Kelly’s newest project, his 8th full-length, is titled “Double Up,” and there is a sense that the singer hopes to abandon his checkered past via a good-old return to chart dominancy. He certainly is poised to do just that, as the record is chock-full of Kelly’s signature vocal runs, a slew of guest spots featuring top-shelf rappers, as well as the slight twist of weirdness which makes Kelly such a lasting presence.
Starting off the show is “The Champ,” filled with traditional rap gusto expected from many album openers. Big and boisterous, Kelly fills the tune with middle-of-the road braggadocio, impressing very few. But the album wisely segues into the solid title track, in which R. Kelly and Snoop Dogg recount sexual escapades lurid enough to earn the album’s “Parental Advisory” sticker. Yet the song sounds very smooth, and even as Kelly and Snoop seem to write little material not found in an average issue of Cosmo, Dr. Dre’s beat keeps the 2 R&B and rap legends, respectively, on target.
The rest of the disc offers little variation, as Kelly keeps things moving with more uptempo tracks than usual, twiddling knobs with help from mega-producers such as Swizz Beatz and Kanye West. But the best moments are left for Kells himself, the master of meshing his beautifully toned voice with pitiful lyrics (from lead single “I’m A Flirt (Remix)”: “That means if you love yo chick / Don’t bring her to the V.I.P. / ‘Cuz I might leave with yo chick.”). But if you’re looking for a fun album to get you pumped up for the clubs, you could do a lot worse than “Double Up’s” pure, stupid fun for the masses.
William Earl also thinks you should listen to a similar band from England called Starsailor, because they rock as well. E-mail him at williamjearl@gmail.com