What a difference a year makes. Last summer, R&B songstress Kelis was pregnant, involved in a nasty public divorce with Nas and without a record label. It would have been no surprise if the singer had left the industry altogether.
Fast forward one year. Kelis delivers a fabulous electronic fifth studio album Flesh Tone. Kelis made her mark in R&B with the hypnotizing and ubiqutous call of "Milkshake" but the new album is strictly electronica. Flesh Tone collaborates with super-producers such as France's David Guetta and Italian electro-house synthesizers Benny and Alle Benassi to ramp up Euro-house disco aesthetic. The tracks are all up-tempo, from the hard-driving and techno "Emancipate" to the Kylie-inspired "Brave." And of course "4th of July (Fireworks)" is a club banger and the new music video is luxe and magical. The sound on Flesh Tone is a great new niche for Kelis and she literally lights up the dance floor with fireworks.
FlyLife and Interscope are giving away up to limited copies of Flesh Tone to Rod 2.0 readers. There are two ways to win: (1) Enter by leaving a comment in this post and make sure to leave the correct email address. (2) Sign up to become a new follower of Rod 2.0 on Twitter. Send us a message and say that you'd like to enter the CD contest. The entries close midnight Sunday. It's our way or saying "Thank You" for reading R20.
Watch Kelis on Today AFTER THE JUMP ...
Her CD is nice. I heard previews on the net.
I love her "4th of July" video!
Posted by: Rodney B | 08 July 2010 at 15:49
i am a fan of KELIS and plan to see her on her current tour, tho i have yet to get her new CD. please enter me in the KELIS CD GIVAWAY so i can try my luck. keep up the great work ROD!!
Posted by: robert murphy | 08 July 2010 at 16:02
Great LP here, got my copy Tuesday with Ms. Minogue's new offering.-QH
Posted by: QH | 08 July 2010 at 18:46
I'm back I need a copy of Kelis - Freshtone CD... You know I read Rod Beta 2.0 FAITHFULLY.
Posted by: KlothezMinded | 08 July 2010 at 18:50
At last I can comment. Weird. Rod I want that Kelis CD BAD! A nice colombian friend.. :)
Posted by: Beto (apernettdams) | 08 July 2010 at 19:04
lemme win! I love her!
Posted by: Thomas | 08 July 2010 at 19:52
Grrrrrrrr!
Posted by: Cafflo | 08 July 2010 at 22:09
I have been a true Kelis fan since she became the soundtrack of my life in my days in high school. She is the model artist that can jump musical genres with ease and truly shows her appreciation for her gay fan base. Quick side bar....my all time favorite Kelis tracks - "Sugar Honey Ice Tea", "Help Me", "Freak Me Slow" and "In the Morning".....Luv it!!!
Posted by: Quest | 08 July 2010 at 22:23
umm did someone say free CD giveaway? well I'm going to have to cop the album because it sounds like a must have
Posted by: AJ Terrel | 09 July 2010 at 06:48
This CD is outstanding. I have it, and its start-to-finish out of this world. Every track on here, other than the segues, deserves to be a hit dance single. I want to see 1s across the board here--its deserved. The production is both innovative and evocative of what's come before. Her vocals are outstanding, she reminds me of a young Crystal Waters.
This disc is my obsession right now!
Posted by: Phillipjreese | 09 July 2010 at 08:18
I love all the new names commenting now that there's a giveaway! Hopefully yall will comment on other posts too! Love Kelis, looking forward to hearing the new album, hopefully I win!
Posted by: Procrastination_Xtravaganza | 09 July 2010 at 10:39
Album excepts sound hot! Love readin' your blog and gettin' the 411. Keep up the good work and enter me in the drawin' for the Kelis Giveaway.
Posted by: Ed Felton | 09 July 2010 at 13:24
Album excerpts sound hot! Love readin' your blog and gettin' the 411. Keep up the good work and enter me in the drawin' for the Kelis Giveaway.
Posted by: Sepiabear | 09 July 2010 at 13:26
Rod, keep servin us culture, commentary and attitude. This album sounds like my kinda party.
Posted by: Eddie | 09 July 2010 at 16:18
I heard this album a couple of weeks ago and was feeling it then. She works it. The track "4th of July" is the ish!!
Posted by: Don in NYC | 09 July 2010 at 17:44
Come on, people! Seriously, no one mentioned "Caught Out There"! That was my CUT!!! When that song was released there was absolutely nothing out there like it. People had no idea what to think about this new artist or what to do with her. I knew right away that I loved her and wanted to hear more. Her look (remember the green wedding dress?)has always been outside of the norm and she never watered down her style of music like other artists, just to appease them or increase sales. Sadly, she has never attained the status or popularity of some better known artist, but the respect level is much higher. "Milkshake" brought her a huge hit and everybody thought that theirs, too, could bring all the boys to the yard. She was one of the first artists to bring the sound of the Neptunes production team to the masses. Pharrel et al owe her great deal of gratitude for launching them into orbit(sorry, I had to put that in there). It's great that she didn't allow the break-up of her marriage and the bad publicity to keep her down, but something about that yell that she did in "Caught Out There" tells me that she's one that can hold her own.
Posted by: C.L. | 09 July 2010 at 18:00
Long time reader, second time poster. Love the blog. Especially proud coz I'm from Chicago!
Posted by: William Hall | 09 July 2010 at 19:09
Love me some Kelis and love me some Rod 2.0
Posted by: Ebonykz | 09 July 2010 at 21:31
Love the tracks I've heard on Sirius BPM(Acapella my favorite right now). Fingers crossed
Posted by: L.L. | 10 July 2010 at 19:06
I love Kelis. 22nd Century and 4th of July are my favorite songs on the new album. I wish I could see her in concert on this tour. And her style is out of this world too. Everyone I know I make them watch the video for Acapella
Posted by: Wowbow.wordpress.com | 14 July 2010 at 18:26
Kelis's albums are some of my favorite CDs.
Posted by: DC Dee | 29 July 2010 at 09:15