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Album Reviews

TP.3 Reloaded is thematically opposite to Happy People/U Saved Me. The first hour of the album is mostly about getting rowdy and getting it on, full of some of the clumsiest and lewdest lyrics R. Kelly has written. Funniest of all is the relatively tame "Kickin' It With Your Girlfriend," where Kelly apologizes to his woman for cheating on her, says he didn't mean to cause pain, proceeds to tell her about all about the affair, and in a roundabout way suggests that it's her fault for allowing him to cross paths with her girlfriend. With one or two exceptions, all of these songs are second and third rate by his standard. And then there's the other part of TP.3. In an apparent move to deflect long-running criticisms that his songs have no depth, he has crafted a ten-chapter saga titled "Trapped in the Closet" -- a rolling narrative inspired by radio plays that doesn't contain a single vocal hook. The first five chapters conclude the album. Over a plain arrangement that swells with each rise in the action, Kelly weaves a tangled tale that he says is a "ghetto Desperate Housewives." Its over-the-top dramatics, unlikely actions, and inexplicable non-actions place it closer to Melrose Place. For instance, despite the gun in his hand, the antsy protagonist fails to bail from the heated standoff with his paramour and her on-the-down-low pastor-husband. He pulls a Michael Mancini; he stays put. None of this means that "Trapped in the Closer" isn't entertaining or eventful, even if it's an event mostly due to the maker. These first five chapters made a big impact on radio and spurred lots of debate and analysis, and they'll deflect attention away from TP.3's shortcomings. [Some copies of the album came with a DVD containing the longform video for the first five chapters of "Trapped in the Closet."] ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide