After a short spell working as a model, 5'10" Kelis began appearing on songs by Neptunes produced rappers such as 'Got Your Money' by the late rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard. Soon afterwards, she released her debut album, Kaleidoscope in 1999 of which the first single was 'Caught Out There,' a song based on the time she caught her boyfriend cheating on her, and she beat him. The video feautures Kelis leading a pack of angry women down the street screaming 'I hate you so much right now!'. The album was released in USA, Europe and Asia, but did not find much audience in the USA. Not a great success, it only sold 249,000 copies to date.
After finding her largest audience in Europe, Kelis released her second album titled Wanderland (2001) in Europe only, which like her first album did not fare well. It only sold 80,000 copies and was entirely produced by The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) again, similarly to her debut. Only one single was released 'Young Fresh N New'.
In 2003 Kelis finally found fame in her country with the single 'Milkshake,' which was a massive success in Europe, Asia and USA, and she began dating rapper Nas (born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones). The single was from the album 'Tasty' which did not feature the Neptunes as heavily as her previous albums. Singles included the popular Dallas Austin produced 'Trick Me' and 'Millionaire', a collaboration with OutKast's Andre 3000. 'In Public's duet with Nas was the fourth single from the album, becoming a top twenty hit in the U.K. without a video.
In 2006, Kelis presented a new album to her fans, entitled Kelis Was Here, which was originally to be called 'The Puppeteer' which was released on 22 August but was due Fall 2005. No Neptunes tracks appeared on this album, but Kelis used other producers such as Max Martin, Will.I.Am (Black Eyed Peas) and Raphael Saadiq. Singles are the huge 'Bossy', 'Blindfold Me', and 'Lil Star'. Kelis wrote more of the material on this album than she did for Tasty, and carries off the sci-fi, electronica sounds so often considered Neptunes material without them. This is most evident on the brilliant 'Trilogy'. Kelis has said she wants to make her mark with this album, as it will be the last 'album like this' she will make.
In October 2007, Kelis was dumped by Jive Records, for poor sales of Kelis Was Here but a new album is in the pipeline. The Hits - a greatest hits collection - was released in March 2008, including tracks where she was a featured artist, eg, Got Your Money by Ol' Dirty Bastard , N.E.R.D's Truth or Dare, and Richard X's Finest Dreams.
Kelis then signed to Interscope Records, and released her fifth studio album entitled Flesh Tone in May 2010. The David Guetta-produced Acapella preceded the LP in February of that year. Other singles released from the album include '4th of July (Fireworks)', 'Scream' and 'Brave'. The following year, Kelis appeared on Calvin Harris' 'Bounce'.
In the beginning of 2010, Kelis received a letter by animal rights organization PETA, in which she was informed about the cruelty that comes along with the production of fur coats. She pointed out that the organization seems to have little concern about the treatment of people of color and that she will continue wearing fur and eating meat.
Songfacts reported that 'Distance', the planned first single from Kelis’ sixth studio album received its first play during the June 30, 2012 show of The Beatnik Mix on London's Reprezent 107.3FM. At the time, the album was set to be house/dance-inspired, but sessions with TV on The Radio's Dave Sitek led to it taking a soul-like direction.
Kelis completed her sixth album in April 2013, and her new label Ninja Tune confirmed details regarding the album in January the following year, 'Jerk Ribs' served as the lead single for the album; the track had however been previously released as a free download the previous year.
Food was released in April 2014 to critical acclaim. Kelis also appeared for the first time at the annual South by Southwest festival, both performing and serving meals to attendees from her food truck.
10
KELIS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there like,
Its better than yours,
Damn right its better than yours,
I can teach you,
But I have to charge
I know you want it,
What the guys go crazy for.
They lose their minds,
The way I wind,
I think its time
La la-la la la,
Warm it up.
