Kelis follows No. 1 hit "Acapella" with new digital single "4th of July (Fireworks)" out June 8th
Pre-Order Begins June 15th For Kelis' New Album, Flesh Tone, Set For July 6th Release In U.S. And Canada By Will.I.Am Music Group/Interscope Records
"4th of July (Fireworks)," the second single from GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Kelis' upcoming album, Flesh Tone, hits clubs this week and will be available as a digital single beginning June 8, 2010.
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A pulsating club banger that's equal parts electro and trance, complete with an old-school piano break, the track was produced by DJ Ammo. It follows Kelis' international No. 1 hit "Acapella," which topped both the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs Chart.
Watch video - Kelis performing 4th of July (Fireworks) on Later with Jools Holland, May 2010:
Kelis co-directed the video for "4th of July (Fireworks)" with Rankin and Nicole Ehrlich. Shot in the scorching desert outside of Los Angeles, Ehrlich describes it as a "spectacular array of visual stimulation seeing Kelis play dynamically upon the four elements of the universe."
Flesh Tone will be released by will.i.am Music Group/Interscope Records in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand on July 6th. Fans can pre-order the album on the iTunes Store beginning on June 15th. Flesh Tone, which was released last week in all other countries, is the first album in nearly four years for this groundbreaking artist, best known for such smash singles as "Caught Out There," the Top 5, GRAMMY-nominated "Milkshake" and "Bossy," which became a million-selling ringtone.
The New York Times called Flesh Tone "one of her strongest records yet" and it appeared on Spin's list of "25 Summer Albums That Matter Most." Billboard singled out Flesh Tone as one of 2010's "Best Bets" and yesterday Perez Hilton tweeted about it, saying: "I'm really feeling it! Hot!"
"Kelis. Genius. Pop Auteur. Credible diva. Welcome back," said NME, giving Flesh Tone an 8 out of 10 rating. The Sunday Times of London called it a "celebratory slice of dancefloor heaven" while The Guardian named the record an "Editor's Pick," noting: "Flesh Tone sounds like Kelis is coming into her own ... finding a voice that shows off her sparkling state of mind." In a five-star review, Glamour (UK) called it "the ultimate weekend soundtrack...one to turn up to the max" and Time Out London said: "She's still fierce and fabulous, and we're thrilled to have her back!".
Flesh Tone was album of the week in the Telegraph and Express and received a five-star review on the BBC website, which called it "a sensual and exhilarating album from a unique treasure."
Recorded primarily in Kelis' home studio, the shimmering, club-ready sound is the result of collaborations with some of the world's hottest producers including David Guetta (who helmed the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" and produced Flesh Tone's "Acapella" and "Scream"), Free School, Boys Noize and Burns. Label head will.i.am, who recently performed with Kelis on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," co-produced the track "Brave" with Alle and Benny Benassi, who also produced "Emancipate."
"There's a physicality behind it - it's about blood, muscle, heart," says Kelis, who's featured in the July issue of Nylon. "I was pregnant when I recorded 75 or 80 percent of this music. That's why there's such a feeling of freedom on it - you feel such confidence and sureness when this life is growing within you. So I started thinking, how do I portray this, and get people to feel how I felt? And that became a real driving force for me."
With the album complete, Kelis has returned to performing. She'll play the Glastonbury Festival on June 26th, "The Isle of MTV" live music event with Scissor Sisters in Malta on June 30th and The Big Chill Festival in the U.K. on August 7th. Upcoming U.S. tour dates will be announced next week.
In a review of her recent New York City show, Spin.com observed: "Kelis' new music is a big-thumping blend of European house and classic dance pop. And at Santos, Kelis and her three-piece band worked the house like any good DJ: bleeding each song into the next, mixing in other people's hits with their own, and reacting to the frantic push and pull of the crowd."
Born and raised in Harlem, Kelis sang in church choirs and attended LaGuardia High School in Manhattan (the "Fame" school for the performing arts), where she started her first vocal group. After making her debut in 1999 with Kaleidoscope, she won a BRIT award, an NME award and a Q award.
She has worked with a wide variety of artists, including The Neptunes, Andre 3000, Björk, Enrique Iglesias and Raphael Saadiq. The fashion icon is also a certified chef and a recent graduate of Le Cordon Bleu.
Track listing for Flesh Tone:
1. Intro
Produced by: Burns
2. 22nd Century
Produced by: Boys Noize
3. 4th Of July (Fireworks)
Produced by: Damien Leroy aka DJ Ammo
4. Home
Produced by: Free School
5. Acapella
Produced by: David Guetta
Co-Produced by: Fred Riesterer
6. Scream
Produced by: David Guetta
Co-Produced by: El Tocadisco (Roman De Garcez)
7. Emancipate
Produced by: Alle & Benny Benassi
8. Brave
Produced by: Alle & Benny Benassi
Co-Produced by: will.i.am
9. Song For The Baby
Produced by: Free School
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