It’s been damn near a decade since Kelis broke through to pop superstardom with “Milkshake.” That catchy Neptunes-produced single was ubiquitous, and it pointed the way to a fruitful career. Then–nothing. Well, not nothing. Kelis just fell down a giant tube of suck. Kelis Was Here, the follow-up to that breakout album (and her first album without Pharrell and Chad,) was a giant stiff, and led to her parting ways with Arista Records. A further album, Flesh Tone, found Kelis embracing electronic dance music, and stiffed even harder.
She seems to have found a sympathetic co-pilot, though, in TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, because this “Jerk Ribs” track bangs pretty hard. Looks as though she’s traveling the same throwback soul route as Solange does nowadays, and it suits her. Looking forward to hearing more from this collaboration.
“Jerk Ribs?” “Milkshake?” Is Kelis’s next single gonna be “Pancakes with Warm Butter & Syrup?” If so, I’m totally in.