Milkshake (song)
Encyclopedia
"Milkshake" is a song by American recording artist Kelis
and the lead single
from her third studio album, Tasty. The song was released in the United States on August 25, 2003, by Star Trak
and Arista Records
, and internationally on November 24. It was written and produced by The Neptunes
, a duo that had made the majority of Kelis' songs in the past. According to Kelis, "milkshake" in the song is used as a metaphor for something that makes women special. The song is noted for its euphemistic chorus and low beat R&B
sound.
The song received generally positive reviews, with some critics considering it "brilliant" and "fantastic". One reviewer called it The Neptunes' masterpiece and another wrote that it "entices" the male population with its "rhythmic sound". Some critics, however, considered it "slack" and "odd". The song was featured on many best-of lists, and was named Best Single of 2004 by Britain's The Observer.
The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100
chart in December, 2003, becoming Kelis' best charting single in the country to date. The song achieved commercial success internationally, as it topped the chart in Ireland, and peaked inside the top three in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. "Milkshake" was certified gold in the United States, where it has sold 883,000 paid downloads. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award
for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
in 2004.
, a duo consisting of Pharrell Williams
and Chad Hugo
. The song came out when Tasty was chosen as the album's title. When making the song, Kelis "knew right away that it was a really good song", and she wanted it to be the album's first single. When asked about the meaning of the song, she told The Observer that "It means whatever people want it to; it was just a word we came up with on a whim, but then the song took on a life of its own." However, in an interview with The Associated Press
, she likened one's milkshake to one's mojo
; "A milkshake is the thing that makes women special. It's what gives us our confidence and what makes us exciting." Recording sessions took place at Hovercraft Studios in Virginia
. Phil Tan
mixed
the recordings at Right Track Studios
in New York City
.
song, and Joey Rivaldo of About.com
described it as a "low beat dance
song". The song is noted for its chorus, in which Kelis sings "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard". The line was referred to as a "sexy, euphemistic playground rap" by MTV News
. The song's riff was described as "blaring synth
-funk". A tingling sound resembling an order-up counter bell is used throughout the song. Andy Kellman of Allmusic compared the song's suggestive lyrics to "Nasty Girl
" by Vanity 6
, "In My House" by Mary Jane Girls
and "Touch It
" by Monifah
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Corporation, "Milkshake" has a moderate beat rate of 113 beats per minute.
(2004), in which "Milkshake" is featured, Heather Phares of Allmusic wrote that the song describes "the movie's playfully menacing undercurrent," and called the song "fantastic", and that it is "basically a three-minute tutorial in sex appeal." Rollie Pemberton of Pitchfork
called the song "brilliant", and said: "Equal parts cantina gyration and future-funk, Kelis plays the coquette, enticing the entire American male populace with rhythmic coos while simultaneously providing an apt tutorial for aspiring temptresses." Bjorn Randolph of Stylus
said that the song "may well be remembered as their [The Neptunes'] masterpiece". Mark Danson of Contactmusic.com
was not very fond about the song, criticizing her Neptunes sound, and said: "as it sounds like [Pharrell] Williams has done this one in his sleep, it'll probably slip under the radar unless it has a fairly decent video to back it up. It’s obviously supposed to be a kind of sexy electronica, but it just ends up sounding slack." Tony Naylor of NME
called the song "probably the oddest track" on the Tasty album.
The Observer named the song the best single of 2004. In 2004, Pitchfork made a list of the top 50 singles of 2003 and listed the song at number eight. In 2005, Pitchfork made a list of the top 100 singles of 2000–2004, listing "Milkshake" at number 21. Stylus named the song the 13th-best single of 2000–2005. In September 2011, VH1
ranked the song at #61 on its list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s. In October 2011, NME
placed it at number 136 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
chart, and peaked at number four on January 3, 2004. In October 2003, it debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart. It was Kelis' second entry on the chart, following "Caught out There
", which spent twelve weeks on the chart between December 1999 and February 2000. In its thirteenth week on the chart, "Milkshake" reached its peak of number three, and stayed there for five consecutive weeks. The song charted on the Hot 100 for twenty-two weeks, and was certified Gold on October 25, 2004, by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). "Milkshake" also spent a week at number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in December 2003. The song has sold 883,000 paid digital downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan
. It was listed at number ten on the 2004 year-end chart of the Hot 100, and number fourteen on the year-end chart of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 2004, "Milkshake" was nominated for a Grammy Award
for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
.
