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Talk a Good Game
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65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 53 Ratings

  • Summary: The fourth solo release for the former Destiny's Child singer features guest appearances from Beyoncé, Michelle Williams, Kevin Cossom, Wiz Khalifa, and Pusha-T.
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This Is Love
Can you describe the moment When two people fall in love? Some say the clouds will spin in circles And the rain will turn to doves The poor will... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 12
  3. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. Absolute Punk (Staff reviews)
    Jun 25, 2013
    88
    By teaming up with some of the best producers in the r&b/hip-hop genre right now, including frequent Drake collaborators T-Minus and Boi-1da, Kelly Rowland has managed to make one of the best sounding r&b albums of the year.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Jun 19, 2013
    83
    Rowland serves up a smorgasbord of her triumphant and sometimes profane fourth studio album. [21 Jun 2013, p.68]
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  3. Spin
    Jun 19, 2013
    80
    Talk a Good Game is her realness in full flower, an album that balances world-weariness about relationships with infectious dollops of sexual agency, tackling the vagaries of love almost exclusively and offering anthems for experiences that every woman has had (or will have) at some point.
  4. AllMusic
    Jun 19, 2013
    70
    The album quickly stabilizes with satisfying, if mostly unexciting, material. Other than the lack of European dance-pop, the main difference between this set and Here I Am is the presence of Rowland's most revealing and powerful song, "Dirty Laundry."
  5. NOW Magazine
    Jul 8, 2013
    60
    Emotionally raw, [Dirty Laundry is] far more intimate than her sexier songs, proving that her best recipe for success is baring her soul rather than her bedroom secrets.
  6. The Guardian
    Jun 27, 2013
    60
    Rowland's pendulum has swung away from her Guetta-dance flirtation back to her R&B roots, but this set is still a grab-bag of Janet Jackson homages and bedroom-eyed midtempos on which Rowland's come-hither lyrics remain at odds with her slightly prim delivery.
  7. Consequence
    Jun 24, 2013
    30
    ["Dirty Laundry" is] so raw and visceral that we finely see her as intended: vulnerable, flawed, and totally real. She tries replicating that authenticity, but there’s only the uber-cliché “I don’t care; we’re over” anthem “Gone” and the album’s superficially enjoyable title track, which Rowland approaches with some intriguing level of nuance.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. OurEntity
    Aug 30, 2015
    9
    Another amazing album. Definitely one of the best albums of that year if not the best Contemporary R&B albums of all time. I loved at least 4Another amazing album. Definitely one of the best albums of that year if not the best Contemporary R&B albums of all time. I loved at least 4 5th of the album, not to many albums I have come across where I can actually listen from start to finish. This album is not one of those albums that you have to buy only for a couple good songs, as almost every song was beyond good.… Expand
  2. GeorgePaskalev
    Jul 13, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Already critically acclaimed as her most cohesive body of work, Talk a Good Game stands out in Kelly Rowland’s discography as a record that doesn’t just exist as a shelter for discrete tracks; it was rather created to be a home to some very personal and connected stories, experiences, and emotions. The name of the game is love, and each song defines a rule about how love should and should not feel. Melodies and lyrics unite to re-create different stages of Rowland’s relationships, and her vehement vocals precisely capture the essence of emotions and lessons she does not want to forget.

    Penned by The-Dream, the controversial tell-it-all second single, “Dirty Laundry,” is the most vivid example of the boundaries that have been pushed on this album. Revealing past moments of jealousy towards Beyonce, along with an abusive relationship that caused the tension between the former Destiny’s Child bandmates shortly after the “Survivor” era, the song gets more and more intense as it progresses, showcasing a stirring build-up culminated by the lines “He turned me against my syster I missed ya.” Immediately after “Laundry,” Kelly has chosen to place her collaboration with Beyonce and Michelle, “You Changed.” Many have compared the song to Destiny’s Child’s song, “Girl,” and the song indeed is a sequel to the Destiny Fulfilled single. Defined by beautiful harmonies and cathartic lyrics, the song closes the chapter that both “Girl” and “Dirty Laundry” had started. And make no mistake, the song is truly a Kelly Rowland track that features Mrs. Carter and Ms. Williams.

