Blindfold Me
"Blindfold Me" | ||||
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Single by Kelis featuring Nas | ||||
from the album Kelis Was Here | ||||
Released | October 3, 2006 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Length | 3:48 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Kelis singles chronology | ||||
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Nas singles chronology | ||||
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"Blindfold Me" is a hip hop song by American singer Kelis from her fourth studio album, Kelis Was Here (2006). It was written and produced by Sean Garrett and Polow da Don. A remix, featuring American rapper Nas, was released as the album's second single in the United States on October 3, 2006. Although the Neptunes were long-time collaborators of Kelis, Kelis Was Here was her first album without their involvement as she opted for a more diverse team of record producers, which included Garrett and Polow da Don.
The song's lyrics focus on
Production and release
Sean Garrett and Polow da Don wrote and produced "Blindfold Me" for Kelis's fourth studio album Kelis Was Here (2006). Polow da Don is credited under his legal name Jamal Jones in the liner notes.[2] In 2006 articles for Billboard and Vibe, music critics cited Polow da Don's work on "Blindfold Me" as part of his rising popularity as a record producer.[3][4] Kelis recruited new producers for Kelis Was Here, including Garrett and Polow da Don, after separating from long-time collaborators the Neptunes.[5] She had worked with the duo since her debut studio album Kaleidoscope in 1999,[6] and was their "diva of choice" to sing hooks on other artists' songs.[7] In a 2020 interview, Kelis said her collaboration with other producers for her third studio album caused a rift in their professional relationship.[8]
A
In September 2006,
The music video for "Blindfold Me" was directed by Marc Klasfeld,[20] who also shot the videos for the other Kelis Was Here singles, "Bossy" and "Lil Star".[21][22] Filmed in Los Angeles in September 2006, it features Nas tying up Kelis.[23] Scenes include Nas taking Kelis from a parking lot and using a black panther as part of foreplay.[24] The video premiered on the documentary series Access Granted on September 6, 2006, along with a behind-the-scenes feature.[20] Media outlets commented that the music video was about sexual fetishism,[25][26] and Yahoo!'s Lyndsey Parker included it on her 2018 listicle of the kinkiest music videos of all time.[26] Parker, as well as another Yahoo! contributor, praised the chemistry between Kelis and Nas.[26][27] On the other hand, in a 2013 Vibe article, Desire Thompson criticized the video as unsuccessfully attempting to be sexy.[24]
Music and lyrics
"Blindfold Me" is a three-minute, 48-second
The instrumental includes synthesizers, synth horns, sirens, and drums.[34] A contributor for Rap-Up wrote that sirens are often featured in Polow da Don's productions.[28] However, in Entertainment Weekly, Clark Collis said "Blindfold Me" sounded like music produced by Timbaland.[35] MTV News's Doreen St. Félix said the track had a "skeletal beat",[36] while Hope described its composition as having a "tick-tock percussion".[9]
The lyrics focus on
Critical reception
"Blindfold Me" was cited by several critics as a highlight from Kelis Was Here.
