Kelis Rogers-Mora, known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer and a professionally trained chef. At age 14, she was admitted to New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she learned to play the saxophone and won a spot in the Girls Choir of Harlem. After she graduated from high school in 1997, Kelis took on a variety of jobs before landing a backup vocal slot on an album track called "Fairytalez", released by the American hip hop group Gravediggaz. She then began working with music producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, known as The Neptunes, which ultimately resulted in her being signed to Virgin Records in 1998.
Tasty is the third studio album by American singer Kelis, released on December 5, 2003, by Star Trak Entertainment and Arista Records. As executive producer, Kelis enlisted previous collaborators the Neptunes to produce the album, as well as new collaborators such as Raphael Saadiq, Dallas Austin, André 3000, Rockwilder, and Dame Blackmon "Grease". It also features guest vocals from Saadiq, André 3000, and then-boyfriend Nas.
Wanderland is the second studio album by American singer Kelis. It was released on October 17, 2001, by Virgin Records. The album's only single, "Young, Fresh n' New", peaked at number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. As of October 2004, Wanderland had sold 17,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
Timo Maas is a German DJ/producer and remixer whose career in electronic music spans well over 30 years. His remix of Azzido Da Bass's single "Dooms Night" helped launch his career in 2000.
"Caught Up" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by Ryan Toby, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis and Jason Boyd, and produced by Dre & Vidal for Usher's 2004 album, Confessions. The song was released as the fifth and final single from the album on January 3, 2005. The single peaked at number eight in the United States, the only single released from Confessions without topping the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on in the United Kingdom. "Caught Up" also reached the top 20 in Australia, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. It received positive reviews from contemporary critics.
Loud is the debut album by German DJ and producer Timo Maas, released in 2002. Maas had previously released albums of other performers' material which he remixed but Loud is his own debut album.
"Porcelain" is a song by American electronic musician Moby. It was released as the sixth single from his fifth studio album Play on April 25, 2000. Written by Moby, who also performs vocals on the recording, "Porcelain" is a melancholic song with lyrics reflecting on the breakup of a relationship. It features a lush musical backing that incorporates reversed strings and various synthesized elements. While Moby initially expressed disdain over the song and its production, he was eventually talked into including it on Play.
"Enjoy the Silence" is a song by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. Recorded in 1989, it was released as the second single from their seventh studio album, Violator (1990), on 5 February 1990. The single is Gold certificated in the US and Germany. The song won Best British Single at the 1991 Brit Awards.
"Trick Me" is a song by American singer Kelis from her third studio album, Tasty (2003). It was written and produced by Dallas Austin. The song was released as the album's second single on February 17, 2004. "Trick Me" was not released in the United States as her American label, Arista, folded after the release of Tasty, and she was transferred to Jive. In Europe, she was still on the same label, Virgin.
"In Public" is a song by American singer Kelis, featuring American rapper Nas, taken from the former's third studio album, Tasty (2003). It was released as the album's fourth and final single on April 4, 2005. Kelis co-wrote the song with its producer, Rockwilder.
"Chain Reaction" is a song by American singer Diana Ross, released on November 12, 1985, as the second single from her sixteenth studio album, Eaten Alive (1985). The song was written by the Bee Gees and contains additional vocals from Barry Gibb. Sonically, "Chain Reaction" is an R&B and dance-pop song. According to the Gibbs' biography, the brothers had initial reservations about offering the song to Ross in case it was too Motown-like for her. The single became Ross's second No. 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart. It also hit No. 1 in Australia, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. In New Zealand, it peaked at No. 3 and it made the top 5 in South Africa. In 1993, the song broke the UK top 20 again when it was re-released to commemorate her 30th anniversary in show business. The song fared poorly in the US, where it initially peaked at a disappointing No. 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 late in 1985. A few months later, a remixed version of the song was issued as a single. The new version re-entered the chart and performed better, but with diminished momentum, it stalled at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 77 on the Cash Box Top 100.
"Milkshake" is a song by American singer Kelis from her third studio album, Tasty (2003). Written and produced by the Neptunes, the song was originally offered to Britney Spears for her fourth studio album, In the Zone, but was instead given to Kelis. It was released as the lead single from Tasty in the United States on August 25, 2003, by Star Trak and Arista Records, and internationally on November 24, 2003. According to Kelis, "milkshake" in the song is used as a metaphor for "something that makes women special". The song is noted for its euphemistic chorus and low beat R&B sound.
American singer and songwriter Kelis has released six studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, 39 singles, and 29 music videos. At age 16, she left her parents' home and was signed to Virgin Records four years later. Her debut single, "Caught Out There", was released in 1999, reaching number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four in the United Kingdom. Her debut album, Kaleidoscope, was released in December 1999 and charted at number 144 on the Billboard 200, and has sold 249,000 copies in the country to date. In the United Kingdom, it was certified gold and has sold over 167,000 copies. Two more singles were released from the album, "Good Stuff" and "Get Along with You", and charted moderately well internationally. In 2001, she released her second studio album, Wanderland, which features similar "raw emotion and sophisticated musicianship" of her debut album. The album was not released in the United States and the only single, "Young, Fresh n' New", charted poorly.
"Blindfold Me" is a hip hop song by American singer Kelis from her fourth studio album, Kelis Was Here (2006). It was written and produced by Sean Garrett and Polow da Don. A remix, featuring American rapper Nas, was released as the album's second single in September 2006. Although the Neptunes were long-time collaborators of Kelis, Kelis Was Here was her first album without their involvement as she opted for a more diverse team of record producers, which included Garrett and Polow da Don.
"Caught Out There" is a song recorded by American singer Kelis for her debut studio album Kaleidoscope (1999). Written and produced by The Neptunes, the song was released as the album's lead single in the United States on October 5, 1999. It peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100 but fared better outside the United States, reaching the top ten in Canada, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes said in an interview that the instrumental track was originally meant for rapper Busta Rhymes, who rejected it.
"American Boy” is a song by British singer and rapper Estelle for her second studio album Shine (2008) featuring vocals from American rapper Kanye West. The song was written by Estelle, West, Ethan Hendrickson, will.i.am, John Legend, who provides additional background vocals, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, and Keith Harris. It was produced by will.i.am, and uses the instrumental from "Impatient" from his own third studio album Songs About Girls (2007). "American Boy" is a breezy Dance-pop, Synth-pop and disco-funk song that lyrically describes a romance with an American suitor. The song's conception came after Legend, Estelle's mentor, suggested she write a song about meeting a man from the United States.
Flesh Tone is the fifth studio album by American singer Kelis, released on May 14, 2010, by the will.i.am Music Group and Interscope Records. Recorded while the singer was unsigned and pregnant with her first child, the album is an ode to motherhood and marks a distinct departure from the R&B sound of her previous albums. The album features production from David Guetta, Boys Noize, Jean Baptiste, and Benny Benassi, amongst others.
"Familiar Feeling" is a song by English-Irish electronica duo Moloko. It was released on 17 February 2003 as the lead single from their fourth and final studio album Statues. The song peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number nine in Portugal.
"Bounce" is a song by Scottish DJs Calvin Harris and lesser known fellow Scot, Guy Lennox. The song features American singer Kelis and is a move away from Harris singing, concentrating more on production. It was released on 10 June 2011 as the first single from Harris's third studio album, 18 Months (2012).
"Dooms Night" is the debut single by German DJ and producer Azzido Da Bass, first released in 1999 in Germany. In the UK, the song missed the top 40 until a remix of the song by Timo Maas was released on 9 October 2000; it was this version which gave the song mainstream chart success, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart.
