Before her debut IN A PERFECT WORLD. appeared in 2009, Keri Hilson had already established an impressive track record in the industry, writing high-charting hits for Mary J. Blige, Timbaland, and Britney Spears, among others, and contributing ... Full Descriptionher unique, elastic voice on various high-profile cameos. IN A PERFECT WORLD. lives up to its promise by giving her singing and writing plenty of room to stretch out. Club bangers like "Turnin' Me On" and "Get Your Money Up" are Hilson's specialty, but she's no slouch on slow-burn ballads and seductive urban contemporary numbers either. Top-flight production from Timbaland, Danja, and Polow da Don provides the lush sonic backdrop against which Hilson's talents unfurl.


The dynamic songwriter was born in Decatur, GA, only a few miles outside of Atlanta. Addicted to TV talent shows like Star Search and Showtime at the Apollo, she was already plotting out her career in music at age 12. Even though her mother hired a piano teacher to encourage those talents, she mainly wanted to sing; therefore, Hilson converted those sessions into vocal lessons, accompanying the teacher on piano. In her mid- to late teens, her career jumped off as a songwriter and background vocalist, working under producer Anthony Dent (Destiny's Child, Diddy). Borne out of that relationship were two failed girl groups (named Pretty Toni and D'Sign) and, more importantly, a host of connections within the industry for whom she wrote or did backup vocals, including Usher, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Ciara, and up-and-coming Southern rap producer Polow da Don. After Hilson graduated from high school, she managed to continue juggling all these tasks when she enrolled into Emory University in Atlanta. She eventually moved on from Dent and began working more with Polow da Don. Attending school while actively advancing her music career put a great demand on her, especially from being a member of the extremely versatile Clutch team. But as luck would have it, Polow introduced her to superproducer Timbaland, who wasted no time in signing the multi-talented songbird to his growing Mosley Music imprint in 2006. Over the next couple years, Hilson's songwriting was practically ubiquitous, responsible for numerous hit singles, including Mary J. Blige's "Take Me as I Am," Omarion's "Ice Box," the Pussycat Dolls' "Wait a Minute," and Britney Spears' "Gimme More." She was also featured prominently on Timbaland Presents Shock Value, including the number three Billboard Hot 100 hit "The Way I Are." With Timbaland and Polow in her corner, Hilson relied on the vast pool of recording artists and producers who needed (and wanted) to return the favor for her Mosley Music/Interscope debut. After a couple pre-release singles and numerous delays, In a Perfect World was issued in March 2009, shortly after one of its tracks, "Turnin' Me On," had reached the Top 20 of the Hot 100. ~ Cyril Cordor, All Music Guide