In addition to his R&B counterpart Trey Songz, Lloyd also brought in Chris Brown and his childhood inspiration R. Kelly for some collaborative work. It seems an unlikely move to bring in his fellow singing competitors, but Lloyd assured that a competitive atmosphere only makes the music better.
“I just wanted to showcase what I considered the upper echelon of my genre,” he says of the guest features. “I think people are really quick to compare me and Trey Songz and Chris, but when you hear the songs you get to hear how unique and different we really are. By working with each other we bring out the best because we are very competitive.
You can kind of hear us trying to out do each other. It makes for the best music. Lloyd also mentions of other artists he would like to work with in the future. “Timbaland, Pharrell. Me and Pharrell would make some dope music.”
According to Lloyd, Polow da Don’s sonic touch made it possible for him to experiment with various tones while maintaining accord.
“I credit the cohesion to Polow da Don. He’s a helluva producer. His job is to capture my character through the music, to magnify what is my persona and my attitude through a song and I think he’s done a real good job of that.” He adds, “It’s really hard to capture both extremes on one album.”
While a good portion of King of Hearts screams of boldness and sexual innuendo, the singer gravitates more-so towards the softer records, which embrace a calmer side of him. “I like those [other] songs a lot but I also like “Angel” and “World Cry” which is probably my favorite.” Even the most daring of records doesn’t keep Lloyd from exploring his vulnerable side, especially when it comes to the matters of love and intimacy.
With sultry records such as “Naked,” there’s no avoiding the fact that Lloyd has mastered the art of bedroom music. When contemplating if he makes love to his own songs, he responds
“I sure do. Whatever she wants, if that’s what she wants then sure, why not. It may feel awkward at first but once I reach my destination I’m sure I’ll feel right at home. It’s myself, so its almost like making love to yourself.”
