Jive
2006
Kelis Was Here (Explicit)
About This Album
"That milkshake song" ("Milkshake") brought Kelis to the mainstream for a couple months during 2003 and 2004. The singer's follow-up -- Kelis Was Here, her fourth album -- bears no retreads. Though lead single "Bossy" makes lyrical references to her number three hit and the moderate breakout "Caught Out There," the song is as distinct as anything she has done before, featuring another variation on her don't-give-a-damn assertiveness, this time over an ornamental and plinky production from Shondrae. The album, like the others before it, deals a number of stylistic curveballs, all of which are handled by the singer like lobs down the middle of the plate. What makes it less successful than 1999's Kaleidoscope and 2003's Tasty is that it's extremely choppy and excessively long, and it doesn't have the range of emotions to match the varied backdrops. There is too much and not enough Kelis; too much material is second rate, and the tougher sides of her character dominate the album -- there are too few equivalents to the softer likes of "Get Along with You," "Flash Back," and "Protect My Heart." Minus the intro, there are 17 songs, which are sequenced in a way that snags any sense of momentum.
Track List (try tracks 2,3,6,8,10,12 and 13)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

 
report abuse