Untitled (originally titled 12 Play: 4th Quarter) is the ninth studio album by American R&B recording artist R. Kelly. It was released in the UK on November 30, 2009, and in the US by Jive Records on December 1, 2009. It was entirely produced by R. Kelly and a team of younger producers.Stewart, Allison. Review: Untitled. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2009-12-01.

Background In 2008, the album's title was initially supposed to be released under the name 12 Play: 4th Quarter, however, that version of this project leaked before release and so it was decided that the whole project should be re-recorded. That title is still referenced in several songs on the album.

Singles Supaman High featuring OJ da Juiceman was supposed to be the album's lead single, but due to a label and artist dispute, it was repurposed as a promotional single for the album.

The album's lead single, "Number One" featuring Keri Hilson, was released on July 28, 2009. The song peaked at number 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.R. Kelly Reveals New Album Will Be Called Untitled. MTV News.R. Kelly - Number One. DJ Booth.

Both second and third singles, "Religious" and "Echo" (both released October 10, 2009), charted lower, with peak positions of numbers 48 and 52 respectively on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

Critical reception

Untitled received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics.Untitled Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2011-02-16. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 62, based on 15 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it three-and-a-half out of five stars and called it "a simple, concept-free, creatively unambitious R&B album". Mikael Wood of Spin complimented the album's "fresh raunch", noting "'Bangin' the Headboard' and 'Pregnant' (as in 'You make me wanna get you…') are bawdy even by Kelly's considerable standards".Wood, Mikael (January 2010). Review: Untitled. Spin. Retrieved on 2011-02-16. Tom Horan of The Daily Telegraph praised Kelly's "unwavering focus" and stated, "should headboard-banging be in the offing, this will make a fine accompaniment."

In a mixed review, The A.V. Clubs Nathan Rabin gave the album a C+ rating and commented that it "feels generic".Rabin, Nathan. Review: Untitled. The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2009-12-14. Drew Hinshaw of The Village Voice found it lacking any "larger themes from Untitleds sex seminars" and stated, "It's tragic to see a master of r&b finesse fall back onto a childish, domineering bent that comes off as boorish, entitled, and mean-spirited."Hinshaw, Drew. Review: Untitled. The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-12-01. Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot wrote that Kelly "massages simple (and sometimes simplistic) words into hooks through phrasing that is pliant, inventive, audacious, sometimes silly", commenting that "That ardor is framed by music that is everything his lyrics are not: subtle, ornate, at times downright refined. As a producer and arranger, he is meticulous with detail, orchestrating hand claps, finger snaps and drum machines to create just the right rhythm backdrop for an evening of 'wooo and weee'".Kot, Greg. Review: Untitled. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved on 2009-11-27. Jon Pareles of The New York Times found the album "routine" for Kelly, although he stated, "Still, even a routine R. Kelly song outshines much of the competition."Pareles, Jon. Review: Untitled. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-11-30.

Accolades In 2011, Untitled was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, presented at the 53rd Grammy Awards.Nominees: 2010 - 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. Grammy.com. Retrieved on 2010-12-02.

Commercial performance The album debuted at number 4 on the US Billboard 200, selling 110,000 copies in its first week, marking his ninth top five album on the chart. It also reached the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. As of June 2022, the album had sold over 500,000 copies going gold in the United States.

Track listing

Charts

Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Untitled Chart (2009) Peakposition South African Albums (RSG) 19

Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Untitled Chart (2010) Position US Billboard 200 109 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) 27

Release history + Untitled release history Region Date Format Label United KingdomNovember 30, 2009Clean versionSony Music Entertainment88697599152United StatesDecember 1, 2009 Clean versionJive Records 886973113721Explicit lyrics886973113622

See also List of number-one R&B albums of 2009 (U.S.)

References

External links