of opportunities, nor is she active enough. She releases a single, promotes it maybe once or twice if we’re lucky, drops an album then disappears into oblivion. Who takes a talent show judging job after relasing an album? That show’s exactly where her head is and it isn’t with her music. Get it together Kelly.
where are cierror’s grammys or hits? lmaoooooooooooo Not that grammy that belongs to missy either
Kelly is such a fail.
Christina Aguilera WooHoo, Cher Lloyd With Ur Love, and Azealia Banks Luxury do not belong on this list. It really doesn’t matter what the album sounds like, Kelly Horseland wont push it and her team wont fund her. People will start caring if she does.
Y’all crazy to think Kelly got dropped from that label , She left because they wasn’t promoting her album dumb assess Kelly’s looking for a better label / I think she should go back to Columbia records and get Matthew back as a manager
Ciara has credibility, does Katy?
LMAO LMAO LMAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. It’s always somebody else’s fault isn’t it? Kelly was dropped because she was wasting their time and money.
Keri got an album release date yet sis?
Kelly looks beautiful
You know you’re music. Those songs would make a perfect Kelly Row album. I mean everyone. Dude, this is perfection. You seriously have A&R promise. Damn.. I’m literally over here saying… that album would kill the game! Damn….!
My opinion:
Caught Up in the Rapture-JoJo (remix)
We Found Love- Rihanna
One on One Fun- Tamar Braxton
Shoulder to Shoulder- Rebecca Ferguson
Paradise- Cassie
They Don’t Know- Rico Love
Clarity- Zedd
Body Party- Ciara
Party- Beyonce
Commander- Kelly Rowland
Impossible- Mariah Carey
Primetime- Janelle Monae
Kelly needs to embrace the fact that people like her on club/techno/edm. It works for her and gives her the mainstream push she needs. However, the sultry sexiness of ‘Motivation’ should also be incorporated. I think a collabo with Miguel would be great, or Luke James. Plus a cover of an older song to remind people she has chops can’t hurt. I mean look what it did for her with ‘Dilemma’
SO HER TEAM FINALIZED THE DECISION TO SCRAP THAT FLOPPY IDEA OF A “TAGG” RE-RELEASE.
WONDERFUL!!!
I would hope that Kelly wasn’t dropped but actually left her label. If Christina Milan is still signed to Republic Records…Kelly must have left…I wish Kelly the best of luck in whatever she does..we (the public) always THINK we know how the industry works and what Kelly should do or didn’t do..but do we REALLY know what happens behind the scenes.. we really dont..you can call Kelly lazy or a flop as much as you wish but she has accomplished more than most females in this music industry..its sad when you people discredit her as a solo artist but when in reality Kelly has done more than most female OR male artist coming out of a successful group while not being the lead singer..and even some who were lead singers (coko tboz left eye(rip) Khandi and the list goes on..
If i wasnt for her there would be not dance/ r&b music that we here all to well everyday. she has gain viewers, followers, she is a list red carpet. always on best dress. she is a hard as worker. she works twenty for seven, yes i will say when she puts out album she need to promote more put out videos while the track is still hot, like when her an seven teamed up at the black girls rock, that night she should have come out with a video teaser then the two days later introduce the video on bet 106&park. Dont take away from her work ethic . she is a go getter.
Azealia Banks – Luxury >>>>>
Dear Kelly,
The reason your fans are so furstrated with your efforts is because YOU are capable of acheiving more. If you combined the songs from your last two ablums and actually promoted the thing…I would have bought 20 copies. Imagine if you released the songs below as ONE album. You might have another grammy by now…smh
Motivation
Lay It On Me
Feeling Me Right Now
Ice
Kisses Down Low
Gone
Diry Laundry
You’ve Changed
Number 1
Love Me Till I Die
Kelly pleassseeee go to the record label Miguel is on… they really pushes his projects and let him be as creatively as he wants to be! I’m glad she left bcuz tht label thought she could push her albums without little to no promotion with just her online fans.
TGJ IM SORRY…but y’all AR tracks…are AWEFUL
So I guess no one is going to stay on topic… But okay…
Anyway if she is going main stream r&b then here is the deal Kelly.
#1 mistake too long to release a video for the lead single and too long to follow up with a second
#2 lack of buzz or promo if you cant get big interviews do TONS of small ones.
#3 live performances to be recognized as a solo NO MORE DC medleys she has enough hits for everyone to sing along to now and please please please retire Dilemma.
Album: record an album in full silently make sure no one can leak it.
Stand firm in the first 2 single choices and shoot videos for both before you even put out a press release about the album
Reason being is because people loose interest quickly because she’s never been consistent with the single and album releases.
Album title (KELENDRIA)
Release date: September
1. Commander
2. Down For Whatever
3. Kisses Down Low
4. Lay It On Me
5. Motivation
6. All Of The Night
7. The Show
8. Like This
9. Skywalker
10. Rose Colored Glasses
11. Still In Love With My Ex
12. Better Without You
13. You’ve Changed (Featuring. Michelle & Beyoncé)
-Bonus Track: ICE
Single Choices:
1. Commander (June)
2. Lay It On Me (September)
3. Rose Colored Glasses (November)
4. Motivation (February)
5. Down For Whatever (April)
The single choices & tracklisting may seem wired but this is the thing. Kelly needs MASS appeal. She has the R&B/ Urban community rocking with her however its time to go a little more Mainstream. So lead with mainstream follow with urban and keep doing that with the singles so that you are appealing to both masses here.