    The Wiz Khalifa-assisted “Gone,” puts a more playful and sassy spin on the break-up situation. A snapping beat produced by Harmony Samuels and the catchy sample of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” (also on Janet Jackson’s “Got ‘Til It’s Gone”) make this song the most logical choice for next single. Another stand-out track on Talk a Good Game is the title track, produced by T-Minus. Delivering her exhortative lines, Rowland sets the most fundamental rule of the game, “why do things the hard way when you can just be honest?”

    Don’t think that Rowland has neglected her naughty side; sexuality is part of the palette on this album as well. The album opener, “Freak,” along with the first single, “Kisses Down Low,” and the collaboration with The-Dream, “Sky Walker,” all touch on the subject of exploring your sexuality to the fullest and sharing your dirtiest desires with your partner. “Walker” even gets as far and provocative as suggesting that a man might “need a main girl that you like a side chick.”

    The second half of the record is dedicated to love’s positive outcomes and true romance. An anthem for ultimate surrender, the Samuels-produced “Put Your Name On It,” showcases the most powerful vocal performance on the album. “Stand In Front of Me,” a 50′s doo-wop inspired ode to romance and chivalry, will surely bring out some sort of visual of a dancing couple in your mind; perfect for a wedding song.

    There is one last stand-out track that is sort of off-topic, addressing the social issues around the street culture and strives for self-improvement the gravelly Pharrell-penned “Street Life.” It could be the horns combined with the accelerating drums, but parts of that song remind me of Beyonce’s “Countdown.”

    Overall, Kelly Rowland delivered her least-commercial, but most solid record to date. Will there be a huge hit coming out of this album? Probably not. But chances are that it will be remembered more than her previous releases.    … Expand
  4. arvintaylor138
    Mar 14, 2014
    7
    Not better than it's predecessor, Here I Am (due to the lack of dance songs), but it narrowly cuts the positiveNot better than it's predecessor, Here I Am (due to the lack of dance songs), but it narrowly cuts the positive mark............................................… Expand
  5. Szabi
    Jun 22, 2013
    7
    Talk a Good Game is very solid R&B album. Her vocals are on spot throughout the record probably further improved since Here I Am. That saidTalk a Good Game is very solid R&B album. Her vocals are on spot throughout the record probably further improved since Here I Am. That said however as a dance music fan I am disappointed by the lack of danceable R&B numbers on the album, except Skywalker which on the repeat since I purchased the CD. She seems to have abandoned her dance fans which is a shame as her voice fits the beat so well like no other current female singer nowadays.… Expand
  6. CriticMLT
    Jul 2, 2016
    7
    I have to say this is my first album that i listened from Kelly Rowland and i am proud to say that i am not disappointed. Her vocals areI have to say this is my first album that i listened from Kelly Rowland and i am proud to say that i am not disappointed. Her vocals are phenomenal and the lyrics are very well written with a good beat. I recommend you to listen to it especially if you like pop and R&B and the collaborations are quiet good.
    My results :
    1. Freak 9/10
    2. Kisses down low 8/10
    3. Gone ft Wiz Khalifa 9/10
    4. Talk a good game ft Kevin Cossom 7/10
    5. Down on love 7/10
    6. Dirty Laundry 9/10
    7. You changed ft Beyonce and Michelle Williams 8/10
    8. I remember 7/10
    9. Red wine 8/10
    10. This is love 8/10
    11. Street life ft Pusha T 10/10
    12. Stand in front of me 8/10
    13. Sky walker ft The-Dream 8/10
    14. Put your name on it 6/10
    15. #1 7/10
    overall: 79.3    … Expand
  7. Wael
    Jul 2, 2015
    4
    When Kelly started the promotional campaign for this comeback album, it sounded like she was upgrading herself musically and artistically.When Kelly started the promotional campaign for this comeback album, it sounded like she was upgrading herself musically and artistically. Unfortunately that turned out to be wrong. Sure there are some great songs in there, like "Dirty Laundry" (a masterpiece) and "Red Wine", but the rest sounds dull and repetitive.… Collapse