On the basis of producers The Neptunes, singer Kelis had an international breakthrough in 1999. With the screaming Caught Out There ('I hate you so much right now'), the twenty-year-old American scored a big hit in the Netherlands. Fifteen years later, Kelis is an adult woman and is doing her fifth album. Although the R&B from her early days is now hip again and Neptunes member Pharrell Williams
… is more successful than ever, the singer is letting the past rest. She has also left the dance of her previous record Flesh Tone (2010) behind. Together with TV On The Radio guitarist Dave Sitek she opts for an alternating mix of soul and indie. The production is certainly there, although the songs of the duo make the most impression. Whereas in the past Kelis had to rely on fads and her expressive singing, now it's all about lyrics, melodies and grooves. And so there is also room for an acoustic cover of Labi Siffre's Bless The Telephone. The swinging rhythms and great horns on the rest of Food are only complementary to her strong songs. Kelis has reinvented herself. (JE)more