NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A sheer dress silhouetting a black body suit, Usher鈥檚 signature crowd interaction and a tweet from her child鈥檚 father: that concoction created a nearly two-week social media frenzy starring Keke Palmer back in 2023. Now, has channeled that experience into her new album, 鈥淛ust Keke.鈥�
鈥淚t was tough 鈥� I didn鈥檛 even realize I was in such grief,鈥� said the 31-year-old about the fallout of her extremely public breakup with her ex, Darius Jackson. 鈥淚 get to put that same emotion into a song, and I get tell 鈥� what鈥檚 going on in a way that it can translate.鈥�
Following 2023鈥檚 鈥淏ig Boss,鈥� her third solo studio project, out now, is an 18-track visual album conceptualized and directed by Palmer and her team. Tayla Parx, who鈥檚 written for Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa, handled the bulk of the writing and executive produced with Palmer. The storyline follows . But her vulnerability about her well-publicized relationship drama is the album鈥檚 throughline.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what artistry is 鈥� mine is about transmutation, said Palmer, who鈥檚 usually mum about her romantic relationships. 鈥淚 have to address something that I would never address, especially nothing on an intimate level 鈥� that鈥檚 just so not me. But I knew that I had to because now that it鈥檚 become public, it鈥檚 become a part of my work, and I have to respond to it as such. And that just caused me to have to grow.鈥�
While attending Usher鈥檚 popular Las Vegas residency in 2023, the Emmy winner danced closely with the music icon during his routine audience interaction segment. Social videos of the interaction prompted a viral tweet from Jackson, her ex-boyfriend and child鈥檚 father, criticizing her attire, writing, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the outfit tho.. you a mom.鈥�
While he was quickly admonished online, the conversation eventually moved beyond social media to articles and think pieces tackling subjects ranging from patriarchy, women鈥檚 attire, and having children before marriage.
Standout tracks on 鈥淛ust Keke鈥� include 鈥淢y Confession鈥� 鈥� a tongue-in-cheek interpolation of Usher鈥檚 hit "Confessions, Pt. II" 鈥� as well as the previously released "125 Degrees鈥� and 鈥淥ff Script.鈥� She passionately belts out her love on the ballad 鈥淯nless It鈥檚 You,鈥� while 鈥淢isunderstood鈥� finds her asking, 鈥淒on鈥檛 you see me throwing out a lifeline? / You too busy pinning me the bad guy / Maybe we ain鈥檛 doing what we should / or maybe we鈥檙e just misunderstood.鈥�
鈥淲hat the project, I think, speaks to as well is just like reclamation,鈥� said the 鈥淣ope鈥� star, admitting the album could reignite criticism about her personal life. 鈥淚鈥檓 just Keke, hate it or love it. This is me, this is my story, this is how I see things, I see my life 鈥� the whole point of it, too, is making peace with just saying what you got to say and letting it be that.鈥�
While Palmer鈥檚 mic is still hot, she鈥檚 extremely booked and busy on Hollywood lots: a sequel to 鈥淥ne of Them Days,鈥� and she stars with Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson in 鈥淭he Pickup鈥� from Prime Video in August. The 鈥淎keelah and the Bee鈥� actor will lead Peacock鈥檚 upcoming TV adaptation of Mel Brook鈥檚 鈥淭he 鈥橞urbs,鈥� and she鈥檒l join the team on 鈥淪paceballs 2鈥� with original stars Bill Pullman and Rick Moranis, the latter a reclusive 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s star who鈥檚 since largely stayed out of Hollywood.
Palmer says she鈥檒l judge the success of 鈥淛ust Keke鈥� not necessarily by sales or Billboard charts, but by potential opportunities that arise, whether it鈥檚 creating and directing visual albums for other artists, helming her own musical and comedic variety show, or even embarking on her own world tour.
鈥淚t could look like so many things, and I鈥檓 open to all of them,鈥� said Palmer. 鈥淎s long as I know that I put my all into this, I know I can鈥檛 lose.鈥�
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
Gary Gerard Hamilton, The Associated Press
