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.
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]
SoulTracks felt that the album was "precisely what the title implies. It's unapologetic, complacent and a predictable effort from one of today's R&B veterans [...]. If Just Me is any indication, Keith is not interested in change at this point in his life. Just Me doesn’t break any ground or beckon many new visitors to his music. Typically, artists don't like to create if there’s a lack of inspiration. Keith Sweat seems to be doing the exact opposite-creating formula on demand."[2]Billboard remarked that Sweat "knows how to surprise but, ultimately, chooses to do what we know him for best. The album's fresh moment is “"Somebody," a love ballad that [...] finds Sweat singing entirely (and out of character) in falsetto. From there, however, Sweat reverts to the languid tempos, explicit bedroom talk and layered, interwoven vocals that are the New Jack's screed."[3]
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