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.
Protect My Heart
KELIS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gotta protect my heart
You were the heart of the spot
But you wouldn't tell me your name
You were like
Girl you ready or not
To dance the entire night away
[Kelis:]
You were like
[Pharrell:]
Let me hold you girl, hold you girl
[Kelis:]
You were sayin'
[Pharrell:]
Let me touch it girl
[Kelis:]
You were sayin'
[Pharrell:]
Let me squeeze you girl, squeeze you girl
[Kelis:]
You tought me up
[Pharrell:]
Let me ... you girl
So when I first got here I knew already
I gotta protect my heart
Make all changes, new decisions and flip it
I gotta protect my heart
The room is oh so hot
If you want more than that then walk away
I'm givin' it all I got
And at the same time tryin' to make ten
[Kelis:]
You were like
[Pharrell:]
Let me hold you girl, hold you girl
[Kelis:]
You were sayin'
[Pharrell:]
Let me touch it girl
[Kelis:]
You were sayin'
[Pharrell:]
Let me squeeze you girl, squeeze you girl
[Kelis:]
You tought me up
[Pharrell:]
Let me ... you girl
So when I first got here I knew already
I gotta protect my heart
Make all changes, new decisions and flip it
I gotta protect my heart
Never been touched by the way someone woo's and that scares me
I gotta protect my heart
You even knew that you were comin', you should've prepared me
I gotta protect my heart
I just need to
I walked away from the door
I could feel myself reverseing
I never gave it before
See I guess that how I've been
[Kelis:]
You were like
[Pharrell:]
Let me hold you girl, hold you girl
[Kelis:]
You were sayin'
[Pharrell:]
Let me touch it girl
[Kelis:]
You were sayin'
[Pharrell:]
Let me squeeze you girl, squeeze you girl
[Kelis:]
You tought me up
[Pharrell:]
Let me ... you girl
So when I first got here I knew already
I gotta protect my heart
Make all changes, new decisions and flip it
I gotta protect my heart
Never been touched by the way someone woo's and that scares me
I gotta protect my heart
You even knew that you were comin', you should've prepared me
I gotta protect my heart
[Pharrell:]
Break it down
So when I first got here I knew already
I gotta protect my heart
Make all changes, new decisions and flip it
I gotta protect my heart
I gotta protect my heart
I gotta protect my heart
Kelis's song "Protect My Heart" is about someone who is trying to protect themselves emotionally after being hurt in the past. The song begins with Kelis singing the chorus, "I gotta protect my heart," which sets the theme of the song. In the first verse, Pharrell Williams is singing about a girl who is ready to dance the night away, but he won't tell her his name. He then proceeds to ask to hold her, touch her, and squeeze her, which shows his intentions are not pure.
Kelis then sings the chorus again, followed by a verse where she talks about making changes and new decisions to protect her heart. She sings about being scared of being wooed because she has never been touched that way before. Pharrell then comes back in singing the chorus and urging Kelis to break down her walls and protect her heart.
The song is an anthem for anyone who has been hurt in the past and is trying to protect themselves from being hurt again. The lyrics are powerful and convey a sense of vulnerability and strength at the same time.
Line by Line Meaning
I gotta protect my heart
I need to be cautious and guard my emotions
You were the heart of the spot
You were the center of attention
But you wouldn't tell me your name
You were mysterious and guarded
Girl you ready or not
Are you prepared to let loose and have fun?
To dance the entire night away
To enjoy the night and dance enthusiastically without rest
Let me hold you girl, hold you girl
Let me embrace you lovingly
Let me touch it girl
Let me physically interact with you
Let me squeeze you girl, squeeze you girl
Let me hold you tightly
You tought me up
You taught me to be more confident and assertive
If you want more than that then walk away
If all you're looking for is a casual encounter, then leave
I'm givin' it all I got
I'm exerting my best effort
And at the same time tryin' to make ten
I'm balancing multiple tasks and striving for perfection
Never been touched by the way someone woo's and that scares me
I haven't experienced romance before, and it frightens me
You even knew that you were comin', you should've prepared me
You had the advantage of knowing what would happen, and you should have warned me
I just need to
I have to
I walked away from the door
I removed myself from the situation
I could feel myself reversing
I sensed myself retreating or regressing
I never gave it before
I've never surrendered myself to someone else before
See I guess that how I've been
I suppose that's how I've acted in the past
I gotta protect my heart
I need to be cautious and guard my emotions
Make all changes, new decisions and flip it
I need to make adjustments, take risks, and change my approach
Break it down
Let's take a closer look and analyze the situation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHAD HUGO, PHARRELL WILLIAMS, PHARRELL L WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind