When I say that no two songs on the new album are alike, I really mean no two songs are alike. KelisвЂ™ ability to contort through different textures and arguably genres speaks both to her strength and to her nonconformist ability to wear many masks. The sanguine sound of their voices-busting a gut over who knows what-combined with the feature melodies and easy going riffs sound like a daydream on how easy it is to just let go and be loved. Breathy oooвЂ™s, ahвЂ™s, and an impressive Sharon Jones-esque horn section in the opening songs had me making an audible, вЂњGet it, girl!вЂќ After listening to вЂњCobbler,вЂќ which opens with audio from an all-girls hang out session, I was brought back to another empowering, life-changing song that opens the same way, Ms. Her new album straddles what it feels like to be a woman and mother and all the shit that comes with it, without apologizing for the euphoria she experiences when taking the world head-on.ДЇood resonates like a fun summer-spring album should. From running to a booth at Food & Wine shows to promote her Feast line of sauces, to raising a kid and touring-whatвЂ™s making another album anyway? Opportunism is key, and Kelis does it very well: At this yearsвЂ™ SXSW she not only delivered a stellar performance, she served ribs and duck confit sliders from her own food truck. Like Kelis, we all have more than we bargained for, but that doesnвЂ™t mean we devote any less time, energy, or heart to our many obligations. For a lot of people that would seem like an exhaustive list of titles, but to me, it seems an unsurprising list for a talented, working black woman. The singer and certified chefвЂ™s packs her new album, Food, with some serious soul, as well as themes of empowerment, love, and plenty of snark.ДЇoodВ (which came out April 22nd) is the sixth album for the 34-year-old mother, musician, sauce-maker, cooking show host, and fashion designer. Kelis knows the way to your heart is through your stomach, and she should.

At SXSW this year, Kelis dished up tasty meals from her own food truck.

Kelis food songs