Probably one of the most notable musicians of the 21st century to fall from grace was none other than R. Kelly (birth name Robert Sylvester Kelly). After being caught out for some crimes of a disgusting nature that really should be mentioned elsewhere, he has around 30 years in prison left for those particular crimes. Before then, however, R. Kelly was a successful Pop/RnB star in the early part of the 21st century. He not only made good songs but had a loyal fanbase to back that up with him. Inspired by his own mother’s ability to sing and Soul records from an early age, R. Kelly nonetheless despite his questionable criminal record, has sold many millions of albums and made fame and fortune before prison. This is one of the best records he made in retrospect, and it would be foolish to ignore its popularity. Let’s take a listen to it and we shall hear what it sounds like.

Chocolate Factory begins with some smooth vocals and beats and piano. R. Kelly sounds incredibly sensual and sexual on this record from the start, and he follows in the vein of singers such as Marvin Gaye. This is a great listen with romantic and sexual intent. This is awesome, surprisingly so, for such a style of music. Comparing a lover to a chocolate factory, this could be about loving a fellow African-American lady. Despite the imagery, this sounds very good and is a welcome listen musically. R. Kelly sounds like he wants to woo every single lady in his reach, and the music is simple and poptastic and points ahead to the future of RnB in this song. Nonetheless, this song is excellent, even if this is not the best song from this album. Having said that, it is a good example of the musical talent that R. Kelly had at the time. The chorus is repeated towards the end, with multitracked vocals that are joyous and decent. A great song, and it fades out at the end.

Step In The Name Of Love begins with some nice beats, funk basslines and other inviting sounds throughout. This is a very smooth and interesting listen, with many great fragments of sound that are delicious. R. Kelly sings smoothly and well here, pouring his sexuality and sensuality into his music. This is a really very impressive and consistent listening experience that sounds magical, interesting and special. There is a slight Bee Gees Disco Music vibe on this song, and the production is polished but not too far digital that it is unappealing. In any case, this is one of the best albums one could play whilst making love to their partner. A really great tune to listen to, even if its minimal musical nature sounds a bit repetitive. Still, that is the point of this music. No doubt R. Kelly was inspired by the likes of Michael Jackson, Prince and Marvin Gaye, along with other similar solo singers. This music also has a broad appeal in its romantic/sensual/sexual musical approach. There is some spoken word section over the music towards the end before some additional singing enters to make this very sexual tune come alive. Some great multitracked vocals are present towards the end of this song before the chorus returns. A great tune to listen to and enjoy, this music should live on, regardless of R. Kelly’s personal reputation. The ending is sublime.

Heart Of A Woman begins with some lush sounds, beats and gentle guitar being played. R. Kelly dedicates it to all the women out there, from all the men in the world. Soon enough, R. Kelly sings in a way that makes the listener realise that he wants to attract all the women in the area. In any case, this is a really beautiful, confident and well-delivered tune about respecting the needs and wants of ladies out there. A very smooth and beautiful song that is from a place that is very respectful towards ladies, this is far and away from the rampant sexism in styles of music that have come in the past decades before this release and since as well. In any case, this sensual and melodic tune is a really pleasant listening experience. In any case, this is a quality listening experience and proved that R. Kelly could have been much better appreciated in public life, had he not disgraced himself. A very pretty, enjoyable and understandable listen, the build-up of sounds (including electric guitar) and singing at the end of this song is really sensational. A very impressive and sweet listening experience, from start to finish. A good four-and-a-half-minute-long piece of music.

I’ll Never Leave begins with some piano and R. Kelly whispering telling a lover he will never leave her. Soon enough, this launches into a great and sensual/sexual listening experience about being so deeply in love with a woman that he will be by her side forever. This sounds absolutely gorgeous and has a euphoric chorus with some string sections to match. This points ahead to RnB Pop being a bigger success after the year 2000 than in previous times with this sort of musical approach. Regardless, this is a fantastic song to enjoy and to listen to. This is exactly what you need to play to a lady after she has a stressful day, given you are a heterosexual male. Regardless, this smooth, Soul-based production is unique and pretty. The music throughout is sensationally fantastic and it sounds like the sort of music one could play at their own wedding if one digs Soul-based RnB Pop Music. This fades out at the end, another good listen.

