The World
According to Keri Hilson

Timing is everything, especially in the music industry. At 25 years old, Atlanta-native Keri Lynn Hilson spent the last four years in the studio writing and recording her debut album, In A Perfect World…, with urban/pop’s biggest producers Timbaland, Polow Da Don and Nate “Danja” Hills. While working on her album, she became a sought-after songwriter, with her writing team The Clutch penning numerous Billboard hits for artists like Timbaland, Britney Spears, Ciara, Chris Brown and many others. But now, Hilson is back in “full Keri mode” and she’s ready to cement her mark on the industry with one of the most anticipated albums of 2008. With contributions from Justin Timberlake (co-writer on “Slow Dance”) and Lil Wayne (featured on “Turn Off” ), Hilson is more than a pretty face—she is the complete package. Be on the lookout for her debut album in stores later this month.
  
You have a very unique situation, being signed to Interscope under Timbaland’s Mosley Music Group and Polow da Don’s Zone 4 Inc. What is it like having two of hip-hop/pop’s biggest producers in your corner?
I love it. It’s great. In this past couple years, Polow brought a pop sound to hip-hop and Timbaland brought a hip-hop sound to pop, and I’m really appreciative that I’m in the middle of a situation with the both of them because they both blend the two genres very well. It’s a good feeling knowing that the two heads of my career are as successful and creative as they are.
 
This project has been more than four years in the making. In what ways have you and your sound evolved from the beginning of the recording process to now?
My sound, what I do for myself, really hasn’t evolved much. I kind of went in with a clear vision of what I wanted. I wanted to mix all genres in one because I am that and I listen to lots of different music, so I wanted to accomplish that. “Where Did He Go?,” which was leaked, was the second song I did with Timbaland and it’s still at the core of everything this album is about. I haven’t evolved much, but the songs kept getting better and better and better.
 
What’s the meaning behind the album title In A Perfect World…?
I say that to say that no one’s world is perfect, and I’m no different. I didn’t want to do an album that painted myself perfect or didn’t express the vulnerabilities that women really have, and that’s the basis of what that means.
 
The first single is “Energy.” What was the inspiration behind that record?
I didn’t write it, nor did Timbaland or Polow produce it. It was one of the songs that we heard and we just liked. I decided to give it a try by cutting it and putting my mojo on it and did just that. I’m very proud of that record. We all felt it fit the format of what I was doing, and it’s the only song I didn’t write. There are singer/songwriters that don’t write every song that they release and I had to come to realize that’s what being a real artist is about really—taking a song and making it your own. I think that’s part of being a great artist—knowing what is in your lane, knowing what people love you for and not turning it down because of publishing.
 
Give us a preview of the album. What are some of your favorite tracks on the album?
One is called “Intuition.” It’s produced by Timbaland and has a Middle Eastern undertone. It’s hard to describe. I like it conceptually. You know women, we’re hopeless romantics, so we are always trying to turn a Mr. Wrong into a Mr. Right. It’s about the period in which you’re first falling for this person but you can’t let the brick wall down. Another is “Mic Check.” It’s written with The Clutch and produced by Timbaland. It’s my last plea, saying, “You’re not attentive to what I need, so if you don’t hear me, I’m out.”
 
With Beyoncé and Ciara dropping albums later this year, what do you bring to the table that separates you from your female peers?
There’s a certain vulnerability that I express, but on the other end, there’s a strength that comes from embracing your vulnerabilities. Obviously, [there’s] the fact that I’ve had success as a songwriter and now I’m doing my own album. And also, I’m a tomboy. That’s the third thing I think people will gravitate toward. I’m not trying to be abrasive to women. I want them to see that it’s OK to be confident and be yourself. •