The Best Ballad from Each Keyshia Cole Album | Playlist

R&B artist Keyshia Cole excels at singing, particularly when it comes to ballads.  This playlist of 7 songs, picks the best ballad from each of her albums.

Keyshia Cole is one of R&B’s most gifted singers.  Cole infuses ample emotion into her musical performances, making her quite the compelling artist.  Her ‘ace in the hole’ is her balladry – she kills it when it comes to the slow jam.  On this playlist, we choose the best ballad from each album by the esteemed R&B artist.

1. “Love”

Album: The Way It Is, 2005

It’s a close decision when examining Cole’s debut, The Way It Is.  Perhaps it’s the melisma of “Love” that edges out the equally capable “I Should’ve Cheated.” Or maybe it’s the influence of my inner hopeless romantic that allows “Love” to cross the finish line.

“Love,1st never knew what I was missin’ / But I knew once we start kissin’, I found / Love, never knew what I was missin’ / But I knew once we start kissin’ I found, I found you.”

2. “I Remember”

Album: Just Like You, 2007

Again, here’s another Keyshia Cole album with competing ballads.  Just Like You is undoubtedly the best album of her career, so therefore it’s jam-packed with goodness.  “I Remember” stands tallest, eclipsing excellent showings such as “Fallin’ Out” and “Heaven Sent.”

“I remember when my heart broke / I remember when I gave up loving you / My heart couldn’t take no more of you / I was sad and lonely / I remember when I walked out / I remember when I screamed I hated you / But somehow deep inside still loving you / Sad and lonely.”

3. “Trust” Ft. Monica

Album: A Different Me, 2009

A Different Me performed well on the charts, and was a critical success as well, but seemingly doesn’t receive the same attention as The Way It Is or Just Like You.  The ballads are in full-effect here, arguably more so than her first two albums – “Please Don’t Stop,” “You Complete Me,” “Playa Cardz Right,” etc. Still, hard to pass up on a female-power duet like “Trust,” which finds both artists in top-notch form.

“I know you’ve been a lot of things in your life / Got you feeling like this can’t be right. I won’t
/ Hurt you, I’m down for you baby. (I know you’ve seen / A lot of things) I know you’ve seen a lot of things in / Your life. Got you feeling like this can’t be right / I won’t hurt you, I’m down for you baby / (I’m down for you baby).”

4. “Long Way Down”

Album: Calling All Hearts, 2010

Calling All Hearts is one of my least favorite Keyshia Cole albums.  Even so, there are still a number of respectable songs like “Tired of Doing Me” (featuring Tank), “Take Me Away,” and “Last Hangover” (featuring Timbaland).  The best ballad belongs to “Long Way Down,” where Cole is in her zone, singing with considerable emotion.  On an album that’s arguably not vintage, it is one of the vintage moments.

“Don’t show me how you kiss, or where the angels live / You know it’s a long way down from there / Just to call it quits, cuz that ain’t what love is / You know it’s a long way down from there / Baby it’s a Long-Long-Long-Long-Long-Long Way Down / (Fallin’ from Heaven) / Baby it’s a Long-Long-Long-Long-Long-Long Way Down / (Fallin’ from Heaven).”

5. “Trust and Believe”

Album: Woman II Woman, 2012

Woman to Woman was a clear step-up from Calling All Hearts, even if by this time, Cole began seeing sales diminish.  While the album itself would never beat Just Like You one-on-one, there are plenty of superb songs like “Enough of No Love” (featuring Lil Wayne) and “I Choose You.” “I Choose You” was a prime candidate for the best ballad, but the high-flying, heartfelt “Trust and Believe” is just too good to pass up.

“Believe me, you’re gonna need me / Trust and believe me, she’ll never be me / And I’m so over you / Go get lost / Boy I don’t know who do you think you are?”

6. “Remember (Part 2)”

Album: Point of No Return, 2014

Every artist has a disappointing album somewhere in their category, even if in some cases, it’s still a respectable project.  Cole’s sole album attributed to Interscope Records, Point of No Return, is the weakest of her career to date.  This album felt forced, too explicit, and just an ill fit for a tremendously talented musician.  However, Cole got one awesome ballad out of it, closer “Remember (Part 2),” which is among the most moving of her career.

“Everything that you told me / Everything you said we’d be / Don’t you remember, don’t you remember? / Everything that you told me / Everything you said we’d be / Don’t you remember, don’t you remember? / And I baby, just can’t take no more / It’s not meant to be / Before I leave gotta tell you.”

7. “Incapable”

Album: 11:11 Reset, 2017

After missing the mark on Point of No Return, Keyshia Cole “returned” to form on her seventh studio album, 11:11 Reset.  The affair marked her first for Epic Records.  Judging by the quality, it feels like a match made in heaven.  With a number of great songs, including some excellent ballads, arguably the best is “Incapable.”  Initially, I had some nitpicks in regards to this ballad – too many sections, more development, etc. – but after listening nonstop, this is a gem.  The best moments are towards the end when Cole really owns the chorus, changing up the melody.  Stunning.

“Oh, what a, oh, what a feeling / The one that I thought that I needed / Was Incapable, incapable, of needing me back / Incapable, incapable, of loving like that.”

Photo Credits: A&M, Geffen, Epic