Aliens try to communicate through her TV set and she remembers life

KELIS, 20-year-old soul/ rap/hip-hop sensation and graduate of the stage school which was immortalised in The Kids From Fame, says she's coming over with her all-girl band soon. How did she choose the girls, I ask. For their attitude? Their streetwise brashness? Their foxy feistiness? She gazes at me with the blank confidence of those who've been stoned more than a few times. "They're good musicians," she says, not unkindly.

You do rather expect Kelis, "the Harlem hurricane", to storm into the room and launch into a zealous rant about men's failings and the joys of astral travel. Or rather, you do if you heard Caught Out There, her hit single of earlier this year which dominated the airwaves and post-infidelity break-ups with its hollered refrain of: "I hate you so much right now". Or her debut album Kaleidoscope, a robust cocktail of pop, dance and genre-defying hard stuff.

In the flesh, however, she's surprisingly laid-back. The hair is green and orange, matching the self-designed clothes, but the voice is soft and gentle, if given to sudden exclamations. Today, the tigress is a pussycat, with occasional claws.

If you get the chance, you really do have to ask if success and attention have changed her. "Fame is not important, but I've always felt like a star," she says. "Just 'cos you now agree doesn't mean I didn't feel like one before I had a record deal. But things are more hectic now. There are good days and bad days. Some days you just don't care. Other days, fine, you recognise it's part of the job and just take it in your stride and it's all good. Some days it works, some days it's just not happening."

Was Kaleidoscope your big statement? "Everything's my big statement! But I did want it to be perceived as something totally positive. No negative thoughts or vibes whatsoever went into the making of it, which I stress is very important. Mafia? Hey, that song's a metaphor for life and death and love, which are all the same thing, right? Roller Rink is a metaphor for a getaway, a retreat. If you imagine, like, Armageddon, where things are in turmoil, it's just about finding a place where you can go and take your mind off the whole situation. A happy place."

When I ask whether the track Mars is actually about little green men talking to her through the TV, Kelis gives a surprising answer. "Actually, that did happen! I'm always having these big debates with friends about what's to come, then one night I went home and our topic of the day - the colonisation of Mars - was comin' at me from the TV. It happened. I wouldn't've done the song if it hadn't.

"Also, when I sing about Mars, it's really about being alone. I realise we're all alone here, but going beyond that, it's about finding someone who's as alone and able to relate to you on that level. Y'know, having a connection with them and being able to have power and strength through each other."

One keeps a straight face asking the next question. Kelis has an aura which casually commands respect. Either that or she's just very cool. Or bonkers. So, I ask - do you genuinely think you're from another planet? "I always feel like that. I'd say I live in this world, but I'm not of it. Y'know? My mom always taught me to set myself aside from all the bullshit and everything. Just because you're here doesn't mean you have to consume the things that are all over you. I'm not guided by those things. Unless I wanna be."

There's already talk of Hollywood interest in Kelis and the fashion industry is enthralled by her. "I think fashion is dope - I mean, my fashion is dope! It's fine if people are into it. It's clear I like clothes - I do a few artsy-craftsy things, decorate T-shirts, jeans - but, whenever they see someone with their own style, they say they love it, but then they wanna change it! They just wanna dress me. They wanna change what's attracted them in the first place. So I guess I'm sayin' fashion is actually kinda dumb" Kelis enjoys talking about her youth. In fact, she enjoys talking about her pre-youth. Her earliest memory is "being in the womb. I remember my mom playing music, jazz, to me, and I remember some of the things she used to eat. When I was little I'd lay on her stomach, and remember being just on the other side and being real comfortable."

Do you remember much else of your childhood? "Uh-huh. It's good I have three sisters so we all recall different parts. I'm the only one into the music thing. What's funny is that everything we said we'd be like, when we were children, is what we now are. Pretty much. We're just bigger now. My sister, who always wanted to be a cop, is now a criminal psychologist. My next sister always wanted to be a doctor. She's got a year left of medical school. And the other wanted to be a veterinarian, and she's now in Argentina working with horses. So it's like everything to plan, do your own thing!

"We were always encouraged to go for whatever made us happy, no matter what anybody else told us. My father was a saxophonist, and then later became a minister, so music's kinda in my blood."

With an almost Zen calm, she stretches in a feline manner and prepares to bag up global deity status. "Hey, I'm aware of the fact the world is not gonna last forever! I know it's gonna end and I do think the time is near. But it'll happen when we all least expect it.

"People are afraid of the unknown. They're cowards. I'm not. I welcome change. The next album I do will be completely different from Kaleidoscope, and I'll need to be mentally prepared for that. I like things the way they are, but I'm always willing to try and get 'em better."

Kelis plays her only UK date at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire on June 22. Her new single, Good Stuff, is out now

Copyright 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.