The song performed well internationally, reaching the top ten on many charts. In Ireland, it debuted at number fifteen and topped the chart for five consecutive weeks. Due to the success, it was listed at number four on the year-end chart of 2004 by the Irish Recorded Music Association
. The song performed well in the United Kingdom, as it charted at number two for four consecutive weeks and was it was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI). In Australia, it was certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) and peaked at number two on the singles chart for five non-consecutive weeks. It was also certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ), and peaked at number three on the singles chart. The song also peaked inside the top five in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
. In the video, Kelis enters a diner
called Tasty's Yard. She dances suggestively, and puts her lips around a cherry, which causes a mother to cover her child's eyes. A cook, played by rapper Nas
, starts delivering milkshakes to the customers while Kelis dances. A milkshake machine then starts spurting milkshake all over the customers, and more and more people enter the "yard". FHM
named the music video the 73rd sexiest music video by a female of all time and commented: "Here she's backed up by a posse of dancers wearing tiny diner uniforms. The way she sucks a milkshake and bites a cherry is just unfairly sexy", and said that the best part is when Kelis demonstrates a "perfect bending-over-oven technique".
and Norbit
. In Date Movie
, the song is played when actress Alyson Hannigan
dances around on the streets wearing a fatsuit
. In the Family Guy
episode "Sibling Rivalry
", Peter Griffin
is forced to sing the song to prisoners. McSweeney's
published a series of "Short Imagined Monologues", including one regarding "Milkshake" from the point of view of "an aging Kelis". In February 2007, The Daily Show
with Jon Stewart
jokingly reported that the song had been chosen as the campaign song
of Hillary Clinton
's 2008 presidential campaign
. The song was featured in the The Simpsons
episode "The Great Simpsina
" (first broadcast in 2011). The infamous line was also referenced by Mia Fey in the video game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. When first meeting Dahlia Hawthorne, she say "well I suppose we all know whose milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...".
In Kelis' song "Bossy", the lead single for her fourth studio album, Kelis Was Here
, "Milkshake" is referred to in the chorus, when she sings: "I'm bossy [...] I brought all the boys to the yard". Justin Bond
of cabaret duo Kiki and Herb
said that he had seen many people lip-sync to the song in clubs, and called the song "a big wink about the way you can reclaim your sexuality—it's about making the person who's objectifying you the weaker one." In 2010, Kelis said that she believed the song changed the music for female singers, comparing the music before and after "Milkshake" was a hit, and said: "I mean you kind of have to be retarded to deny that it literally changed female vocalists."
Kelis
Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
and the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from her third studio album, Tasty. The song was released in the United States on August 25, 2003, by Star Trak
Star Trak Entertainment
Star Trak Entertainment is a record label, founded by record producers Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams in 2001. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Interscope Records.-Beginnings:...
and Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
, and internationally on November 24. It was written and produced by The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, a duo that had made the majority of Kelis' songs in the past. According to Kelis, "milkshake" in the song is used as a metaphor for something that makes women special. The song is noted for its euphemistic chorus and low beat R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
sound.
The song received generally positive reviews, with some critics considering it "brilliant" and "fantastic". One reviewer called it The Neptunes' masterpiece and another wrote that it "entices" the male population with its "rhythmic sound". Some critics, however, considered it "slack" and "odd". The song was featured on many best-of lists, and was named Best Single of 2004 by Britain's The Observer.
The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in December, 2003, becoming Kelis' best charting single in the country to date. The song achieved commercial success internationally, as it topped the chart in Ireland, and peaked inside the top three in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. "Milkshake" was certified gold in the United States, where it has sold 883,000 paid downloads. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality urban/alternative performances...
in 2004.