Been Around The World (feat. Ja Rule) begins with some nice piano and has R. Kelly and Ja Rule launch into a great and sensual listening experience that is about appreciating the loved ones in one’s life. This is a really gorgeous ballad that is self-conscious about being a star and coming back home to those who really care about themselves. A really pretty, enjoyable and loveable tune, this has some great multitracked vocals throughout, set to simple RnB Music. Ja Rule’s vocals sound a little too deep for this song, although his musical presence is decent, regardless. Regardless, R. Kelly could have chosen someone with a more appropriate vocal on this song. Despite that, this music is much better than one could expect from an RnB singer. A very good tune to listen to, and especially those who are famous in the world can understand. The typical lyrical themes about being forever with a lady are here, but the music still sounds great, even at the time of writing. This wraps up after just over four minutes with a soft fade out. Very decent.

You Made Me Love You begins with some Fender-styled guitar parts, harmonies and great singing. Some lush instrumentation is present in this song. This tune is really great and enjoyable to listen to, about falling in love with a pretty and decent lady of one’s fancy. This downtempo and awesome ballad sounds very professionally made and recorded, and it points out the emotions and romance behind a lovely person in one’s life. This details the pain and suffering that one’s love life has had in the past, and R. Kelly sounds like he wants to attract the best out of the woman in his life. A sustained and lone vocal performance stops the music in the second half before the music and singing return again. Very suspenseful and fantastic music to listen to, this is a real winner of a song. An underrated song in the history of music. R. Kelly was out to impress. A decent song to listen to.

Forever begins with some Fender Stratocaster-styled sounds, and launches into a gorgeous and saucy sounding ballad that sounds very deep and meaningful throughout. The music here is about lifelong romance and affection for a lover in one’s eyes. A fantastic song, and again, this is the sort of music that could easily be played at one’s wedding. This slow, sensual and lovely music reveals R. Kelly’s talent for creating solo career material that is fantastic to listen to many years later. This tune is a pretty, lovely and romantic listen. Even those who are single could easily listen and enjoy the romance of this music, and R. Kelly’s music should surpass his own dark personal life in the long run. A winner of a tune, this sounds clever, well-constructed and inspired. A real joy to hear, this is the sort of music that is 21st-century Disco Music with a nod to the spirit of Michael Jackson. Repeated vocals pleading to marry a woman of one’s fancy are at the end of this song. Brilliant.

Dream Girl begins with some lush textures and pleasant multitracked harmonies, before quickly launching into a super lush and sweet piece of music that sounds pleasant. This music is quite underrated in retrospect, and R. Kelly sounds like he wants to sexually attract the perfect woman for himself to spend the rest of his life with. In any case, this music is cleverly made, nicely crafted and bold throughout. A super sensual and sexually oriented tune that sounds brilliantly made, this is really outstanding from start to finish. A gorgeous piece of music with strings, beats and supercharged naturally great melodic singing, this is a great album that deserves to be declared so, despite R. Kelly’s dark personal life, which gradually unravelled over time. This does sound undeniably good, however. A fantastic song that sounds incredibly cool, this is a stunning and pretty listen. If you need an album to play to your crush, this is likely the best bet. Another fine song.

Ignition begins with some smooth vocals and launches into a pleasant tune with some great multitracked vocals and smooth instrumentation with liquid sounds, beats and a slight Funk Music-inspired backing track. This is the sort of music that young adults could listen to and enjoy with their partner, with a drink and smoke (likely weed, as indicated in this song), potentially. This is a really cool song that is focused, well-produced and interesting music that is exactly what those who pick the perfect woman for the night as a potential partner should hear. A really different and great song nonetheless, this is a shorter song that proves that if this album has a slight flaw, it is the length of the other songs so far. Mind you, this is a very minor musical flaw. The music is perfect to play in the car, and many young lovers will be impressed by this sort of tune. It ends with some repeated lyrics and segues into the next song.

