Keri Hilson Shares New Song 'Bae,' Unveils New Album Tracklist

Keri Hilson is officially back. The Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter has released her new song “Bae.”

Produced by Mel & Mus (Chris Brown, Usher, Nicki Minaj), “Bae” brims with the warmth and sweetness of a love so serene.

“Maybe it’s your fragrance / Wanna kiss you every morning / When you wake up / It’s a vibration / Don’t know what to call it right now / But this s—t feel amazing,” Hilson sings in the first verse.

“Bae” is the first offering from Hilson’s long-awaited third album, We Need To Talk, which releases April 18 via Create Music Group.

The album, which will be issued in three installments, will mark Hilson’s first project release since 2010’s No Boys Allowed. The latter album included her hit “Pretty Girl Rock,” plus features from Chris Brown, J. Cole, Kanye West, Rick Ross, and Timbaland.

Part one of We Need To Talk consists of nine tracks, including a feature from rapper Method Man.

When asked about what she hope listeners would take away from her first album in 15 years, Hilson told Rated R&B, “I just want people to have music that is good, that they like, they ride to, that they clean their house to, and that they drive around to listen to on the airplane or on a beach somewhere. I want people to have me again. That’s literally all I wanted, to be back in the ears of those who do love my offerings. I don’t anticipate or try to expect things to come of it.”

Keri Hilson's We Need To Talk album cover — Audible Art Club / Create Music Group

Circling back to No Boys Allowed, Hilson’s second album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with 102,000 copies sold in the first week. The album followed her 2009 debut, In A Perfect World..., which included her Grammy-nominated hit “Knock You Down” featuring Ne-Yo.

Aside from music, Hilson will star as Cherish in the Lifetime original movie, Fame: A Temptations Story, premiering April 26 at 8 p.m. ET. Hilson co-stars alongside Keisha Chanté. They play the Jordan sisters, who are also a famous sibling singing duo.

Per the logline, “After returning to their hotel one night, the sisters’ penthouse is the target of a frightening jewel heist. Investigators believe the robbery was an inside job, and rumors spread that Roxy secretly planned and staged the crime. Will the sisters put aside their lust for the spotlight, or will they let their temptation for fame tear them apart for good?”

Speaking on her new role, Hilson told Rated R&B, “Well, it’s funny, I had never played a celebrity. I have never played an artist like a musician, but obviously, I connect with her there. However, we are pretty different. She’s a lot more pretentious. Her intentions are also very different.”

She continued, “I still liked her playing her. I liked her as a celebrity. She does have a heart when it comes to things. She’s a go-getter, and that’s really where we connect. The things that I want, I go after.”

Stream Keri Hilson’s new song “Bae” and see the tracklist for We Need To Talk below.