Some critics praised the song for showcasing Kelis's sexual personality.[46] Clark Collis described it as the "perfect launchpad for the singer’s sex-object-on-her-own-terms persona".[35] In the Associated Press, Brett Johnson said "Blindfold Me" fit with Kelis's attitude, writing: "Few songstresses can match her hot-blooded sneer."[39] While referring to the single as "urgent and almost crude", Tim Finney for Pitchfork identified it as the moment in which Kelis was at "her most brazenly confronting".[5]
Hope and Stylus Magazine's Mallory O'Donnell disliked the remix, criticizing the lyrics as uncomfortably voyeuristic into Kelis's sex life with Nas.[9][10] O'Donnell dismissed the single as a "rote club-banger",[10] and Hope questioned its commercial viability, saying "it is hard to see it getting much airplay outside the sweaty confines of the clubs".[9] In New York magazine, Sia Michel panned "Blindfold Me" as a failed attempt to recapture past success, finding it "far less catchy and witty" than "Milkshake".[47]
Several reviewers were critical of the placement of "Blindfold Me" on the album's track listing,[48] considering it a jarring shift after the more sentimental "Living Proof".[10][40] Andy Kellman disliked the choice to go from "Blindfold Me", which he described as having an "anthemic kink", to a ballad like "Goodbyes".[13] Despite these negative reviews for the track listing, some critics attributed the album's tonal shifts to Kelis's artistic versatility.[40][49] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Ann Powers said "few artists could line up an ode to bondage right next to a love song so sweet that it could be played at a wedding".[49]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Blindfold Me (Main)" | 4:20 |
2. | "Blindfold Me (Instrumental)" | 4:21 |
3. | "Blindfold Me (Acappella)" | 3:58 |
4. | "Blindfold Me (Call Out Hook #1)" | 0:10 |
5. | "Blindfold Me (Call Out Hook #2)" | 0:07 |
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Kelis Was Here:[2]
Recording locations
- Recorded in Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood and the Battery Studios in New York City
- Mixed in the Chung King Studios in New York City
Personnel
|
|
Charts
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[17] | 91 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | October 3, 2006 | 12-inch vinyl | Jive | [15] |
October 10, 2006 | Rhythmic contemporary radio | [16] |
References
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d "Blindfold Me" 2006.
- ^ a b c Kelis Was Here 2006.
- ^ Gale 2006, p. 68.
- ^ a b Hope 2006b, p. 33.
- ^ a b Finney 2006.
- ^ Salmon 2006.
- ^ Shapiro 2003, p. 554.
- ^ Fu 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hope 2006a, p. 73.
- ^ a b c d e f O'Donnell 2006.
- ^ Ahlgrim 2020; Lamarre 2017; Vibe 2003, p. 42
- ^ Spotify.
- ^ a b Kellman B.
- ^ a b c Nostro 2012.
- ^ a b c AllMusic A.
- ^ a b FMQB.
- ^ a b Billboard.
- ^ Cinquemani 2008.
- ^ Kellman A.
- ^ a b Access Grants 2006.
- ^ Mark Klasfeld.
- ^ AllMusic B.
- ^ Access Grants 2006; Mayo 2006, p. 100; XXL 2006
- ^ a b Thompson 2013.
- ^ Mayo 2006, p. 100.
- ^ a b c Parker 2018.
- ^ Yahoo! 2018.
- ^ a b Rap-Up 2007.
- ^ Hope 2006a, p. 73; Johnson 2006, p. D10; O'Donnell 2006
- ^ Brooks 2006; Hope 2006b, p. 33; Kellman B; Sanneh 2006
- ^ Sanneh 2006.
- ^ Fu.
- ^ Ollison 2006, p. 7T.
- ^ Hope 2006a, p. 73; Johnson 2006, p. D10; O'Donnell 2006
- ^ a b c Collis 2015.
- ^ a b c St. Félix 2016.
- ^ Gannett News Service 2006, p. F9; Dunlevy 2006, p. AL2; Johnson 2006, p. D10.
- ^ SLJ 2006.
- ^ a b Johnson 2006, p. D10.
- ^ a b c Dunlevy 2006, p. AL2.
- ^ Kot 2006, p. 5-3.
- ^ Christgau 2007; Fu; Jones 2006; Kellman B; Ollison 2006, p. 7T
- ^ Keefe 2006.
- ^ Huff 2006.
- ^ Hands 2006.
- ^ Collis 2015; Finney 2006; Johnson 2006, p. D10
- ^ Michel 2006.
- ^ Dunlevy 2006, p. AL2; Kellman B; O'Donnell 2006
- ^ a b Powers 2006.
Citations
- "37 real-life couples that cozied up in music videos". Yahoo!. February 13, 2018. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018.
- Ahlgrim, Callie (February 14, 2020). "34 celebrity couples who wrote and recorded songs together". Insider. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- Kelis (2006). "Blindfold Me" (Media notes). Jive Records.
- "Kelis: 'Blindfold Me' [US 12"]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020.
- Brooks, Brandon (August 17, 2006). "Bump It Or Dump It". Los Angeles Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018.
