Keri Hilson ft. Kanye West, Ne-Yo: 'Knock You Down'

Published May 27 2009, 09:05 BST  |  By Nick Levine

Though it cracked the top 20 earlier this month, 'Return The Favour' could only propel Keri Hilson's debut album - three years in the making, exec produced by Timbaland and Polow Da Don - to #62 on the UK albums chart. Ouch. No wonder her label's whacking out the next single pretty sharpish.

First, the good news. 'Knock You Down', a midtempo Danja production built around a stabbing synth riff, sounds like a more obvious hit than 'Return The Favour'. Sadly, it also illustrates that Hilson's greatest blessing as a performer - her connections - can be a bit of a curse. Getting two R&B A-listers to appear on your track should be a real coup, but not when one's got a more distinctive voice than you and the other steals the show with some typically ballsy rapping.


> Click here to read our review of Keri Hilson's album