Kelis
Kelis Was Here
(Jive/Sony)
There must have been a line around the corner to produce this volatile talent now that she’s split with the Neptunes. will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Raphael Saadiq (TonyToniToné) and Cee-lo each help make this one of the more multi-textured R&B albums in memory. Kelis is a force, with a desire to leave her mark as voice and writer. After a bit of playing doctor (“What’s That Right There?”) and posturing (“Bossy”), Kelis settles into a maturity that may come as a surprise. Backings run the gamut from a Funkadelic sample to chunky synths, glitter rock guitar and an oddly compelling operatic scale on “Like You.” Her audience will be challenged, and perhaps changed.
—Doug Taylor
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.