While R&B listeners knew who Keri Hilson was before 2009, she became a fully fledged star after her 2009 debut, In A Perfect World. While stardom surprises many artists, Keri acts like she’s been in the limelight for decades. Hilson’s sophomore album showcases this attitude as she toes the line between arrogance and confidence. With executive producers Timbaland and Polow Da Don backing the songstress on No Boys Allowed, the album has the potential for greatness: hit producers alongside a premier songwriter, yet as it all too often happens, the final project doesn’t work out that way.
If spins determines an artist’s success then Keri Hilson has already won. “Pretty Girl Rock” is plastered over the radio and has become an anthem for girls who aren’t short on ego. Lyrics like “Girls think I’m conceited ’cause I know I’m attractive / Don’t worry about what I think, why don’t you ask him?” capture the attitude of a Fabolous or Jadakiss track and translate it to R&B. The song’s beauty is that it isn’t geared towards men; it’s a women’s anthem that is rooted in independence from the opposite sex. Instead, it soars because of its superficiality. It’s arguably the defining moment on the album, a purely-Pop record that feels natural.
From there, the records either don’t fit the supposed theme to the album or they feel forced. With an album titled No Boys Allowed the fact that every guest spot the album sees is from a male is ironic. Furthermore the fact that the only duet on the album is with Chris Brown reduces the album’s bold title to laughable standards. The features are rather unnecessary, and besides a Rick Ross verse that has been a radio hit, all other songs are forgettable, even “Buyou” 
which features J. Cole.
The album’s biggest flaw is that Keri Hilson rarely seems highlighted. When you listen to the songs you think more of the artists that she has crafted hits for than the persona she created on In A Perfect World. While she has demonstrated that she can craft lasting hits, the majority of this album appears disposable. While a track like “Breaking Point” is some of her best work to date, No Boys Allowed doesn’t have enough of those moments. With that said, the album is catchy and will sure to continue to find tracks on the radio. Individually, there is radio potential among the songs, but they lack the cohesiveness necessary to create an album that aspires to be great.
No Boys Allowed doesn’t match its polished predecessor success a whole project. The songwriting feels more in line with her R&B/Pop peers than anything else. While she competes in a generation that she helped write, she struggles to define herself as an artist. Hilson’s songwriting cannot be questioned, but her vocal abilities, often fail to capture the show when needed, and her content gets repetitive. When you hear the name Keri Hilson she expect work to follow that changes a genre. Unfortunately on No Boys Allowed she crafts an album filled with repeated ironies.
Its a great album.
Still not sure why HipHopDX bothers reviewing sh*t albums. Provide us with good albums to listen to. How will having a 2 star album help me out?
Rubbish album.. Not a song worth listening to. This is what RnB has come to.. POP
I love her new album
I liked Lil Kim spot on Buyou rahter than J. Cole wack verse.
The album was amazing to me !
yeah to me too, i rlly liked it.
faggots
Love Keri 2 Death. Enjoyed the album. Could’ve been better , I feel she’s still trying to friend her musical spot. But I feel she’ll find it. Keep It popping baby love u.
Miss Hilson, May I make love to your face?
Pretty great album, liked it…the review is shit if u ask me.
If you like this album, you don’t belong on this site, and most of all, you’re a little faggot deep down inside
I find it ironic that your name is herbavore.
she look good shawty and some of dem songs cool. listen to that track she got wit nelly its bumping..yeah i said nelly lol. and the pretty girl rock rmx wit kanye!!
Fuck this pop bullshit.
I actually like pop music [when it’s done right], But I think that Keri Hilson dipped a little too much in the “Rihanna” pop mode. Too many of the tracks sound like something Rihanna would have song & Keri Hilson is a better singer than Rihanna, so what I’m really saying is: “She’s trying to sound like Rihanna”! She seems to even be trying to take some of Rihanna’s image too, and boy do I hate that. Too bad Keri, maybe next album, you’ll get it right…
Ugly bitch……
She is not a good artist, she dont do serious hip hop music, her music sucks
but SHE IS FUCKIN HOT bro
Shes not a hip hop artist so why would she take hip hop music serious.She does r and b dummy.
your fuckin stupid shes hot, don’t like the video then mute the sound
STFU HATER!!!!!!!!!
no substance. waiting for sex tape to leak.
nah
fuck this sell out white wanna be bitch 1star
STFU CORNBALL!!!
she always imitates other people. originality is not even considered with her, probably because everyone would see she is superficial. even her video was a collab of previous videos. people all over the net has always said she comes some chick out of atlanta in the underground called mamas gunz. i think she wants beyonce and rihanna’s fame and she doesnt have a persona so she steals other peoples, and its caching up to her, just be yourself, and if it doesnt sell-go back to writing, “do the pretty girl write”.
she always imitates other people. originality is not even considered with her, probably because everyone would see she is superficial. even her video was a collab of previous videos. people all over the net has always said she clones some chick out of atlanta in the underground called mamas gunz. i think she wants beyonce and rihanna’s fame and she doesnt have a persona so she steals other peoples, and its caching up to her, just be yourself, and if it doesnt sell-go back to writing, “do the pretty girl write”.
Pretty Girl Rock is DOOOPPE
Great Album Point Blank!
Wow. It’s called No Boys Allowed, because she is only dealing with men now. So songs like Beautiful Mistake and All the Boys continue the theme. J. COle rips the verse on the “No Scrubs” type song Buyou. I personally like the album, & I know it deserves more than a 2 out of 5.
why the fuck is this getting reviewed on here?why?this shit is pop music.retarded.1 star.this is watery dookie music for dick suckers.this is music pirates in somalia get raped to.
Keri Hilson Racist
Ya know i gave this a 3/5. Its not horrible but she didnt come close to her success or sound of the first album. THe production is good but her song writing is average
aight
ok