Ignition – Remix is by far R. Kelly’s most popular song and was a big hit at the time. R. Kelly gives you the indication that this is a remix at the start, and instantly launches into a great RnB Pop masterpiece about picking up the perfect lady and having romantic and sexual fun with a lady, being drunk and horny, so to speak. This is a classy and fun song that has a broad appeal to those who have just reached adulthood and are with those that they love. Regardless of R. Kelly’s darker side personally, he sounds like the man of the moment here. A really brilliant listening experience, this is a real joy to listen to, to this very day. This deserves credit as a song, and this makes for a euphoric listening experience. For a few minutes, R. Kelly is Popstar extraordinaire. An excellent song. It fades out sweetly at the end.

Forever More begins with some crisp acoustic guitar and some laidback beats that sound pretty and delicious. This is another deeply romantic listening experience that sounds clean, clear and crisp production-wise. R. Kelly delivers a fantastic musical statement that is incredibly romantic and beautiful. This album is one of the best romantic-based listening experiences since the early days of The Beatles, and no doubt R. Kelly inspired a generation of up-and-coming Popstars to follow. Regardless, this music is pretty, lovely and well-crafted. Although the star of the show is R. Kelly, the music samples and production make him really come alive musically. A really joyous and inspired tune to listen to and enjoy, this gorgeous song is another winner. This is an unofficial concept album about lifelong romance. Another cool listen with strings and smooth guitar, alongside beats. Terrific.

You Knock Me Out begins with some upbeat vocals, a Funk-styled music backdrop with bongo beats and sounds just like a look back to the 1970s Motown-styled records. Still, R. Kelly’s singing is front and centre in the mix here, and this is another pleasant listening experience that sounds absolutely awesome throughout. R. Kelly sings about a girl who takes one’s fancy at the drop of a hat. This sort of album has a broad appeal, but especially for those who love smooth, sensual and pretty RnB. A really fantastic song, this is a sexually driven and excellent song, along with the rest of the album. Perhaps R. Kelly wished to create a concept album about eternal love here? Regardless, this is surprisingly good music through and through. This is the sort of album that is perfect for making babies with one’s wife. In any case, the multitracked singing towards the end is very, very good. Another awesome song.

Step In The Name Of Love – Remix is a long tune at over seven minutes in length. R. Kelly explains what stepping is about at the start of it, and mentions at length that stepping is much more than a dance. It’s an interesting intro, and eventually, R. Kelly has a backing track launch into the music, and he begins singing away very nicely. Nonetheless, this song again sounds quite good to listen to. This song is specifically about dancing, in particular, slow dancing with a lover. This music still sounds as good as it did in 2003 and points out that although R. Kelly sabotaged his own musical career for good in the end, this music still sounds like a musical treat to this day. A fine, fantastic and well-made song that sounds very romantic and gorgeous, this is a very beautiful listen with rich arrangements to back up R. Kelly’s pleasant singing. All in all, a classy post-Disco Music song that sounds brilliant. R. Kelly has a short spoken word section in the middle of this song about what this album is dedicated to, and it is clear that he succeeded here in intent. He goes on to state that this remix was a well-intended tune for this album. The song then resumes, and R. Kelly sounds like an RnB superstar (at the time) who could sing lush and near-perfect music to match. This is a little repetitive musically, given the song length, but it is nicely crafted and a lovely and compassionate listening experience. A powerful love song, this no doubt inspired many artists in the RnB scene over the years. This does feel a little repetitive, but there is no denying the power and beauty of this sweet song. An awesome and pleasant song that wraps up slowly with shoutouts to those making the music. R. Kelly also thanks the audience, too. A very good song, although a little lengthy.

