Kelis-"Fleshtone" Review

It's been four years since Kelis last released an album, 2006's "Kelis Was Here", and seven years since her 2003 megahit "Milkshake" took over the airwaves. Though her days as a hitmaker have long-faded, her desire to make hooky and stylish pop remains firmly in tact. Although, 11 years into her career, she's also been inching away from the urban-soul that made her name, and little by little has accepted new trends in other genres. Since it is 2010, a year where electronic artists such as Ke$ha and Skrillex have taken over the mainstream, Kelis sought out the best garage and house producers to create a tightly sealed, 9-track tour de force in electronic dance music. Featuring production credits from David Guetta, Alle and Benny Benassi, DJ Ammo, and Free School, "Fleshtone" is a brilliant synthesis of EDM and soul. This fusion of such different genres might seem infeasible, but Kelis has defied expectations before, so she executes her intentions a cut above the rest. You don't have to look much farther than the opening song, plainly titled "Intro", which comes on as a straight-forward dance song at first, but then the lyrics come into play, in which Kelis laments her now shattered marriage with Nas. This is by far not the only instance on "Fleshtone" where she confronts her ex, either implicitly or explicitly. The album's best track, "Brave", is her most direct attack on Nas, where she concludes that their marriage only made her stronger (and adding the bonus of a child to give her all the love she needs). Then there's the closing track, "Song for the Baby", which is of course an ode to her baby boy, and it is the only song here that features synth-horns to bring the dance-soul combination a finishing touch. Other than these personal songs, Kelis was shrewd enough to turn her turmoil outward and provide audio comfort food. "Scream" is the best example, where she equates the right to live life your way with the freedom to scream and shout in a club. With catchy songs like these composing the majority of "Fleshtone", it's hard to not enjoy it on both the sonic and philosophical level. The only real problem with this record is that it saves these impressive moments for its back-half, ending strong but the beginning moments struggle to pull you in. "22nd Century" and "4th of July" are a little too minimal for a club paradise like this, and seem excessibly long. Even with this whole concotion clocking in at 38 minutes, it seems to drag on much longer with the numerous segues added at the end of each song. Then again, if "Fleshtone" was made for headphone listening like "Tasty" or "Kaleidescope", it would not be nearly as good as it is. Make no mistake, this is a
dance record, one that is suitable only for the clubs or aerobics workouts. Maybe that's a bit disarming to the fanbase that Kelis has acquired over the years, but after a decade in the business, a divorce, and a child under her belt, she's definitely earned the privledge to explore her herizons. And she's made quite the perfect party record as a result.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Intro                      2. 22^nd Century           3. 4^th of July (Fireworks)
4. Home                    5. Acapella                6. Scream
7. Emancipate           8. Brave                    9. Song for the Baby