IMAGE:
The issue here is now her lyrics are too hard for her sweet personality so it confuses everyone, like is she a sweetheart or a slick talking diva. Go back to the “Ms. Kelly” days where it was a happy medium.
She was styled the best in the “Here I Am” era and now she’s gotten too Sevyn Streeterish…
SOUND:
Hate to say it but her album needs to be single heavy so no matter which way her or the label went with single choices she’d have a hit on her hands.
LASTLY:
Kelly, here me when I say KNOW YOUR WORTH! As quiet as its kept your vocals (In Studio) are better than Beyoncé’s and that has been said since Survivor Era. When meeting with the label YOU need to have a schedule of release dates and things you NEED to happen on your project and sign a contract that states that the LABEL Needs to meet & exceed those expectations that you have. But please keep it realistic. All you need is consistent single releases and promotion even if its for smaller production companies you need it. And for the week prior, the week of & the week after you need to grace all late night talk shows and daytime shows and on the day of release performance of the song that charted the highest for the album. I don’t think she knows she has the power to be a great performer. Dance more! And not just a 1, 2 step KILL IT! Have a flash dance concept for a video. You can do it. Lastly this next era in interviews please state no Bey, Michelle or DC related questions you are there to talk about your album and what YOU have going on. I hope some how someway this gets back to you or someone who can make it happen. I say this all in Love.
Love you KELLS!
IG: @kingtyler_ <<< FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW
@TYLER damn you should be on her team. Agree 100%
Well said @tyler!!! I just always wonder if it a EASY to execute as it is to talk about it. Though it may sound like a great plan..who’s to say she hasn’t tried that route..but the industry is so evil..However i hope that does find its way to Kelendria!!
What surprises me is that Kelly does not have enough sense to know this now. If she dosen’t…what about the people on her team? It seems obvious to us who are not in the industry. I agree with your points Tyler but not the single choices…all of them do not scream mass appeal to me.
I agree with #3 Kelly enuff with the DC Stuff, im sick of that! I do not want to here Survivor, Like This, or Diliema eVER AGAIN LOL! IIn no way are her lyrics too hard, TAGG good from start to finish! Nothing hard about it! Kelly is sweet but she’s also displayed plenty of attitude! The sevyn streeter comment is way over the top! Her Image is fine fine fine. if anything sevyn is following her! Im sure Kelly is aware of what is being said about her and i hope the next era she will have surrounded herself with a better team. There are so many TYLERS out there and im sure there is one on her NEW TEAM/label! Im thinking she definately has a better sense of which direction she should take she is learning she is smart! With all thats said AND done just know SHE PUT OUT A DAMN GOOD ALBUM!
DC is her actual roots..she can NEVER stop performing that stuff…what i do suggest is she perhaps sing a few other DC stuff..and stop “LIke this”???? hellllll no…lol…thats one of my favorite songs from her to perform…nonetheless she has a HUGE catelog to chose from..it would be nice to hear some other hits like Ghetto, Comeback, Gotsta GO
YOU ARE SUCH A SMELLY FLOPLAND LOVER IT’S RIDICULOUS!!!!!
To any Kelly Stan on this page, did any of you even buy her album instead of attacking people on their opinion?
Really are people really that broke that they will spend 1.30 for a single instead of just purchasing the whole album! Motivation 2million sold..Kisses Down Low 500k geez just buy the damn album! Just thought i’d point that out!
As a matter of fact I know tons of people who like “ICE’ and ‘KISSES DOWN LOW’ which both continue to get airplay here in the US. her latest album, it was surely platinum but she took on another route to judge the XFACTOR,
When I gifted and currently play the ‘TALK A GOOD GAME’ album, the response I receive from others is amazing. People love Kelly, she is a fashion icon, true beauty and humble at what she does. Her name is always on someones lips nowadays.
TALK A GOOD GAME has so many hit songs.. i.e.
1. put Your Name on it
2. Down on Love
3. This is Love
4. Skywalker
5.#1
6Love Me Til I Die
I ALSO HEARD THAT HER LABEL DID NOT GIVE HER AS MUCH OF A PROMOTION BUDGET ON THIS LAST ALBUM WHICH IS BEYOND ME BECAUSE IT IS HER BEST TO DATE. WITH THAT BEING DONE SHE COULD NOT PRODUCE ANY MORE VIDEOS AND CANCELLED LOTS OF CONCERT APPEARANCES TO JUDGE THE TV SHOW…AT THE END OF THE DAY SHE MADE UP FOR. SHE SHOULD HAVE DONE A RE-RELEASE THOUGH BECAUSE THE STREETS ARE SURELY TALKING ABOUT KELLY ROW AND THIS LAST ALBUM!!