Though the hype surrounding Kelis made for some amazing magazine photo shoots, she never lived up to those pop star expectations. However, she was a consistent singles artist, and that makes The Hits an essential portrait of post-millennial R&B innovation. "Caught Out There" uses her megaphone-amplified shout as a chorus; she boasts about "Milkshake" sex appeal over an Indian bhangra-inspired loop, and brings rap-sized swagger on "Bossy" with ferocity. Her comely, expressive mid-range voice is a great fit over music by the Neptunes, one of the major production teams of that era.