Kelis Was Here has
gone through three changes of release date and a change of name which must have
been frustrating to the extensive fan base she has amassed here in the U.S., and
particularly overseas. It took me a couple of listens to really understand
where this international superstar was going with her third project, and I am
still a little unsure if I do get what she was trying to achieve with this over
abundance of music.
Kelis has always
been a performer that will go all out to maintain a position way beyond the
generic plateaus of other songstresses. Since she stomped through streets
screaming “I hate you so much right now,”
and gave “milkshake” a whole other
meaning, Mrs. Jones has remained in
a lane of her own and there has never been anyone to step up and give her cause
for concern. However, on this album it appears that she feels she has to prove
something.
Kelis Was Here has
no Neptunes
input whatsoever, and maybe that factor was the reason the songstress felt she
had to exemplify her ability. With no Pharrell
or Chad to offer support and
guidance and bless her with top notch production, the pressure was on to ensure
people saw her in her own limelight. Keeping herself one step ahead of the rest
with tracks like the Nas-assisted “Blindfold
Me” and the lead-off single featuring Too
$hort (“Bossy”), both tracks are the type that Kelis has become famed for – but these are not necessarily the
strongest on the album.
With a serious 80’s sound running through the project, Kelis allows us to appreciate just how
soulful and what her voice can achieve on the more down tempo songs. Songs like
“Living Proof,” “Goodbyes,” “Till the Wheels Fall Off” and “Lil Star” featuring
Cee-Lo are the ones that stand out
in showcasing her vocal range. On “I don’t Think So,” Kelis takes you back to the days of Joan Jett with the rock-infused beat and chanting, which she
definitely did her thing on and is the hottest joint on the album.
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There are, however, two songs on the album which serve no
purpose – one being the Will.I.Am
collaboration, which sounds like a Black
Eyed Peas reject beat. Kelis has
her own style, delivery and presence already established after her tenure in
music, so she definitely doesn’t need to play ‘dress up’ as Fergie from the BEP, which is how she comes off sounding.
The other track that I banged my head on my desk over is the
longest on the album, “Have a Nice Day,” which lasts over five minutes. I was
looking forward to hearing this, but when I played it I was disappointed as the
song just failed to fit in – and even though it reminded me of family holidays
in Spain and Portugal,
it just didn’t flow with the rest of the album. “Fuck Them Bitches” is
obviously her little rant at the haters which all females seem to have to
address in some way or form through their craft right now – another track that
you will either love or hate.
Overall, this album isn’t bad. Perhaps the track listing
could have been worked on a bit more, a few songs changed about, and the production
is not so elaborate as Kelis adds
her own twist to anything she jumps on, regardless of the beat.
