Kelis (born Kelis Rogers on August 21, 1979), is known simply by her first … Read Full Bio ↴Kelis (born Kelis Rogers on August 21, 1979), is known simply by her first name Kelis (pronounced Kuh-lees). Her name is an amalgamation of her parents' first names, her black father Kenneth and Chinese-Puerto Rican mother Eveliss. Growing up in Middle Class Harlem, New York Kelis' childhood was not a deprived one. But she was not without problems, after her parents realised they could not cope with her unruly behavior (Kelis shaved all her hair off at age 13, soon afterwards dyeing the regrowth the colors of the rainbow), Kelis moved out of the family home, continuing her private education.

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.

Dreamer
Kelis Lyrics

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Weighing heavy on my heart
Every thought shoots like a dart
Where it lands Is where I'll start
Is it a curse or more my art
Giving love and giving hate
Give me patience and I'll wait

Oh dreamer, dreamer

Like a current through the stars
I'm a dreamer
Dreamer
I'm a dreamer
Dreamer

There are millions just like us
Fighting fears and hiding love
Be the caffeine in the veins
All the necessary pains
Every moment fits a frame
Face to pillow, fades the shame
And if all was left to me
We'd be naked climbing trees

I'm a dreamer, dreamer
Like a current through the stars
I'm a dreamer
Dreamer
I'm a dreamer
Dreamer, dreamer
Like a current through the stars
I'm a dreamer

Dreamer, I'm a dreamer
Dreamer

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kelis's song Dreamer have a deep and poetic essence that speaks to the artist’s creative imagination. The song begins with Kelis weighing heavy thoughts in her mind that shoot like darts, where they’ll land determine where her creative process will start. She questions whether her creative force is a curse or her artistic talent, as she navigates the nuances of giving both love and hate to her craft. The song's chorus, “I’m a dreamer, like a current through the stars," repeats the idea that Kelis is a creative visionary striving for connection with the universe through her art.

The second verse focuses on people just like Kelis, who are fighting their fears and hiding their love. Kelis suggests that the necessary pains in life are just like caffeine in the veins, and every moment fits a frame. She ends the verse with the notion that if she had the power, she'd be naked with friends climbing trees, once again emphasizing her artistic vision is free-spirited and imaginative. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus of Kelis portraying herself as a dreamer.

The song is metaphorical as the word dreamer is used to describe creative people, musicians, and artists who dream beyond the boundaries of reality. The lyrics reflect on the life of Kelis as she questions and reflects on her artistic vision, and highlight the importance of free-spirited imagination and creativity. Overall, the song Dreamer is emotional and vulnerable that portrays the essence of an artist's creativity.

Line by Line Meaning

Weighing heavy on my heart
My emotions are heavily burdened

Every thought shoots like a dart
Each of my thoughts instantly enters my mind like a sharp object

Where it lands Is where I'll start
I am inspired by my thoughts and start working on them based on where they take me

Is it a curse or more my art
I am unsure if my emotional and creative tendencies are a blessing or a curse

Giving love and giving hate
I am capable of both loving and hating others

Give me patience and I'll wait
If I am given the time, I can be patient enough to achieve my goals

Oh dreamer, dreamer
Addressing myself as a dreamer

Like a current through the stars
My ideas are flowing like electricity through the vast universe

There are millions just like us
There are many others who share my feelings and experiences

Fighting fears and hiding love
We all struggle to overcome our fears and sometimes hide our love for others

Be the caffeine in the veins
I hope to be a stimulant for others in their journey to achieve their dreams

All the necessary pains
I accept that there will be challenges and difficulties to face along the way to success

Every moment fits a frame
Each moment in life can be viewed as a distinct piece that fits together to form a larger picture

Face to pillow, fades the shame
I find comfort in rest and my feelings of shame start to dissipate

And if all was left to me
If I had control over everything

We'd be naked climbing trees
I would take the opportunity to be spontaneous and adventurous without any hesitation

I'm a dreamer, dreamer
Continuing to address myself as a dreamer

Dreamer
Reiterating my point that I am a dreamer

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ANDREW SITEK, KELIS ROGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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