"I hate you so much right now, UUUGGGHHH!!!"
Those were the words that introduced the masses to the R&B/Hip-Hop chanteuse Kelis Rogers, known mononymously as Kelis....
*Facepalm* Okay, alright, HERE are the real words that introduced Kelis to a mass audience: "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like 'it's better than yours', damn right, it's better than yours, I can teach you, but I have to charge".
Obviously, the second set of lyrics is from Kelis' 2003 single "Milkshake", the song that blew up faster than an AIDS epidemic back in the winter of 2003-2004. It's since remained her biggest hit, reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The first set of lyrics, however, are taken from her actual debut single that was released in the winter of 1999, "Caught Out There". The accompanying debut album was titled "Kaleidoscope", which featured an artwork that seemed that Kelis was an alien from another planet. And she didn't do anything to dissuade that image with the opening intro to her debut, which features Pharrell explaining how they 'found' Kelis from another universe and took her back to Earth. I guess it's fitting that he took those liberties when describing her rise to fame, because it's not nearly that supernatural. Nope, Kelis was an ordinary girl from Harlem who was born to a minister father (who was also a jazz musician) and a fashion designer mother, both of whom encouraged Kelis to pursue a singing career at a young age. She also played the violin, saxophone, and piano in high school, before she was kicked out of her parents' house at 16 (citing bad behavior as the reason why). A friend of hers introduced her to The Neptunes (Pharrell and Chad Hugo), and together they created "Kaleidoscope"; Kelis was 20.
That album was comprised of mostly R&B and soul, with hip-hop dabbled throughout (though never really emphasized). She took a much more urban approach with her second album, 2001's "Wanderland", which was once again all produced by The Neptunes and featured more soul and alternative hip-hop. It flopped (miserably), so after another two years, Kelis decided to do something more unconventional and started her foray into pop. Come 2003, she sought out other producers like Andre 3000, Dallas Austin, and Raphael Saadiq, who created a new, neo-soul sound for her, in the electronic vein, of course (we already had an Alicia Keys at this time, mind you). The Neptunes were still around, and they helmed "Milkshake", but there were other gems on her third album "Tasty". We have the pop/rock sound of "Keep It Down" and the hip-hop/pop of "Trick Me". Kelis ventured into many different styles with that masterpiece, that she decided to unify her sound when the follow-up came in 2006: "Kelis Was Here". That album featured her comeback single "Bossy", which was a minor hit, but its parent album reached number 10 on the Billboard 200, her highest charting LP to date. That album featured a strictly urban sound, phasing out the pop elements of "Tasty" and will.i.am served as the main producer behind the project.
Another four years passed, and in that time, Kelis had a child with Nas, who she had divorced before she gave birth. Feeling liberated, she took a complete departure from her old material and created "Flesh Tone" in 2010, an epic mix of EDM, pop, house, and yes, some soul for good measure. It remains one of her best efforts to date, even though it didn't yield high sales or many successful singles. Today, that streak would seem to continue with her current album "Food". As I've already reviewed, it sounds exactly like what you'd expect: a hearty mix of straight-up soul, with some country, R&B, dance, and hip-hop flavors to flesh it out. She once again chose one collaborator to bring her vision to life: TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. It was an interesting choice, but a fruitful one, as it produced Kelis' best album in over ten years. But then again, all of her albums retain some sort of excellence, so it's not even that fair of a comparison.
You see now why I felt the need to bring her up in a "Musical Obsession" segment? An artist of her immense talent cannot go unnoticed, and I think it's quite a shame that the US has never given her the credit she so clearly deserves. She's a great, classically trained singer, who performs like her urban roots know no bounds. She's relatable, likeable, and she never once lets image overpower her music (even though her style can become pretty eclectic). And the further her career moves on, and the more independence she has with her music, the better it gets, the more technically brilliant it becomes. Her biggest strength though, is that she not only can pull of any genre of music (pop, soul, hip-hop, dance, R&B), but she pulls it all off well; for real, this girl can make you like any genre of music. And you know an artist is good when they do something, and everybody else's output fails in comparison (I don't think I've heard a better dance record in the past decade than her "Flesh Tone").
One thing I will also bring up is her speaking voice, which is as smooth as buttered silk. Really, it's amazing, and when she sings with that tone, it's absolute magic. Even if she doesn't sound as 'hood' or as 'ghetto' as one would expect, her sheer amount of personality and sass can transcend past all the stereotypes and molds and she can create a public figure of her own uniqueness. She can also flip personas, from angry ex-girlfriend to sultry vixen of the night to your best friend cheering you to dance the night away at a club. There really is nothing to hate about Kelis, and all of her songs are AMAZING (if you ask me). I recently just started getting into her, so I know even I'm guilty of not always giving her the credit she deserves, but now that I know all about her music and what a great musician she is, I can't help but spread my love for her to you all. Hopefully after you read all of this, you will check out some of her stuff (besides "Milkshake").
Personally, I recommend you start the Kelis journey with "Flesh Tone", then move to "Food", and then backtrack all the way back to "Tasty", and then "Kaleidoscope". These are all albums where she is working at her creative and commercial peak (Beyonce's "Beyonce" ain't got nothin on these masterpieces). So, which one will you listen to first?
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