Keri Hilson has changed up her image in the past two years. Ms. Hilson has definitely turned on her sexy side and makes it known, especially in her music videos. Keri spoke to out about her image, the backlash from it, if she feels having a sexy image is necessary, and her relationship with Chris Brown.
About doing things other don’t approve up, especially during videos:
Hilson claims the decision to shoot such an overtly sexual video was a personal choice, and not a calculated attempt to shift her act into adult territory. “That video was a decision of mine. I did it because even though I’ve never been that sexual, I am a woman and I do have that side of me. It wasn’t society’s pressures, otherwise I’d do that in every video. But, it was a moment in time and if you write a record like that, certain visuals come along with it.”
I ask her whether she would make such a raunchy video again and she replies, “It’s not something I want to make a habit of doing, but I don’t want to make a habit of censoring myself. If it feels right in the moment, I’ll capture that. It may live forever, but whatever you feel in the moment is the right thing to do. I didn’t feel the criticism. I wasn’t as impacted as others were. My intention wasn’t to throw it in the world’s faces, it was to do me. I honestly didn’t feel the criticism too strongly; I just lived through it while others had a problem with it.”
On if she feels having a sexy image is necessary:
“When you think about when TLC came out saying, ‘I’m not too proud to beg… if I need it in the morning or the middle of the night,’ it was very sexual and it was everything you weren’t supposed to be as a lady. They wore men’s clothing and condoms all over. They were beautiful girls but they were so tomboy-ish, you didn’t know what to think. That created a lane for them, even though they were just being themselves.
“I think that’s the message – Janet Jackson was just being herself. A great performer – people said ‘she’s too sexual’ but it never stopped her. Even Josephine Baker – they told her she was dancing too raunchy. People felt that she was being exploited but she was just doing what she did. She was fearless, she was bold, she went against the grain and became great. These are the kind of people that I look up to.”
“Back then, I think there was a choice. You had people that didn’t, like Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston. You had Mariah Carey, who eventually went there, but wasn’t sexual when she first started. These days there doesn’t seem to be such a broad stroke of types of artist. You’re either folk or soul, or else you’re R&B or pop – and then it’s almost like the sex has to be a part of it.”
On Chris Brown:
Hilson’s retains her frankness she discusses the potential backlash to her decision to collaborate with Chris Brown on single “One Night Stand”: “He actually wrote the song. I decided to leave him on it. It was as simple as that.” She continues, “I don’t believe in undermining anyone’s creative efforts for a mistake that they make in their personal life.
“In the same way that if you worked at a corporate job and were participating in infidelity, as long as it didn’t affect your work, I can’t fire you. That’s your PERSONAL life, I’m not going to undermine what you bring to the table; what you bring to my business – I take that same view in music. We did this with Michael Jackson; we did this with R Kelly. I’m not going to kick someone whilst they’re down, I just don’t believe in that. [Chris Brown] is a great artist, and I will continue to collaborate with anyone who I consider a friend.”
For the full interview go here.
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