Kelis Was Here

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Kelis Was Here
Kelis Was Here cover
Studio album by Kelis
Released August 22, 2006 (U.S.)
August 25, 2006 (Europe)
September 11, 2006 (UK)
September 16, 2006 (Australia)
September 29, 2006 (Japan)
Recorded August 2004 – July 2006
Genre R&B, soul, hip hop, hip hop soul, pop rap, pop, electro
Length 72:42 (main edition)
76:39 (international edition)
Label LaFace/Jive (U.S.)
Virgin (Europe)
Producer Kelis, Scott Storch, Knobody, Raphael Saadiq, Cee-Lo Green, Cool & Dre, Damon Elliott, Max Martin, Linda Perry, will.i.am, Swizz Beatz, Polow da Don, Bangladesh
Professional reviews
Kelis chronology
Tasty
(2003)		 Kelis Was Here
(2006)		 The Hits
(2008)
Singles from Kelis Was Here
  1. "Bossy"
    Released: January 31, 2006
  2. "Blindfold Me"
    Released: October 3, 2006
  3. "Lil Star"
    Released: February 19, 2007
  4. "I Don't Think So"
    Released: May 19, 2008

Kelis Was Here is the fourth studio album by American R&B/hip hop singer Kelis, released on August 22, 2006 (see 2006 in music) in the United States on LaFace Records/Jive Records and September 11, 2006 on Virgin Records worldwide. It involves production by Raphael Saadiq, Swizz Beatz, Knobody, Max Martin, and Scott Storch, among others and also features duets with will.i.am, Nas, Cee-Lo Green, Smoke, Too Short, and Spragga Benz. The album was nominated for the "Best Contemporary R&B Album" category at the 2007 Grammy Awards and is also notable for being the first Kelis record to feature no production from long-time collaborators The Neptunes.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Chart performance

The album debuted at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at number six on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with more than 58,000 units sold within its first week of release, making it Kelis' best-charting album to date. Nevertheless sales declined soon and the album fell quickly off the chart after its sixth week. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Kelis Was Here barely sold 150,000 copies in the United States (as of November 2, 2006), also making it her least successful album to date.

The album has not had much better success internationally; although it has been ceritifed silver by the BPI for more than 60,000 copies shipped in the United Kingdom.

Despite low sales, the album was nominated for the "Best Contemporary R&B Album" category at the 2007 Grammy Awards. Although not her first nomination, it was Kelis' first album to be nominated for a Grammy Award (her 2004 nomination was for her song "Milkshake" in the "Best Urban/Alternative Performance" category).

The album's lead single, "Bossy", was a successful hit which features rapper Too Short. According to the RIAA in the United States the single Bossy was a slow burner but eventually was on to become a multi platinum hit on December 11, 2006 in the U.S. according to the RIAA. It broke into the top twenty of the Billboard Hot 100 to peak at number 16. The second single from the album in the U.S., "Blindfold Me", featuring Nas, peaked at number 91 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs but never made onto the Hot 100. The second international single was "Lil Star" which features Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley fame and earned Kelis her highest chart entries since 2004 "Millionaire". Lil Star climbed to number three on the UK singles charts selling over 118,000 copies and the single was also a hit in Ireland reaching the number two position.

Due to the use of "I Don't Think So" in promotional advertising for Big Brother Australia 2008, the song charted on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart on April 21, 2008 at number forty-nine just on digital download sales alone. The following week it rose twenty places to #29, and has currently peaked at #27.[1]

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Intro" – 1:27
  2. "Bossy" (featuring Too Short) – 4:34
  3. "What's That Right There" (featuring will.i.am) – 4:17
  4. "Till the Wheels Fall Off" – 4:13
  5. "Living Proof" – 3:41
  6. "Blindfold Me" – 3:48
  7. "Goodbyes" – 4:42
  8. "Trilogy" – 3:56
  9. "Circus" – 4:40
  10. "Weekend" – 4:42
  11. "Like You" – 3:00
  12. "Aww S***!" (featuring Smoke) – 4:09
  13. "Lil Star" (featuring Cee-Lo) – 4:55
  14. "I Don't Think So" – 3:02
  15. "Handful" – 2:59
  16. "Appreciate Me" – 4:02
  17. "Have a Nice Day" (with one minute of silence following) – 6:33
  18. "Fuck Them Bitches" (hidden track) – 3:49