Lala-lalala,
The boys are waiting
My milk shake brings all the boys to the yard,
And there like,
Its better than yours,
Damn right its better than yours,
I can teach you,
But I have to charge
I can see you're on it,
You want me to teach the
Techniques that freaks these boys,
It can't be bought,
Just know, thieves get caught,
Watch if your smart,
La la-la la la,
Warm it up,
La la-la la la,
The boys are waiting,
My milk shake brings all the boys to the yard,
And there like,
Its better than yours,
Damn right its better than yours,
I can teach you,
But I have to charge
Once you get involved,
Everyone will look this way-so,
You must maintain your charm,
Same time maintain your halo,
Just get the perfect blend,
Plus what you have within,
Then next his eyes are squint,
Then he's picked up your scent,
Lala-lalala,
Warm it up,
Lala-lalala,
The boys are waiting,
My milk shake brings all the boys to the yard,
And there like,
Its better than yours,
Damn right its better than yours,
I can teach you,
But I have to charge.
The song "Milk Shake" by Kelis is an upbeat, playful and flirtatious tune about Kelis' confidence and self-worth. The central theme of the song is the irresistible nature of Kelis' "Milk Shake," which she compares to her own unique brand of sex appeal. Kelis has a self-assured and confident persona in the song, feeling empowered by the fact that her "Milk Shake" brings all the boys to the yard. She goes on to say that her milkshake is better than her competitors, stating this directly in the chorus, with the lines "Its better than yours, Damn right its better than yours."
The second verse of the song suggests that the techniques Kelis uses are something that can be taught, and she could teach others how to make their own milkshakes just as irresistible. However, there's a catch, she would have to charge. The idea being that you can't simply manufacture sex appeal or charisma, it either comes naturally or must be learned through experience.
Overall, the song can be interpreted as a celebration of the confident woman's power of attraction. Kelis' self-assurance and playful nature make the song an enjoyable and uplifting listen that can be appreciated by anyone with a love of fun and lighthearted music.
Line by Line Meaning
My milk shake brings all the boys to the yard,
The dominant quality that I possess has a magnetic attraction over men to the extent that they are compelled to be in my presence.
And there like,
They are at this location as a result of the aforementioned quality.
Its better than yours,
Other people's attempts to replicate my quality do not satisfy the same attraction as my original.
Damn right its better than yours,
Without a doubt, my quality is superior to any attempts to replicate it.
I can teach you,
I am willing to share with you the secrets behind this quality.
But I have to charge
However, acquiring this knowledge comes with a cost.
I know you want it,
You have a strong desire to obtain this quality for yourself.
The thing that makes me,
This quality is an inherent part of my character and personality.
What the guys go crazy for.
The men that come into contact with me are fervor-stricken by this quality.
They lose their minds,
Their ability to think clearly and logically is overcome by their emotions.
The way I wind,
The unique manner in which I move and conduct myself adds to this quality.
I think its time
It is now appropriate to share this quality with others.
La la-la la la,
Vocalization for the purpose of setting the rhythm and tone of the song.
Warm it up.
Prepare the necessary steps for imparting the knowledge of this quality.
The boys are waiting
Men are eager and willing recipients of this knowledge.
I can see you're on it,
I recognize that you are very interested in obtaining this quality.
You want me to teach the
You desire to obtain the knowledge that I possess.
Techniques that freaks these boys,
The processes that elicit an emotional response from men such as these.
It can't be bought,
This quality and associated knowledge is not something that can be acquired simply with money.
Just know, thieves get caught,
One must realize that taking this knowledge without paying will come with its own set of consequences.
Watch if your smart,
If one is clever, they will understand the value of the knowledge and pay the cost to learn it.
Once you get involved,
When one becomes invested in this knowledge acquisition process,
Everyone will look this way-so,
Others will be captivated by the newfound quality in those that possess this knowledge.
You must maintain your charm,
In addition to the knowledge, one must maintain their original level of charm and personality.
Same time maintain your halo,
At the same time, one must uphold their moral and ethical standards and positive reputation.
Just get the perfect blend,
The right combination of qualities adds to the overall appeal of the individual.
Plus what you have within,
The inner qualities of an individual contribute to their overall character and value.
Then next his eyes are squint,
Interacting with individuals possessing this knowledge causes men to be intrigued and fascinated with this newfound quality.
Then he's picked up your scent,
Men are drawn in by the energy and aura of those that possess this knowledge.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PHARRELL WILLIAMS, CHAD HUGO, AUTHOR UNKNOWN COMPOSER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind