It's one of lifes great mysteries why Kelis didn't go supernova on the back of The Neptunes upward trajectory. Back in 1999 she looked a dead cert. The insanely catchy single 'Caught Out There' - the one with the "I Hate You So Much Right Now" chorus - was hurtling up the charts and she'd recorded an all-time classic cameo on ODB's 'Got Your Money'. Her album 'Kaleidoscope' was a truly stunning affair too - operating beyond genre classifications and produced with some flair by the soon-to-be ubiquitous axis of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. Some say it's still the greatest thing the prolific duo have done.
But things seemed to go awry soon after. The follow-up album 'Wanderland' bombed. It wasn't even released in the US. Record companies didn't know how to classify her and rumours that Kelis was stepping out with P Diddy garnered far more column inches than her music.
Thankfully 'Tasty' should rectify this. It's not as far out wild as 'Kaleidoscope' but it is a consistently inventive and brilliant record.
As one would expect Williams and Hugo are all over it. They contribute five tracks and their trademark sound is replicated just about everywhere else. 'Milkshake' nestles in seamlessly, the rhythm as relentless as a parade of majorettes with Kelis upfront as the cheerleader. 'Flashback' is another killer from the N*E*R*D drum machine, with a great "Yeah Yeah Yeah" chorus from Pharrell, while 'Protect My Heart' might have been swiped from 'Justified'.
Yet the real highlights come from elsewhere. 'In Public' espouses the delights of al fresco sex over a clinical electro beat and features a filthy rap courtesy of new husband Nas. Suffice to say it leaves Beyonce and Jay-Z sounding like Mary Whitehouse and Cliff Richard. 'Millionaire', about the pitfalls of superstardom, is co-written with Andre 3000. Daft, bizarre and touching it could have made 'The Love Below' - probably album of the year - even better.
The ambition runs slightly dry on the tracks co-written with soul man Raphael Saadiq but they're hardly filler. 'Glow', in particular, has a gorgeously organic chorus, quite at odds with the more clinical beats elsewhere. Closing track 'Marathon' ups the ante again with a beautiful starstorm of strings, voice and beats that brings Massive Attack to mind. If this was Beyonce then critics would choke on the superlatives.
Whether the world is ready for Kelis is another matter. This year kindred spirits like OutKast have changed the rules of the game so hopefully her eclectic spirit will find the wider audience it deserves. She's moved ahead of the pack for long enough - 'Tasty' gives everyone the opportunity to catch up.