Background
"Milkshake" was written and produced by The NeptunesThe Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, a duo consisting of Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
and Chad Hugo
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo is an American musician and record producer. He is best known as one half of the music production and writing duo The Neptunes and as a member of the funk/rock band N.E.R.D. He is a saxophonist, pianist and guitarist...
. The song came out when Tasty was chosen as the album's title. When making the song, Kelis "knew right away that it was a really good song", and she wanted it to be the album's first single. When asked about the meaning of the song, she told The Observer that "It means whatever people want it to; it was just a word we came up with on a whim, but then the song took on a life of its own." However, in an interview with The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, she likened one's milkshake to one's mojo
Self-confidence
The socio-psychological concept of self-confidence relates to self-assuredness in one's personal judgment, ability, power, etc., sometimes manifested excessively.Being confident in yourself is infectious if you present yourself well, others will want to follow in your foot steps towards...
; "A milkshake is the thing that makes women special. It's what gives us our confidence and what makes us exciting." Recording sessions took place at Hovercraft Studios in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Phil Tan
Phil Tan
Phil Tan is an Atlanta, GA-based music/audio engineer.He is a 3-time Grammy Award recipient, as mixing engineer for Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" , Ludacris' "Release Therapy" and Rihanna's "Only Girl " .Among the artists on Tan's list of credits: Jill Scott, Jennifer...
mixed
Mix engineer
A mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
the recordings at Right Track Studios
Right Track Recording
Right Track Recording is a four-studio recording studio located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. Established in 1976 by Simon Andrews, Right Track Recording today is one of the premier recording studios in New York City....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Composition
"Milkshake" is an R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
song, and Joey Rivaldo of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
described it as a "low beat dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
song". The song is noted for its chorus, in which Kelis sings "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard". The line was referred to as a "sexy, euphemistic playground rap" by MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
. The song's riff was described as "blaring synth
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
-funk". A tingling sound resembling an order-up counter bell is used throughout the song. Andy Kellman of Allmusic compared the song's suggestive lyrics to "Nasty Girl
Nasty Girl (Vanity 6 song)
"Nasty Girl" is a song written by Prince for his protégé girl group Vanity 6. Prince gave the songwriting credit to lead singer Vanity, although he was the writer and composer. It was the second single taken from their self-titled debut album Vanity 6 and was released in 1982.The backing music was...
" by Vanity 6
Vanity 6
Vanity 6 was a female vocal trio assembled by Prince in the early 1980s.They released one studio album, which blended the sounds of pop, New Wave, dance music, R&B, and funk.-Formation:...
, "In My House" by Mary Jane Girls
Mary Jane Girls
The Mary Jane Girls were an American R&B, soul, funk and disco group in the 1980s. They were protégées of singer Rick James. They are known for their hit songs "All Night Long", "Candyman" and "In My House".-Formation:...
and "Touch It
Touch It (Monifah song)
"Touch It" was the lead single from Monifah's second album, Mo'hogany. The R&B/dance hybrid was produced and written by Jack Knight and Screwface, who used a sample of Laid Back's 1983 hit, "White Horse"....
" by Monifah
Monifah
Monifah is an American female R&B singer-songwriter.-Career:In 1996, her debut album, Moods...Moments was released. In 1997, she contributed the Heavy D. produced "I Still Love You" to the soundtrack of the film, Sprung. Monifah's second album was Mo'hogany. Released in the last quarter of 1998,...
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Hal Leonard Corporation, "Milkshake" has a moderate beat rate of 113 beats per minute.
Critical reception
About.com's Joey Rivaldo rated the song four out of five stars, and stated: "Clearly this is the case of my milkshake is better than yours, so grab yours quick, or we'll have to charge." While reviewing the soundtrack for the film Mean GirlsMean Girls
Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have...
