Just Me is the tenth studio album by American singer
Keith Sweat. It was released by
Atco Records on May 13, 2008, in the United States. The album marked Sweat's debut with the label following his departure from
Elektra Records. Just Me became his first regular album to top the US
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in a decade.
Background
Along with a duet with
Keyshia Cole, the album reunites Sweat with producer
Teddy Riley, as well as former
Kut Klose member
Athena Cage, with whom he previously worked on "
Nobody" a decade earlier. The album, which also features
Chris Conner and Paisley Bettis, is the first album collaboration with Riley since Sweat's studio album Keep It Comin' (1991). Sweat, who executive produced the project, said he named the project Just Me "because I'm giving the people what they expect from me. You hear other artists out here who make the mistake of trying to be trendy. They really try to keep up. I know people want to hear Keith Sweat. I'm conscious of the people who have followed me the whole time, since day one. I remember that I have a fan base and I'm very careful to give the people what they expect from me."
Allmusic editor Anthony Tognazzini found that "longtime fans needn’t fear that Sweat has undergone any major changes [...] Just Me is classic Sweat. Uptempo dance tracks would be a distraction, so Sweat sticks to what he does best: contemporary quiet storm that acts as the perfect soundtrack to candlelight and silk sheets. Guest appearances by
Keyshia Cole and
Athena Cage sweeten the pot, but it’s Sweat’s passionate vocals (not to mention the disc’s slick production) that steal the show."[1]