On October 22, 2009, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), following shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.

Hilson spent most of her teenage years working with producer Anthony Dent, as a songwriter and background vocalist for the likes of Usher, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Toni Braxton, Ciara and Polow da Don.

[4] Together, they wrote Mary J. Blige's "Take Me as I Am" (2006), Omarion's "Ice Box" (2006), Ciara's "Like a Boy" (2006), The Pussycat Dolls' "Wait a Minute" (2007) and Britney Spears' "Gimme More" (2007).

[4][6] In 2006, Polow introduced Hilson to American rapper and producer Timbaland, who then signed her to his record label, Mosley Music Group.

Hilson has extensive writing credits on the album having contributed to all of songs except for "Make Love", "Change Me", "Energy" and bonus track "Hurts Me".

On some of the tracks she has worked with her writing collective The Clutch who were responsible for her previous guest appearances on hit singles with mentor Timbaland ("The Way I Are" and "Scream").

Other songs were submitted by production trio 'The Runaways' (unknown at the time) who wrote and produced the lead single "Energy" whilst Hannon Lane, Timbaland, Esther Dean and Polow da Don also providing further tracks for recording.

Lil Wayne, Keyshia Cole, Trina, Timbaland, Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Akon and Nicole Scherzinger are all featured vocalists on the album's track listing (though it does vary by territory).

Notable credits can also be attached to Justin Timberlake who co-wrote the 90's themed "Slow Dance" and Jim Beanz who worked on R&B anthem "How Does it Feel" and R&B ballad "Hurts Me" which is featured as a bonus track.

Hilson had appeared as Ne-Yo's love interest in the video for his song "Miss Independent," the second single taken from his 2008 album, Year of the Gentleman.

In a September 2008 interview with Rap-Up about a recent crop of songwriters becoming singers, Ne-Yo said "For one, I think Keri Hilson’s too freakin’ pretty to be in the background.

Kanye was given the opportunity to add his vocals at the last possible moment before the album was mastered and chose the song "Knock You Down" which went on to become Hilson's biggest hit as a solo artist.

"Mic Check" (featuring Akon) and "Love Ya" were two songs produced by Timbaland and Danja respectively that were not included in the final track listing despite being mentioned early on by Hilson on her website and during interviews.

[17] At one stage the album was due to feature a collaboration with Snoop Dogg called "Henny and Apple Juice" that would have been released as the lead single – it was confirmed during early interviews and during a blog with Concrete Loop in 2007.

[3] Although in July 2009 in London, UK Hilson gave an interview in which she stated that a re-release of the album was in the pipeline for the end of the year and could feature some of the leftover songs such "Love Ya" as well as some new recordings with Timbaland and Polow da Don.

[19] Reviews have described Hilson's version as having an "out of this world production from Cory Bold that could be a future single"[20] with "electro-blips and whispery raps that are alluring.

[41] Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters shared a similar sentiment, perceiving Hilson's songwriting as impersonal, and wrote "As a whole, the album suffers from an overriding sense of sameness, of mood as well as in relation to the current R&B landscape.

"[36] In a mixed review, Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani called it "merely passable",[42] and Q observed "too much flab" at "70 minutes" and criticized that "the ballads drag horribly.

"[40] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times found Hilson "often inventive, approaching the beat from odd angles and picking unexpected moments for rhyme", but felt that too much of the production is cluttered and "ornate", writing that it "favors texture and rhythm over melody or feeling.

"[46] Barry Walters of Spin wrote that Hilson's "fresh attitude eventually gets lost in a slew of downtrodden ballads that sink the album's second half.