(2004), in which "Milkshake" is featured, Heather Phares of Allmusic wrote that the song describes "the movie's playfully menacing undercurrent," and called the song "fantastic", and that it is "basically a three-minute tutorial in sex appeal." Rollie Pemberton of Pitchfork
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
called the song "brilliant", and said: "Equal parts cantina gyration and future-funk, Kelis plays the coquette, enticing the entire American male populace with rhythmic coos while simultaneously providing an apt tutorial for aspiring temptresses." Bjorn Randolph of Stylus
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
said that the song "may well be remembered as their [The Neptunes'] masterpiece". Mark Danson of Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is a Leeds UK based entertainment magazine/webzine. The site was launched in April 2000 by a small team and has now expanded to 12 fulltime staff and many freelance contributors from across the globe...
was not very fond about the song, criticizing her Neptunes sound, and said: "as it sounds like [Pharrell] Williams has done this one in his sleep, it'll probably slip under the radar unless it has a fairly decent video to back it up. It’s obviously supposed to be a kind of sexy electronica, but it just ends up sounding slack." Tony Naylor of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called the song "probably the oddest track" on the Tasty album.
The Observer named the song the best single of 2004. In 2004, Pitchfork made a list of the top 50 singles of 2003 and listed the song at number eight. In 2005, Pitchfork made a list of the top 100 singles of 2000–2004, listing "Milkshake" at number 21. Stylus named the song the 13th-best single of 2000–2005. In September 2011, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
ranked the song at #61 on its list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s. In October 2011, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
placed it at number 136 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Chart performance
"Milkshake" debuted at number 73 on the September 6, 2003, chart of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop SongsHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, and peaked at number four on January 3, 2004. In October 2003, it debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. It was Kelis' second entry on the chart, following "Caught out There
Caught out There
"Caught out There" is a song by American recording artist Kelis from her debut album, Kaleidoscope. Written and produced by The Neptunes, the song was released as the album's lead single to moderate chart success in the United States, peaking at number fifty-four...
", which spent twelve weeks on the chart between December 1999 and February 2000. In its thirteenth week on the chart, "Milkshake" reached its peak of number three, and stayed there for five consecutive weeks. The song charted on the Hot 100 for twenty-two weeks, and was certified Gold on October 25, 2004, by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). "Milkshake" also spent a week at number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in December 2003. The song has sold 883,000 paid digital downloads in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. It was listed at number ten on the 2004 year-end chart of the Hot 100, and number fourteen on the year-end chart of Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 2004, "Milkshake" was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality urban/alternative performances...
.
The song performed well internationally, reaching the top ten on many charts. In Ireland, it debuted at number fifteen and topped the chart for five consecutive weeks. Due to the success, it was listed at number four on the year-end chart of 2004 by the Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
. The song performed well in the United Kingdom, as it charted at number two for four consecutive weeks and was it was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI). In Australia, it was certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) and peaked at number two on the singles chart for five non-consecutive weeks. It was also certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ), and peaked at number three on the singles chart. The song also peaked inside the top five in Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Music video
The music video for "Milkshake" was directed by Jake NavaJake Nava
Jake Nava was born on 17 August and grew up in northern London. He currently lives in eastern London.He graduated from the University of WestministerJake Nava is an English-born music video and film director.-Filmography:MUSIC VIDEOS...
. In the video, Kelis enters a diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
called Tasty's Yard. She dances suggestively, and puts her lips around a cherry, which causes a mother to cover her child's eyes. A cook, played by rapper Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, starts delivering milkshakes to the customers while Kelis dances. A milkshake machine then starts spurting milkshake all over the customers, and more and more people enter the "yard". FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
named the music video the 73rd sexiest music video by a female of all time and commented: "Here she's backed up by a posse of dancers wearing tiny diner uniforms. The way she sucks a milkshake and bites a cherry is just unfairly sexy", and said that the best part is when Kelis demonstrates a "perfect bending-over-oven technique".
Cultural impact
"Milkshake" has been featured in several films, such as Mean GirlsMean Girls
Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have...
and Norbit
Norbit
Norbit is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Eddie Murphy and Thandie Newton. Produced by Davis Entertainment and Tollin/Robbins Productions, the film also stars Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Lester "Rasta" Speight, Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, and...
