Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Untitled - R. Kelly
  • Band Name: R. Kelly
  • Record Label: Jive
  • Release Date: Dec 1, 2009
Metascore
62 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
view
per page
  1. Billboard.com
    84
    The album is signature Kelly: fantasy-filled romps, club jams and heartfelt ballads brought to life by the singer's ear for catchy beats and melodies and mood-setting lyrics.
  2. Boston Globe
    80
    Forget the salacious material; you come away from Untitled marveling at his craftsmanship. When he's on his game, no modern R&B artist even approaches the Chicago veteran (here working with various producers).
  3. All Music Guide
    70
    He's coasting here, no doubt about it, but no one can coast like he can
  4. Rolling Stone
    70
    One of his horniest albums yet (!), Kelly's 10th gets ridiculous fast.
  5. Spin
    70
    Last year's remarkably lewd "12 Play: Fourth Quarter" may go down (so to speak) as one of the great unreleased albums in pop history. Fortunately, several of its prime cuts, including the silky-smooth 'Go Low,' surface on Untitled, which contains no shortage of fresh raunch.
  6. The New York Times
    70
    Call it focus, call it obsession, call it tunnel vision, call it formula: R. Kelly is consistent.
  7. Prefix Magazine
    65
    What Untitled lacks, is focus. In the world in which R. Kelly operates, what's required of a great or even pretty good album is either several singles or a feeling of overwhelming personality from the artist. Most of the time, the two things accompany each other.
  8. NOW Magazine
    60
    At its best, Untitled sounds like a compilation of his previous work--a smooth-voiced crooner reading a sex thesaurus over R&B beats.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    58
    Untitled's titles-- 'Pregnant,' 'Whole Lotta Kisses,' and (yes) 'Bangin' the Headboard'--don't do much to flip the script, or even write a new page.
  10. The A.V. Club
    58
    Kelly is still intermittently hilarious--if never intentionally so--but too much of Untitled feels generic, which is a curious flaw for a larger-than-life eccentric with the most, though not necessarily the best, personality in mainstream R&B.
  11. Dot Music
    50
    Throughout most of Untitled, Kelly seems to have taken the worst aspects of "Trapped In The Closet"--it's over-the-head relentless melodies and lyrics--and decided that they'll work in a song until the repetition instead relegates it to wallpaper.
  12. Chicago Tribune
    50
    Strings, guitars and keyboards add color in carefully measured doses. The songs never develop much beyond their initial verse and chorus and rarely bother with contrasting bridge sections, but that's the point: No jarring changes to throw off the mood.
  13. Pitchfork
    48
    As with nearly every R. Kelly album, sex is Untitled's raison d'être. But too often here he trips over trends.
  14. The Guardian
    40
    His voice is heavenly and the production cool and slinky, but all that really registers is the explicitness of the lyrics.
  15. Slant Magazine
    40
    The only thing that prevents Untitled from dissolving in its own moisture is Kelly's consummately unhinged personality.
prev next
Page:
  • 1

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. dz9
    6
    Maybe its hard to judge this album. If someone with lower caliber had released it, most of the problems would be permissible. Although, a man of this caliber is expecting is to reach for more. The album's content is unbalanced, it seems like the tracks were skitzophrenic, one song would be a club banger, while the next one would be about love. By themselves, were great, but due to the overall theme of the album... they all fell flat. There were definitely a few great songs off the album, but they were mixed in with some average and bland tracks that held all the titles down... even the great ones. The Good: great vocals, and R. Kelly did in-fact give his fans their fix of his sex music. The Bad: Bland overall production, and a few not so great lyrical performances… Full Review »
  2. joannaj
    8
    This album does bring back the old r.kelly that we are used to , but there are some questionable songs on here. the best songs are echo, be my number #2, and elsewhere. I am glad that he has once again peaked my interest , and has awaken that school girl crush that i had on him all those 16 years ago. Its amazing what a couple of new songs will do.… Full Review »
  3. DavidStone
    10
    Classic album look beyond the sex and you will see a true genius at work.
See all user reviews »