kelis

Kelis - tasty

And our final competitor for this rate, who also has made a previous rate appearance (and coincidentally that her previous rate was also futuristic-themed), is none other than Kelis! An alumna of a performing arts school in New York, Kelis made her entry into the music industry after finishing high school by being a backup vocalist for a hip hop group. She later was introduced by a friend to producing duo The Neptunes, who helped her sign with Virgin Records and would become her eventual collaborators.

Among the three artists in the rate, Kelis probably sticks out as having her own unique career trajectory. Whereas Aaliyah and Brandy started off as teen R&B singers who eventually pursued a more experimental sound, Kelis has always been a left-field artist from the beginning. Her 1998 debut album, Kaleidoscope, provided an eclectic mix of genres from disco to jazz, and combined it with an upfront songwriting and vibrant personality that has become definitive of her music. Her second studio album, Wanderland (2001), continues to build on the template set by her debut and even dabbles into mere genres like rap and rock. Unfortunately, it did not match the success of its predecessor and suffered from setbacks caused by her own label, which led to Kelis leaving Virgin Records.

For her third album, Kelis has signed with Arista Records. Alongside The Neptunes, Kelis has enlisted a variety of collaborators, such as Rafael Saadiq, Dallas Austin, Andre 3000 and then-boyfriend-turned-husband Nas, among others, to create an album that is relatively commercial to her prior output, but one that does not sacrifice the quirks of her artistic identity. The songs on Tasty come in various flavors:  from the reggae of Trick Me to the rock tinges of Keep It Down, the more hip hop-influenced Millionaire and the throwback soul of Glow, and the various shades of funk and R&B that color the album. The diverse set of sounds are tied by her raunchy lyrics and versatile delivery, ensuring listeners that they are in for a treat.

Critics have responded to Tasty positively, with many praising the album's production and Kelis' unique personality. The album was promoted with four singles, with its lead single and biggest hit, “Milkshake”, gaining her a Grammy nomination and become an enduring pop culture staple.