Kelis To Bring Her Milkshake (and the boys) To Hi Fi This July

By Benjamen Judd

Thanks be to the Splendour in the Grass gods for their gift of bringing in an array of amazing artists who in turn are doing sideshows in Sydney. Particularly Kelis, who will be performing at Hi Fi in the Entertainment Quarter on Jul 23.

Truth be told, we have a serious girl-crush on Kelis. Ever since we heard her singing the truth about being cheated in ‘Caught Out There’ up to her dance hit collaboration with Calvin Harris, ‘Bounce’, Kelis just gets it right.

Most famous for her provocative, and now iconic pop-cultural reference, track ‘Milkshake’ and despite a slew of top ten hits and even several Grammy nominations, Kelis has somehow managed to remain outside of the mainstream hip hop scene. This could have something to do with her refusal to be defined by any particular musical genre, blending elements of rap, soul, pop and hip hop and frequently doing so on the same track. And all of this simply makes us love her more because, you know, edgy authentic and stuff.

The tour coincides with the release of her latest album, Food, (the title a nod to her less-well known skill as a chef and saucier who and graduate from Le Cordon Bleu). A more hip-hop sounding album with strong African influences, Food still manages to flip flop across various musical genres with ease. A hit with critics, Food has been hailed as Kelis’ signature album where the singer has hit her stride with music that plays to the strengths of her vocals.

Kelis will be performing at Hi Fi in the Entertainment Quarter on July 23.