Didn't See Me Coming

Didn't See Me Coming
Studio album by
Keith Sweat
ReleasedNovember 14, 2000
Length59:52
LabelElektra
Producer
  • Jules Bartholomew
  • Bobby Crawford
  • Dee Dee
  • Wayne Grimsley
  • Steve "Stone" Huff
  • Rodney Jerkins
  • Kevin Johnson
  • Andrew Lane
  • Gene Peoples
  • Barry Salter
  • Walter "Mucho" Scott
  • Spanky Williams
Keith Sweat chronology
Still in the Game
(1998) 		Didn't See Me Coming
(2000) 		Rebirth
(2002)
Singles from Didn't See Me Coming
  1. "I'll Trade (A Million Bucks)"
    Released: October 31, 2000
  2. "Real Man"
    Released: February 2001

Didn't See Me Coming is the seventh studio album by American singer Keith Sweat.[1] It was released by Elektra Records on November 14, 2000, in the United States. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 24, 2001.[2]

Background

In September 1998, Sweat released Still in the Game, his sixth studio album with Elektra Records. The album opened at number six on the US Billboard 200 and became his sixth consecutive platinum seller,[3] with lead single "Come and Get with Me" featuring Snoop Dogg making it to the top ten on the US R&B charts.[4] For his next project, the singer, long recognized for his love songs, set out to craft a grittier, street-infused sound — one that would allow him to explore tougher themes and push his lyrical boundaries.[3] As a result, he consulted a fresh set of collaborators to work on new material, including rappers Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, and Lil Wayne as well as R&B singers Dave Hollister, Lil Mo and T-Boz from TLC.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[7]

Entertainment Weekly wrote that "on Didn't See Me Coming, his seventh solo effort in 12 years, the former new-jack maestro grooves as compellingly and aches as convincingly as ever. And talk about vocal presence: Even with cameos from scene-stealers like Busta Rhymes, T-Boz, and Rah Digga, Coming clearly remains a Keith Sweat joint."[7] AllMusic editor Ed Hogan found that with the album, the singer "showcases his versatility and adaptability [...] Sweat supplies the album with some of his trademark "beggin'" songs [...] After five platinum albums, two gold singles, and this fine addition, those who didn't see Keith Sweat coming will have "to recognize."[5]

Tiffany Madera, writing for The Phoenix New Times, felt that with Didn't See Me Coming "Sweat has transformed himself into a watered-down, whining, would-be hip-hopper. This is not owing to his vocal quality, but rather the trite and played-out themes of his new songs. Giving in to the unfortunate trend in pop music to portray women as gold-digging, needy, dependent, unfaithful and conniving, Didn't See Me Coming presents a slew of scenarios that are comparable in depth to, say, "Big Pimpin" by Jay-Z."[8] Natasha Washington from The Oklahoman called the album a "disappointment." She noted that "although these producers have what it takes to collaborate on new material, Sweat simply doesn't live up to the success of his previous albums. Although Sweat extends an invitation to several artists [...] to join him on the album, his vocals take a backseat to everything else."[9]

Chart performance

Didn't See Me Coming debuted and peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the week of December 2, 2000.[10] It was Sweat's lowest-charting album since 1991's Keep It Comin'.[10] On January 24, 2001, it was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[2] By July 2006, Didn't See Me Coming had sold 624,000 copies domestically, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[11]

Track listing

Didn't See Me Coming track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
  • Keith Sweat
  • Steve "Stone" Huff
Huff1:05
2."Things" (featuring Busta Rhymes & Rah Digga)
  • Sweat
  • Huff
Huff3:48
3."Whatcha Like" (featuring Strings)
  • Bobby Crawford
  • Curtis Jefferson
  • Dorna Jenkins
  • Sweat
  • Marinna Teal
Crawford4:04
4."Satisfy You"HuffHuff2:53
5."I Put U On"
R. Jerkins4:13
6."He Say She Say" (featuring T-Boz)
  • Lane
  • Dee Dee
3:56
7."Real Man"
  • Lane
  • Sweat
  • S. Jenkins
  • Lane
  • Dee Dee
4:31
8."Kiss You"
  • D. Jenkins
  • Kevin Johnson
  • Sweat
Johnson4:36
9."I'll Trade (A Million Bucks) (Interlude)" (featuring Lil' Mo)Cynthia Loving
  • Barry Salter
  • Jules Bartholomew
0:56
10."Don't Have Me" (featuring Dave Hollister)
  • Lane
  • D. Jenkins
  • J. Watford
  • Sweat
  • S. Trapp
  • Lane
  • Dee Dee
4:05
11."Tonite"
  • E. Scott
  • Sweat
Walter "Mucho" Scott0:50
12."Caught Up"
  • Peoples
  • Williams
5:18
13."Games"HuffHuff4:12
14."I'll Trade (A Million Bucks)" (featuring Lil' Mo)Loving
  • Salter
  • Bar Tholomew
3:26
15."Only Wanna Please You"
  • Derrick Culler
  • Sweat
  • Palmer Williams
  • Wayne Grimsley
Grimsley3:56
16."Why U Treat Me So Cold" (featuring Lil Wayne)
  • Sweat
  • Huff
Huff3:53
Bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."I'll Trade (A Million Bucks) (Remix)" (featuring Lil' Mo)
  • Loving
  • W. Scott
  • Sweat
  • W. Scott
3:26
International bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
18."Dieser Brief (German/English Version)" (with Ayman)
  • Mike Michaels
  • MM Dollar
  • Mark Tabak
  • Michaels
  • Dollar
3:47

Personnel

  • Keith Sweat – producer, executive producer
  • Busta Rhymes – performer
  • Lil' Mo – arranger, Vocal Arrangement
  • Rah Digga – performer
  • Andrew Lane – producer, writer

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Didn't See Me Coming
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[2] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Keith Sweat | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ a b c "American album certifications – Keith Sweat – Didn't See Me Coming". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Hall, Rashaun (October 28, 2000). "Keith Sweat Goes Gritty On New Set". Billboard. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  4. ^ Sandler, Adam (October 1, 1998). "Hill Climbs Back Up". Variety. Retrieved July 17, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Hogan, Ed. "Didn't See Me Coming, Keith Sweat". AllMusic. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  6. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 873.
  7. ^ a b "Didn't See Me Coming". Entertainment Weekly. November 24, 2000. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  8. ^ Madera, Tiffany (February 15, 2001). "Didn't See Me Coming". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  9. ^ Washington, Natasha. "CD REVIEWS". The Oklahoman. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c "Keith Sweat Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  11. ^ "Keith Sweat's 'Rebirth' Due Next Month". Billboard. July 3, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
  12. ^ "Keith Sweat ARIA Albums chart history 1988 to 2022, received from ARIA in 2022 page 2". ARIA. Retrieved December 3, 2023 – via Imgur.com.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Keith Sweat – Didn't See Me Coming" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  14. ^ "Lescharts.com – Keith Sweat – Didn't See Me Coming". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Keith Sweat – Didn't See Me Coming" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "Keith Sweat Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  17. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Year-End 2001". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
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