391. Kelis, "Kaleidoscope"

 


Kelis' debut album, one of those records that I had heretofore never heard a single track from, and another pleasant surprise!  I guess I wasn't really sure what to expect, but this is really a fascinating pastiche of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and DJ beats.  Produced by the Neptunes - Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo - who would go on to an incredible career that's still going on, so you know it's going to sound good.

I guess the money song on this album was "Caught Out There," a breakup anthem for all time, with Kelis screaming "I HATE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW" over a smooth beat.  It's hard to describe, but it works.  "Good Stuff" was also a big hit, and it's easy to see why; it's got a great head-nodding beat and a jazzy, easy vocal.  Guest vocal by Pusha T, good as always.  My favorite, though, is "Ghetto Children," which is, as its name implies, a call of support for kids left behind by society and an indictment of the society that left them behind.  It also happens to have a beautiful chorus melody sung perfectly by Kelis.

Hey I didn't know this but Kelis is a chef!  She went to Le Cordon Bleu and trained as a saucier.  She's been on Food Network and wrote a cookbook and the whole nine.  

(OK, I know what you're wondering, so let me add this disclaimer: no, this is not the album with "Milkshake" on it. But almost every song on this album is better than that song.)

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