Los Angeles: Keri Hilson initially planned to break into the music industry as a singer. Straight from the best-laid-plans file, however, she encountered several false starts. But she didn`t abandon her dream.
Hilson did put it on layaway as she sharpened another skill: songwriting. Not only has she become a sought-after writer, Hilson finally broke out earlier this year as a chart-topping singer with her aptly titled debut album, "In a Perfect World."
And her career evolution underscores the increasing role publishing companies are playing in artist development.
Five years ago, the relatively unknown songwriter signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. At that point, Hilson`s resume included credits as the teen lead singer of one-time Elektra girl group By D`Sign and early songwriting efforts on projects by Kelly Rowland and Ciara.
"Melody is one of Keri`s strongest points and she`s very clever lyrically," said Ethiopia Habtemariam, the company`s New York-based senior VP/head of urban.
Around that time, Atlanta-based songwriter/producer Polow Da Don arranged an introduction between Hilson and Timbaland. The producer signed her to his Interscope-distributed Mosley Music imprint in 2006.
All the while, Hilson was developing her songwriting skills. Stranded in Miami during Hurricane Katrina following a songwriting retreat, she became a founding member of the songwriting/production collective the Clutch. The five-person team has churned out such R&B/hip-hop and pop hits as Mary J. Blige`s "Take Me As I Am," Britney Spears` "Gimme More" and Omarion`s "Ice Box."
Through her connection with Timbaland and Polow, Hilson got placements for songs recorded by the Pussycat Dolls ("Wait a Minute") and Ludacris ("Runaway Love"). She also wrote and was featured on Timbaland`s top five Billboard Hot 100 hit "The Way I Are." Then two years ago she began to focus on her dream.
The long gestation from songwriter to artist paid off. Hilson`s "In a Perfect World" debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Selling 411,000 copies after 19 weeks, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has spun off two hits: "Knock You Down" featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo and "Turnin` Me On" featuring Lil Wayne. A new single, "Slow Dance," is scaling the charts, as is R. Kelly`s "Number One" featuring Hilson.
Hilson recently returned to the studio to begin writing for forthcoming albums by Timbaland and Chris Brown, as well as her own next project. Looking back on her songwriter-to-artist evolution, she says taking the alternate route was worth it.
"I thought I was ready back then," she says. "But in all actuality, I now know a little more than the average new artist. I learned a lot about the business from my behind-the-scenes view. And my songwriting has definitely made me a lot less inhibited as a singer and opened up the creative boundaries I thought I had. It`s a double learning experience that`s given me a strong foundation."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.