Kelis - The Hits Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 03.20.2008
The “Milkshake” singer wraps up her career on the major labels with a collection of singles and a few other surprises…
My Story
The term “one hit wonder” is one that most musicians would not be flattered to be saddled with. While it’s great to have a signature song, most artists would rather people view their entire body of work when it comes to their judgment, rather than a single that just happened to have caught fire.
With that said, there’s no doubt that the term “one hit wonder” is an apt one for bands who had little else to offer. I’m thinking Los del Rio’s “Macarena” is a perfect example. You could also say Baha Men belong there. Or Lour Bega. But if “one hit wonders” are people who have little more going for them than three-minutes of music, why does that title go to so many great bands, like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Biz Markie?
No matter the talent, though, it seems that anyone can get a Greatest Hits compilation these days, even the one hit wonders. Kelis, who brought us “Milkshake” a few years ago, is the latest artist to be anthologized in such a way. Will this set prove that Kelis was more than a one hit wonder, or will her career forever be on “Repeat Track”?
Her Story
Kelis Rogers was born in 1979 and raised in Harlem. The daughter of a jazz musician, Kelis took the creative atmosphere provided by her family and neighborhood and translated that into a deep passion for R&B. At 16, she transferred to the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, where she graduated the next year. In lieu of college, Kelis left Harlem to pursue a music career. Not long later, she hooked up with production team The Neptunes, who helped her make some in-roads into the music business.
By age 19, Kelis (along with the Neptunes) was recording her debut album for Virgina Records. Before its release, Kelis made her radio debut, appearing on the Top 40 Ol’ Dirty Bastard single “Got Your Money”. With her unique style (both musically and fashion), Kelis was already grabbing attention for herself at this point. Her debut album, Kaleidoscope, dropped in 1999. The confident set of contemporary R&B debuted in the lower region of the Billboard 200. The lead single, “Caught Out There”, was a Top 10 R&B hit, but a pair of follow-up singles failed to chart (though the second, “Get Along With You”, was a Top 20 Dance hit). Surprisingly, Kelis was being received much more enthusiastically in Europe. In the UK, Kaleidoscope went gold and “Caught Out There” reached #4. The second single, “Good Stuff”, was also a Top 20 hit.
Kelis recorded her second album with the Neptunes, Wanderland, in 2001. Unfortunately the lead single, “Young, Fresh N’ New” failed to make the R&B charts (though it did reach #15 on the Dance list). This failure, along with a shake-up at the label, led to Wanderland being shelved in the US. The set saw release in Europe and Asia, however, where it managed to sell around 50,000 copies. Kelis, who was living in Europe at the time, toured with U2 to support the album. She then returned to the US to tour with Moby.
Kelis left the Virgin label for Arista following the Wanderland debacle. Kelis immediately began work on her third album, Tasty, which was released in 2003. The mix of laid-back soul and pop was preceded by the Neptunes-produced single “Milkshake”. You may remember it:
"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..."
“Milkshake”, with its suggestive lyrics and funky track, was a massive success, reaching #3 on the Hot 100. It was also a Top 5 hit in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Ireland, where it reached #1. The single was certified gold in late 2004, but not before Tasty had become Kelis’ first gold album. The record reached #27 on the album charts. A tour opening for Britney Spears followed.
Unfortunately, just as Kelis was gaining steam, Arista Records was going through a major shakeup as it was being dissolved into another label. Tasty spun off three follow-up singles, but none of them managed to reach the US charts (though they were all Top 20 UK hits, including “Trick Me” and “Millionaire”, which reached the Top 3). With Arista falling apart, Kelis moved to Jive and prepared to record her fourth album. In 2005, she married her longtime boyfriend, rapper Nas.
Kelis released her fourth album, Kelis Was Here, in late 2006. The set featured another hot lead single, “Bossy”, which featured rapper Too $hort. “Bossy” became Kelis’ second Top 40 hit (reaching #16 and going double platinum in the process), and Kelis Was Here debuted at a career-high #10 on the Billboard charts.