- Robertchristgau.com. Archivedfrom the original on August 15, 2013.
- Cinquemani, Sal (March 5, 2008). "Kelis: The Hits". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
- Collis, Clark (January 17, 2015). "Kelis Was Here". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
- Dunlevy, T'Cha (September 5, 2006). "The crunk in her milkshakes has made her really bossy". Arts & Life. CanWest News Service. p. AL2. Retrieved November 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Finney, Tim (August 30, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017.
- "FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013.
- Fu, Eddie (January 31, 2020). "Kelis Details How The Neptunes Took All The Profits From Her First Two Albums". Genius. Archivedfrom the original on February 1, 2020.
- Fu, Karen. "Kelis Was Here". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019.
- Gale, Alex (December 2006). "Fresh Produce". from the original on November 24, 2020.
- Hands, Steve (September 11, 2006). "Kelis – Kelis Was Here". musicOMH. Archived from the original on November 23, 2006.
- Hope, Clover (September 23, 2006). "Kelis: 'Blindfold Me'". from the original on November 25, 2020.
- Hope, Clover (September 30, 2006). "Rising Star: Polow". from the original on November 21, 2016.
- "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020.
- Huff, Quentin B. (September 7, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". PopMatters. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013.
- Johnson, Brett (September 1, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". Music. The Sentinel. Associated Press. p. D10. Retrieved November 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Jones, Preston (August 21, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020.
- Keefe, Jonathan (December 15, 2006). "The Best Albums & Singles of 2006". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020.
- "Kelis featuring Nas ('Blindfold Me')". Access Granted. Season 6. September 6, 2006. BET.
- Kelis Was Here (Media notes). Kelis. Jive Records. 2006.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - "Kelis Was Here". Spotify. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- "Kelis Was Here: Kelis". Advice/Entertainment. Gannett News Service. September 4, 2006. p. F9. Retrieved November 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Kellman, Andy. "The Hits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020.
- Kellman, Andy. "Kelis Was Here". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017.
- Kot, Greg (September 8, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". Arts & Entertainment. Chicago Tribune. p. 5-3. Retrieved November 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Lamarre, Carl (February 6, 2017). "9 Moments We Hope To See in BET's 'Street Dreams' About Nas". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020.
- "Marc Klasfeld". Marcklasfeld.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020.
- "Marc Klasfeld: Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020.
- Mayo, Kierna (Winter 2006). "The Maverick". from the original on November 23, 2020.
- Michel, Sia (August 17, 2006). "Her Milkshake's Next Act". New York. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017.
- "Nasty Nas ties up wifey in the video for Kelis' "Blindfold Me"". XXL. September 7, 2006. Archived from the original on March 3, 2018.
- "Nicole Scherzinger Album Preview". Rap-Up. June 2, 2007. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020.
- Nostro, Lauren (November 22, 2012). "Sean Garrett Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records". Complex. Archivedfrom the original on September 12, 2017.
- O'Donnell, Mallory (August 23, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020.
- Ollison, Rashod D. (September 7, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". Music. The Baltimore Sun. p. 7T. Retrieved November 23, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- Parker, Lyndsey (February 13, 2018). "15 shades of Grey: The kinkiest music videos of all time". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020.
- Powers, Ann (August 20, 2006). "She may be bossy, but that's not all". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020.
- Salmon, Chris (September 7, 2006). "Kelis, Kelis Was Here". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017.
- Sanneh, Kelefa (August 21, 2006). "Kelis: Kelis Was Here". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018.
- ISBN 9781843531050.
- SLJ (August 16, 2006). "kelis's nas-ty boy". MTV. Archivedfrom the original on March 5, 2018.
- St. Félix, Doreen (August 22, 2016). "Kelis Was Here, 10 Years Later". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017.
- Thompson, Desire (April 24, 2013). "15 Racy Music Videos That Missed The Mark". Vibe. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020.
- "vibe raters". ISSN 1070-4701. Archived from the originalon November 29, 2020.
External links
- "Blindfold Me" music video on YouTube