Keyshia Cole Admits Iconic Riff In Hit Song ‘Love’ Was A Mistake That She ‘Hated’

When it comes to Keyshia Cole, her early ballads kept (and still hold) folks in a headlock–from the homies on the street corner to ladies at the R&B club night.

Well, it turns out that Keyshia was hating on one of her biggest hits, “Love,” way before fans memorized every lyric. Not only did she dislike the song, but Cole also admitted to VIBE’s Mya Abraham that she “hated” the iconic riff in the track.

“I didn’t really tink that I was good at writing slow records, but I took my lil CD player and sat in the corner…and I just wrote the record,” she said. “Everybody loved it, but I just didn’t like it.”

RELATED: Keyshia Cole Explains She’s Retiring From Music For Her Children & Says She’s Proud Of Her Accomplishments (Exclusive Details)

As for the riff, Keyshia Cole admits it was an error that her music executives at the time loved. Despite her objections, the riff made the track’s final cut.

“I messed up, and they said do it again. They kept it, but I hated it,” the singer said.

The decision to release the track with the error ultimately added to Keyshia’s career. Released in 2006, “Love” was track four on Keyshia’s album “The Way It Is” and later the most popular single from the project.

On the US Billboard Hot100, the track debuted at number 82 and peaked at number 19, spending four weeks in the Top 20. Meanwhile, on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, “Love” peaked at number three.

Fans will see more behind-the-scene moments of Keyshia’s rise to fame when her biopic, “Keyshia Cole: This Is My Story,” premieres on Lifetime tomorrow (June 24).

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Willow Smith Previously Talked About Woes Of Hit Single "Whip My Hair"

Keyshia Cole isn’t the only artist that has wrestled with loving her hit track. In 2010, ten-year-old Willow Smith stepped into the music scene with “Whip My Hair.”

Despite a pre-teen being behind the mic, the track instantly gained popularity. On Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number 11. However, the debut single also found success charting within the top ten and twenty in other countries like Denmark, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

But during a December 2018 episode of Red Table Talk, Willow admitted that the song’s success inspired personal struggles, particularly in her relationship with her father, Will Smith.

“I definitely had to forgive you and daddy for that whole “Whip My Hair” thing. It was mostly daddy because he was so harsh at certain times. It was like, a couple of years trying to regain trust for not feelings like I was listened to, or no one cared what I felt during that time,” Willow said.

Then, in July 2021, Willow shocked fans when she shaved her hair during a live performance of “Whip My Hair.”