[edit] International edition

  1. "Intro" – 1:27
  2. "Blindfold Me" (featuring Nas) – 4:19
  3. "Bossy" (featuring Too Short) – 4:34
  4. "Fire" (featuring Spragga Benz) – 3:31
  5. "I Don't Think So" – 3:02
  6. "Weekend" – 4:42
  7. "Trilogy" – 3:56
  8. "Appreciate Me" – 4:02
  9. "Till the Wheels Fall Off" – 4:13
  10. "Handful" – 2:59
  11. "Aww S***!" (featuring Smoke) – 4:09
  12. "What's That Right There" (featuring will.i.am) – 4:17
  13. "Circus" – 4:40
  14. "Lil Star" (featuring Cee-Lo) – 4:55
  15. "Like You" – 3:00
  16. "Living Proof" – 3:41
  17. "Goodbyes" – 4:42
  18. "Have a Nice Day" (with one minute of silence following) – 6:33
  19. "Fuck Them Bitches" (hidden track) – 3:49

[edit] Credits and personnel

  • Kelis – vocals
  • Dawn Beckman – choir
  • Renee Bowers – choir
  • Renato Brasa – percussion
  • Kerry Braxton – choir
  • Jason Brown – choir
  • Joseph Edwards – choir
  • Jim Gilstrap – choir
  • Julio Handson – choir
  • Keith Harris – bass
  • Jake & the Phatman – percussion, turntables
  • John Patrick – choir
  • Chuck Prada – percussion
  • Sandra Riley – choir
  • Raphael Saadiq – bass
  • Erika Schimdt – choir
  • will.i.am – bass

[edit] Production

  • Executive producers: Kelis, Mark Pitts, J. Erving
  • Engineers: Joe Peluso, John Tanksley, John Hanes
  • Mixing: John Frye, Ethan Willoughby, Joe Peluso, Danny Romero, Brian Stanley, Phil Tan, Fabian Marasciullo, Jean Marie, Serban Gheneaat, Darien Gap, Dave "Hard Drive" Pensado
  • Mastering: Chris Athens
  • A&R: Mark Pitts
  • Assistants: John Tanksley, Mike Makowski, Josh Houghkirk, Vadim Chislov, James Roach, Chad Jolley, Colin Miller, Tim Roberts, *Nathan Connelly, The Blitzburg Group, Dave Mattix
  • Production coordination: Wesley Morrow
  • Programming: Teddy "Bear"
  • Drum programming: Jake & the Phatman
  • Arranger: Damon Elliott, Grecco Burratto
  • Photography: Markus Klinko and Indrani
  • Artwork: Denise Trotman
  • Hair: Dickie
  • Make-Up: Sharon Gault
  • Stylist: Andrea Lieberman

[edit] Leftover tracks

  • "Fire" (featuring Sean Paul) (produced by Bloodshy & Avant) - 3:30
  • "Handful" (Alternate Version featuring Nas) - 3:04
  • "Waiting for War" (produced by Damon Elliott)
  • "Livewire" (produced by Damon Elliott)
  • "Sign Your Name" (produced by Damon Elliott)
  • "Chico" (produced by Damon Elliott)
  • "Cheaters" (produced by Damon Elliott)
  • "New York, NY" (produced by Damon Elliott)
  • "Feelings Change" (produced by Damon Elliott)
  • "Push It to the Edge" (produced by Scott Storch) (featured in the Ford commercials)

[edit] Charts

Chart (2006) Peak
position		 Certification
Australian ARIA Albums Chart 96 —
Austrian Albums Chart 69
Belgian Albums Chart 45 —
Dutch Albums Chart 82 —
French Albums Chart 104 —
German Albums Chart 77 —
Italian Albums Chart 90 —
Norwegian Albums Chart 35 —
Swiss Albums Chart 22 —
Swedish Albums Chart 51 —
UK Albums Chart 41 Silver
UK R&B Albums Chart 16
United World Chart 25 —
U.S. Billboard 200 10 —
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 6

[edit] References

  1. ^ Top 50 Singles Chart - Australian Recording Industry Association
v • d • e
Kelis
Studio albums
Kaleidoscope (1999) · Wanderland (2001) · Tasty (2003) · Kelis Was Here (2006)
Other albums
The Hits (2008)
Solo singles
Other singles
Related articles
Languages