Producers include: Dallas Austin, The Neptunes, Andre 3000, Raphael Saadiq, Rockwilder.

"Milkshake" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.

Personnel: Raphael Saadiq (vocals, guitar); Tony Reyes (guitar, background vocals); Kelvin Wooten (sitar, piano, keyboards); Kevin Kendricks (piano, keyboards); André 3000 (keyboards, drums, programming); Jake & the Phatman (drums, percussion, drum programming, scratches).

DJ: Greg "Ruckus" Andrews.

Audio Mixers: Kevin "KD" Davis; Dave Pensado; Glen Marchese; Dexter Simmons; Daniel Romero; Phil Tan; Serban Ghenea.

Photographers: Indrani; Markus Klinko.

Arranger: Dallas Austin.

Kelis has shown how deviating from the norm can get you pegged falsely -- in her case, as an extraterrestrial being the Neptunes had beamed down from another planet. Maybe the orange-hair-and-body-paint photo on the cover of Kaleidoscope didn't help. And it's safe to say that none of her contemporaries would've ever thought of screaming something like "I hate you so much right now -- uuuugh!" for the chorus of a debut single. Otherwise, Kelis is as down-to-earth as they come; she just doesn't fit the mold of what has been expected in a female R&B artist the past few years (or ever). From a commercial standpoint, this has worked to a disadvantage: Wanderland, her second album, wasn't even released in the U.S. by Virgin, even though it was every bit as fresh and rainbow-dappled as her debut. Just before slipping completely out of view, the Neptunes set her up with Star Trak and dusted off Wanderland's "Popular Thug" -- with Pusha T wiped off in favor of new verses from new fiancé Nas -- for their Clones compilation. That set the table for Tasty, which actually involves less Chad and Pharrell, who produce only five tracks this time around; Dame Grease, Dallas Austin, Raphael Saadiq, Rockwilder, and Andre 3000 pick up most of the production duties. Despite all the new assistance, Tasty is formatted much like Kaleidoscope and Wanderland, constantly swinging back and forth between bouncy pop and laid-back (not throwback) soul. Just the same, the favorable quality level is another recurring characteristic, with only a couple miscues thwarting perfection (you're hereby advised to skip past "In Public"). Lead single "Milkshake," a coquettish playground tease, is the brightest moment of all; built around blaring synth-funk stun riffs, pitter-patter hand percussion, and a singalong taunt of a chorus, it's every bit as suggestive as Vanity 6's "Nasty Girl," the Mary Jane Girls' "In My House," and Monifah's "Touch It," with all three serving as musical -- not just lyrical -- points of reference. On some other planet, at least ten other songs here hit the Top Ten. Regardless of whether or not Kelis is one of us, we clearly don't appreciate her enough. ~ Andy Kellman

One of writer James Baldwin's characters once observed, "You can't sing outside the song, you've got to be the song you sing. You've got to make a confession." Few modern singers on pop and R&B radio live as deeply inside their songs as fellow Harlemite Kelis, who passionately screamed "I hate you so much right now!" on her first single, "Caught Out There." That song was equal parts punk and funk, and the rest of her excellent debut, KALEIDOSCOPE, wandered through style after style, revealing her proficiency in all.

"Milkshake," the opening single of her third effort (her second album, WANDERLAND, was, strangely enough, not released in the States), features lyrics that might initially sound gimmicky, but it adds a darkly insistent techno-garage beat for an unforgettable musical moment disguised as a pop song. Kelis takes her influences from all over the map, referencing artists from the Pet Shop Boys to the Beastie Boys. "Keep It Down" starts off with a metal guitar riff and Kelis channeling Joan Jett with a most sensual fury, spitting out lines like "soft porn doesn't do it for me." She then proceeds to slide naturally into a sweet R&B ballad with poetic lines, such as "I got nervous and laughed your love away." As a whole, TASTY sports a delicate balance of intriguing experimentation and catchy hooks to create one of the most delectable records of 2003.