Featured Article Summary #269

“Blindfold Me” is a hip hop song by American singer Kelis, released in 2006 on her fourth album, Kelis Was Here. The track was written and produced by Sean Garrett and Polow da Don, and a remix featuring rapper Nas was released as the album’s second single in the U.S. on October 3, 2006. Although the Neptunes had worked with Kelis before, this album was her first without them because she chose a wider range of producers. The lyrics are mainly about sex, and critics described the song’s sound as pop rap and club music, though reviews were mixed—some praised it while others thought it disrupted the album’s tone. The music video, directed by Marc Klasfeld, shows Nas tying up Kelis and premiered in September 2006. The song later peaked at number 91 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and was also promoted with a 12-inch single. Sean Garrett and Polow da Don wrote and produced “Blindfold Me” for Kelis’s 2006 album Kelis Was Here after Kelis split from her long-time collaborators, the Neptunes. A remix led by Nas’s verse was promoted as a single, with the track recorded in studios in West Hollywood and New York and mixed in New York. The song was released in the US in 2006 as the second single, peaked at number 91 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and its video—directed by Marc Klasfeld and featuring Nas in a fetish-themed storyline—received mixed reactions, with some praising the chemistry and others criticizing it as trying too hard. “Blindfold Me” is a three-minute hip hop song often described as space-age hip-hop or pop rap, with some reviewers linking its style to club music. The music features synthesizers, sirens, and drums, and critics compared its sound to producers like Timbaland. The lyrics are strongly focused on sexual talk, which drew attention from multiple reviewers. Critics also compared it to Kelis’s “Milkshake” and discussed Kelis’s husky, panting-style vocals, noting that Nas adds “kinky quips” for the remix. “Blindfold Me” was widely praised as a standout single, with critics calling it one of Kelis’s best moments and highlighting her sharp rhyme work and bold, sexual attitude. Some reviewers focused on how well it fits her persona and urged listeners to give it repeat plays, while others praised it as a strong vehicle for her “sex-object on her own terms” image. However, several critics disliked the remix and questioned the song’s commercial appeal, and some felt its placement on the album was jarring—especially after the softer track “Living Proof”—though others argued the abrupt changes showed off Kelis’s versatility. Credits are taken from the liner notes of Kelis’ album “Was Here.” This means the information listed comes directly from that source rather than being newly created.