Back in the year 2000, a young R&B artist by the name of Kelis Rogers emerged onto the scene, grabbing everyone’s attention with her soulful but aggressive No.1 single, ‘Caught Out There’.

Six years on, and the same Miss Rogers is now going by the name of Mrs Nasir Jones, having set up house with QB’s finest. Always one to reinvent herself with each new record, Kelis’ fourth album, ‘Kelis Was Here’, sees the R&B chick sporting a new shorter hairstyle, and an all new attitude to boot.

Apparently not content with just being the playful sex kitten portrayed on ‘Milkshake’, Kelis is stepping things up a gear on this album, with her latest single ‘Bossy’ showing the world exactly who is in control. The bass-heavy, synth-driven track is one you will either love or hate – for some long-time Kelis fans, even this track was a little too far left for their likes. However, if ‘Bossy’ wasn’t for you, approach the album with caution, for whilst the track is unique and sounds nothing like the rest of the LP, it is a good measure of how much Kelis is ready to experiment.

Having ditched The Neptunes as her preferred production duo of choice, (the main beatmakers for her last three albums), Kelis is left to stand on her own two feet, a move which will either make or break her.

To help her succeed, she has hired the help of producers Scott Storch, Will.i.am and Raphael Saadiq, with vocal assistance from Gnarls Barkley’s Cee-Lo, and an appearance by her husband, the one and only Nas.

Despite such a hip hop-heavy crew of collaborators, ‘Kelis Was Here’ is far from what you might expect from the Manhattan native. From the ragga-tinged ‘Fire’ with Spragga Benz to the rock-infused ‘I Don’t Think So’, Kelis changes her style more times than Madonna on this LP, delivering a mixture of musical treats that only her hardcore fanbase will fully appreciate.

She is at her most soulful alongside Cee-Lo on the incredibly sentimental ‘Lil’ Star’, and the reflective ‘Appreciate Me’, whilst she rides the jazzy Raphael Saadiq beat on ‘Circus’ quite impressively, rhyming at her own pace on each verse. ‘Living Proof’ is another track worthy of a good listen, as Kelis opens up her heart on a more upbeat Saadiq creation.

This album needs to be approached with an open mind, for cuts like the tongue-in-cheek ‘Blindfold Me’ takes a little getting used to. The raunchy lyrics are matched by the equally brash 808 beat, and Nas’ 16 bars gives listeners even more of an insight into just how sexy Kelis likes to get. Cuts like this may appear a bit crude, but that’s just Kelis being raw with us.

However, ‘Kelis Was Here’ isn’t without its flaws. With Will.i.am at the helm of the club track ‘Weekend’, the song feels a bit lacklustre, and sees the Black Eyed Peas member sound like a Fatman Scoop wannabe. ‘Aw S***!’ is another low point on the album, as Kelis boasts, ‘I can make a whole song talk sh*t.’ Yeah...ok.

‘Kelis Was Here’ is a bit left of centre, but with an artist like this, you can never box them in a certain genre, for they will always excel their expectations. Whilst this outing is as good as her previous releases, it is a very different Kelis stepping out this time around, and only time will tell whether she has won over her own fans with this eclectic mix.