With all of the steam, it was surprising when Kelis once again stalled out with her lead single. Kelis Was Here failed to provide a second charting hit and only managed 157,000 in sales. Since 2007, Kelis has been hit with some problems. Last year, she was arrested for a puzzling incident involving undercover prostitutes and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. A few months later, Jive dropped her from the label. Her current prospects include a pair of indie albums, a fashion line, a cookbook, a reality show for VH1 with Nas and a collaboration with the Eurythmics.
The Album
On March 11, 2008, Jive, Zomba and Legacy Records released The Hits, the first compilation by Kelis. The album assembles all of Kelis’ singles (minus “Blindfold Me”), as well as a few collaborations with other artists. The Hits is available in explicit and clean versions.
The Band: 7.5
Kelis: vocals
In the modern world of R&B, Kelis most definitely stands out. And not just because of her big afro or propensity for body paint. The chick has some interesting pipes. She goes down smooth and, even better, has one of the strangest flows around. Her singing is rhythmic, almost to the point that it deserves its own percussion credit. You’ve heard it on “Milkshake” and “Bossy” and, if you love it, there’s plenty to go around here.
There are also quite a few guest stars on this set. Aside from the ever-present Neptunes (who showcase some of their best beats on this set), you have rhymes by ODB, Too $hort, Nas and Terrar. Throw in some truly smooth vocal additions by Andre 3000 and Cee-Lo (who fits Kelis like a glove – I’d pay for a duet album by these two) and you have a nice, varied set of fine-edged soul and R&B.
The biggest problem though is what has dogged Kelis from the beginning. She’s an acquired taste. She’s a little TOO out there. So having all of these spaced out hits in one place…it can get a little overwhelming. Having The Neptunes producing the lion’s share of these tracks doesn’t help, as things tend to start sounding the same. And when your Hits set is comprised of mostly non-charting singles, that can be a bad thing.
The Songs: 7.0
1. Caught Out There
2. Milkshake
3. Got Your Money (Ol’ Dirty Bastard feat. Kelis)
4. Trick Me
5. Lil Star (feat. Cee-Lo)
6. Get Along With You
7. Young, Fresh ‘N New
8. Truth Or Dare (N.E.R.D. feat. Kelis & Pusha T)
9. Bossy (feat. Too $hort)
10. In Public (feat. Nas)
11. Millionaire (feat. Andre 3000)
12. Finest Dreams (Richard X feat. Kelis)
13. Suspended
14. Good Stuff (feat. Terrar)
The Hits kicks off with Kelis’ very first single, “Caught Out There”, a forgotten gem that burned up the R&B charts in the late 90’s. The cut has attitude all over it, especially with its chorus of “I hate you so much right now!”. But this set isn’t chronological. From there, we jump right to Kelis’ breakout “Milkshake”, which you no doubt already own on some compilation somewhere. The song, though overplayed, is still fun four years later. We then lead into ODB’s “Got Your Money”, which was our first taste of Kelis in a supporting role. The beat heavy rap track sounds right at home here, and makes you wonder why Kelis appearances on cuts by Calipse and Busta weren’t put on this set as well.
Big Kelis fans will be happy with some of the more obscure tracks here. “Young, Fresh ‘N New”, from the international release Wanderland, is making its first appearance on a US album, and Kelis’ tracks with Richard X (“Finest Dreams”, an out-of-character take on the SOS’s “The Finest”) and N.E.R.D. (“Truth Or Dare”, from the group’s debut) are making their first appearance on a Kelis album here too. The dreamy album cut “Suspended”, from Kelis’ ’99 debut, is also included.
The best stuff is still the biggest hits. “Milkshake” could never be duplicated and “Bossy” is fiercely cool. Those tracks are the bait here (why there are no new tracks here is beyond me), enticing listeners to come into Kelis’ world a little longer than three-minutes and see if there’s something worth exploring. Many will find there is.
The 411: Kelis’ The Hits is a collection of Kelis’ singles, many of which never charted in the US. The big two are here in “Milkshake” and “Bossy”, but casual listeners will find themselves hearing many of these tracks for the first time. An album cut and a few of Kelis’ collaborations are thrown in, making Hits palatable to her biggest fans, but the lack of new stuff makes me think that the set is aimed mostly to the people who think Kelis began and ended with “Milkshake”. Good R&B and, even though this is wrapping up Kelis’ career on the majors, it could broaden her fanbase.
