Filed under: design of a decade, lists, music | Tags: 2003, design of a decade, kelis, milkshake
[The best of 2003 continues with the only great song that year to have been performed by cast members of a daytime soap opera.]
7. Kelis, Milkshake
New York singer Kelis first appeared at the tail end of the last millennium. Caught Out There–the “I hate you so much right now!!” song–hit #4 on the UK singles chart, but the song had minimal impact stateside. Americans also ignored the follow-up singles from the Kaleidoscope album, and Young Fresh n New, the only single released from her follow-up album, didn’t even do particularly well in Britain.
After two big misses, most R&B singers wouldn’t get the chance to make a third album, but luck was on Kelis’s side. Luck, and her longtime collaborators The Neptunes, who were suddenly in the middle of a very successful run of chart hits. They wrote and produced the whole of her Tasty album, and abruptly the singer transformed from Macy Gray-ish cuckoo to batshit sexpot.
Filed under: art, magazines | Tags: highbrow, life magazine, lowbrow, taste
[Click image to enlarge.]
From Crooked Timber comes this handy chart from a 1949 issue of Life Magazine, letting you know what’s highbrow and what isn’t. My favorite part is that the useful highbrow objects are a decanter and an ashtray from a chemical supply company.
I’m all over the place. I like the Eames chair, but I also prefer a jukebox to Bach. And don’t even get me started on the joys of bourbon and ginger ale.
