KELIS レコード& CD

Review: Much has changed for Kelis since the release of her debut album "Kaleidoscope" 20 years ago - see her albums on Ninja Tune and a surprise recent appearance on bizarre variety show "The Masked Singer" - but the album itself remains a turn-of-the-millennium classic. Here reissued in expanded form to celebrate its 20th birthday, the Neptunes-produced set sparkles just as much as it did way back in 2000. For proof, check the still-familiar, acoustic guitar-sporting bump of "Caught out There" (complete with famous "I hate you so much right now" refrain"), the R&B perfection of "Get Along With You" and the dancefloor-friendly disco-pop of "Good Stuff".

Review: Given that it was her first album for four years, and thus a comeback of sorts, it was something of a surprise to see Kelis' recent LP drop on Ninja Tune. While Food is a fine set, there's little of the frosty, scratchy experimentalism you might expect from such a leftfield hook-up. Step forward Actress, who delivers a brilliantly icy, glacial, sparse and melodic take on recent single "Rumble". Kelis' howling vocal sounds surprisingly good atop Actress's immensely beautiful and melancholic backing track. The heavenly instrumental is included, too, for those moments when Kelis' urgent delivery is just a little too much to handle.

Review: Kelis on Ninja Tune... Now there's a partnership we can all get down with. It's a partnership that works incredibly well, too: Produced by Dave Sitek (who's discography includes the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Foals), her sixth album sits somewhere between classic early 90s R&B and super-classic Motown soul. As well as the instantly distinctive and beautifully emphatic vocals we associate with Kelis, each track sports big orchestration, memorable hooks and an unequivocal sense of funk and fun. The result is an album will that will sound great in years to come and gets to show her most soulful, musical side. Tasty.