Imagine That is a bit shorter length-wise. It is the perfect song by R. Kelly if you wish to close your eyes and relax. This tune has a piano, liquid sounds and lush beats throughout. If you need to play a song to your partner that is pleasant, sexual and loving, this sounds really awesome and cool for RnB Music for that purpose. A very consistently pleasant album and this song is no different. A great tune that should make one smile upon hearing it, although this song shows appeal to women more than men, this is another good ballad. This is a downtempo and pretty song, with surprisingly an electric guitar solo in it. A good and fresh out-of-the-kitchen tune, the guitar solo takes centre piece in the second half, and the backing track returns at the drop of a hat. A good listening experience about sex, this sounds monumentally awesome, all the way to the end of this song. The guitar solo sounds really top-notch throughout. A surprisingly different listen from R. Kelly on this album.

Showdown (feat. Ronald Isley) sounds like a take on the Wild West at the start, before launching into a different-sounding piece by R. Kelly. This is a song about lusting after a lady and feeling like one needs a woman’s love throughout. This is a lengthy tune nearly eight minutes long, and has a brief interlude which is incredibly weird. This interlude is really weird, and it has a dude ringing up a person looking for one’s woman. This isn’t exactly worth hearing and drags down the album a bit. It would have made more sense to remove this section and put it as a separate track. Shortly after, the music returns and we go back to the regular music at hand. R. Kelly sounds like he is being a bit paranoid on this song, really. There is yet another interlude containing a skit, which is really odd. A strange listening experience, this sounds very odd and again, would have benefitted the album if it were a separate track. R. Kelly launches back into the track at hand, this is a Rap-oriented piece that sounds quite different. The mixture of music and storyline is very annoying and really is not necessary here. Soon enough, the next section of the story occurs with a Wild West theme. The music then enters, and this continues on, being a bit of an experiment musically, rather than a song. The skit returns again, and this rather lengthy cut and awkward mixture about wanting to murder a guy whom one’s woman cheated on with isn’t pleasant. In any case, this track probably could be skipped. This tune wraps up with the track sounded good, with a climax at the end. Skip this one if you can, it is incredibly odd.

Snake (feat. Big Tigger) begins with a quick vocal intro and launches into a song with acoustic guitars and beats. This sounds different, utilising some unusual musical scales. A good song, but not as good as the rest of the album before it. It seems that R. Kelly ran out of steam towards the end of this album. Which, to be fair, is a little disappointing. There is a breakdown with some vocals by the guest here, but even so, this does sound awkward and not as good as most of what came before it. In any case, this is not outright bad but it sounds poorer than otherwise expected. There are many breakdowns with lone vocals throughout this track, and this sounds less focused and passionately delivered musically than before. Also, this tune is nearly five minutes long for such a simple tune. In any case, hardcore fans will be able to appreciate this, others may not. Big Tigger has a better voice to R. Kelly’s music than Ja Rule does, but this is not impressive listening. Sadly, this album has some more patchy material than desired. An okay listen, but lacking musically to be a great listen. Skip this one as well, if you wish. Ignorance is sometimes bliss.

Who’s That (feat. Fat Joe) – Edited is the last song on this album. It begins with a Spanish intro and a lady speaking Spanish very nicely and seductively. Fat Joe is in the background chatting away, which is amusing. R. Kelly launches into another fairly ordinary piece of music that proves that this RnB album could have benefited from some more critical editing. In any case, this awkward and odd-sounding piece of music likely can be stopped at this point. Experimentation is welcome in music, but not to the point that it sounds quite bad, as the music does here. You really can stop the record by this point. R. Kelly does some pseudo Rapping here, and this isn’t the best. Fat Joe was only briefly a star in the world of music, and it sounds as though he did better elsewhere musically anyway. The saving grace of this poor song is its length, being only three and a half minutes long. This wraps up with a repeated Spanish backing track and dialogue to fade out with.

This is a good album to listen to but was obviously recorded and arranged with the best songs first and the worst songs last. The last few songs, obviously placed there at the end of the album due to lack of musical quality, are not great. This drags down an otherwise interesting and driven album that blurs the lines between music for romance and/or sex. Although R. Kelly has fallen from grace in many, many ways since this album was released, this album and in particular Ignition – Remix proves that he had some talent in him. The album is not perfect, however. Should you listen to this album? If you want to seduce your partner with a sensual RnB Pop album, this is a very good choice for that.

An interesting and enjoyable RnB album, warts and all.

7/10