Untitled | ||||
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Studio album by R. Kelly | ||||
Released | November 30, 2009 | |||
Recorded | September 2008 – October 2009 | |||
Studio | Trod Nossel Studios | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 62:13 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Producer |
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R. Kelly chronology | ||||
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Singles from Untitled | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
The A.V. Club | C+ |
Entertainment Weekly | C+ |
The Daily Telegraph | |
The Guardian | |
The New York Times | favorable |
Pitchfork Media | 4.8/10 |
Rolling Stone | |
Slant Magazine | |
Spin | 7/10 |
Untitled is the ninth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly. It was released by Jive Records on November 30, 2009 in the UK, while it was released on December 1, 2009 in the US. It was entirely produced by R. Kelly and features prominently carnal lyrical themes.
The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, and reached the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Untitled received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics.
In 2008, the album's title was initially supposed to be released under the name 12 Play: 4th Quarter, however, that version of this project leaked before release and so it was decided that the whole project should be re-recorded.
The album's lead single, "Number One" featuring Keri Hilson, was released on July 28, 2009. The song peaked at number 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Both second and third singles, "Religious" (released on October 10, 2009) and "Echo" (released on January 2010), underquoted this success with peak positions of numbers 48 and 52 respectively on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, never making it to the official Hot 100.
Untitled received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 62, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and called it "a simple, concept-free, creatively unambitious R&B album". Mikael Wood of Spin complimented the album's "fresh raunch", noting "'Bangin' the Headboard' and 'Pregnant' (as in 'You make me wanna get you…') are bawdy even by Kelly's considerable standards". Tom Horan of The Daily Telegraph praised Kelly's "unwavering focus" and stated, "should headboard-banging be in the offing, this will make a fine accompaniment."