Love Letter - R. Kelly
  • Band Name: R. Kelly
  • Record Label: Jive
  • Release Date: Dec 14, 2010
Love Letter Image
  • Summary: Taking his sound back to Motown, the R&B hit maker tones down his controversial image, releasing classic love songs inspired by '50s and '60s slow jams.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Jan 10, 2011
    88
    On Love Letter, he does away with the freakiness and lays down a full record of slow-simmered, grown-man emoting. And it feels like a wayward husband who's finally come home for good.
  2. Jan 5, 2011
    83
    Warm, reassuringly familiar, and as soothing as a cup of cocoa on a frosty winter afternoon, Love Letter delivers.
  3. 60
    After a listen to Love Letter, it's clear that only a true maestro can pull off a line like that. Let's leave such proclamations to the man himself.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. dz9
    10
    There is no other way to put this album. It is amazing, one of the first albums I can hit play and listen to its entirety, R. Kelly has not put out a "great album" in a while, and on this one. You do kind of miss the sensual soul of his famous works, but he does mix it in with some of his songs and creates a good balance between the freaky and the mature. The Good: great vocals, amazing lyrics. The Bad: there is none. A true delivery for RnB fans and R. Kelly fans alike. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. For those of us that loved and remembers songs like "Religious Love", " I cant sleep" ....this album reminds us of the genius that existed in those tracks and affirms that he is still within the boundary of the often sexual implicit artistry of R Kelly. Certainly a must have to reminds us of the greatness that exists in the artist. Tracks like "Love Letter", Love is and "How do i tell her" captures your attention immediately and reaffirm the soulfulness of the artist Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. R. Kelly said on his documentary that with this album he made a U-turn in time, going back to the 50's and 60's for inspiration. This is totally true, but even more importantly he made a shift from the insincere and cringe-inducing punch lines to sincere and clever romantic declarations. With his signature voice, feeling and clever writing applied to this subject, these tracks aren't corny like those on all of his other albums because he treats us to something we don't hear too much of in today's music: love and devotion. Who would guess that romantic music would sell in today's world? It's a bold and admirable move from him as an artist, but it paid off big time, and here's for bringing the love songs back to the radio. Note: this album is not revolutionary. But it is immaculately arranged and performed and only 1 or 2 tracks are regularly skip-worthy, so I'd give it 8.5, which rounds up to 9 for Metacritic. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

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