Kelis

Harlem-born singer Kelis gained more attention in Europe than in her home country with her Neptunes-produced debut album Kaleidoscope (1999). The first single, "Caught Out There", became a huge hit in the UK, and established Kelis as an interesting new artist thanks to it's distinctive hook - Kelis angrily shouting "I hate you so much right now!". However, her second album Wanderland (2001) wasn't a hit, and didn't even get a release in the US. With her career on the wane, Kelis roped in help from André 3000, Raphael Saadiq and future husband Nas for third album Tasty (2003). The lead single "Milkshake" was an international hit, selling over half-a-million copies in the US, around half that in the UK, and topping the charts of Japan and Ireland. "Trick Me" hit No.2 in the UK and topped the Japanese chart, while "Millionaire" was a No.3 in Britain. The album went gold in the US and platinum in the UK. Meanwhile, Kelis appeared on two more UK Top Ten singles: "Finest Dreams" by Richard X and "Not In Love" by Enrique Inglesias. Kelis released her fourth studio album, Kelis Was Here, in 2006. It was a modest seller in the US, again performing comparatively better in the UK where "Lil Star" (featuring Cee-Lo Green) was a No.3 hit.