. In Date Movie
Date Movie
Date Movie is a 2006 American parody film, which was directed and written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, two of the writers of the first Scary Movie. Much of the story line was based on that of the well-known romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Meet The Fockers...
, the song is played when actress Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...
dances around on the streets wearing a fatsuit
Fatsuit
A fatsuit is a bodysuit-like undergarment used to thicken the appearance of an actress or actor of light to medium build into a heavy-set or obese character, in conjunction with prosthetic makeup. Other spellings include fat suit and fat-suit....
. In the Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode "Sibling Rivalry
Sibling Rivalry (Family Guy)
"Sibling Rivalry" is the thirtieth episode of the fourth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 26, 2006. The episode follows Stewie as he battles with his half-brother, Bertram , who is born to two lesbians after Peter donates sperm...
", Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
is forced to sing the song to prisoners. McSweeney's
McSweeney's
McSweeney's is an American publishing house founded by editor Dave Eggers.Apart from its book list, McSweeney's is responsible for four regular publications: the quarterly literary journal,...
published a series of "Short Imagined Monologues", including one regarding "Milkshake" from the point of view of "an aging Kelis". In February 2007, The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
with Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
jokingly reported that the song had been chosen as the campaign song
Campaign song
Campaign songs are partisan ditties used in American political canvasses and more especially in presidential contests. The words were commonly set to established melodies like "Yankee Doodle," "Hail, Columbia," "Rosin the Bow," "Hail to the Chief" "John Brown's Body," "Dixie" and "O Tannenbaum" ;...
of Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
's 2008 presidential campaign
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008
New York junior Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton had expressed interest in the 2008 United States presidential election since at least October 2002, drawing media speculation on whether she would become a candidate. No woman has ever won the nomination of a major party in the...
. The song was featured in the The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "The Great Simpsina
The Great Simpsina
"The Great Simpsina" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-second season. It aired on April 10, 2011. It was written by Matt Warburton and directed by Chris Clements...
" (first broadcast in 2011). The infamous line was also referenced by Mia Fey in the video game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. When first meeting Dahlia Hawthorne, she say "well I suppose we all know whose milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...".
In Kelis' song "Bossy", the lead single for her fourth studio album, Kelis Was Here
Kelis Was Here
Kelis Was Here is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Kelis, released in the United States on August 22, 2006 by LaFace Records and Jive Records...
, "Milkshake" is referred to in the chorus, when she sings: "I'm bossy [...] I brought all the boys to the yard". Justin Bond
Justin Bond
Justin Vivian Bond , formerly simply Justin Bond, is an American singer-songwriter, performance artist, occasional actor and Radical Faerie. Described as a "fixture of the New York avant-garde", Bond arose to notability playing the role of Kiki DuRayne in the drag cabaret act Kiki and Herb from the...
of cabaret duo Kiki and Herb
Kiki and Herb
Kiki and Herb are an American drag cabaret duo. Bond portrays Kiki DuRane, an aging, alcoholic, female lounge singer...
said that he had seen many people lip-sync to the song in clubs, and called the song "a big wink about the way you can reclaim your sexuality—it's about making the person who's objectifying you the weaker one." In 2010, Kelis said that she believed the song changed the music for female singers, comparing the music before and after "Milkshake" was a hit, and said: "I mean you kind of have to be retarded to deny that it literally changed female vocalists."
Track listing
- Digital download
- "Milkshake" – 3:05
- Digital Radio Mix
- "Milkshake" (Radio Mix) featuring PharrellPharrell WilliamsPharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
& Pusha TClipseClipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
– 4:46 - "Milkshake" (Instrumental) – 4:41
- EU Maxi CD single
- "Milkshake" – 3:05
- "Milkshake" (X-Press 2X-Press 2X-Press 2 is an English electronic and dance music duo. The members are DJ Diesel and DJ Rocky . Ashley Beedle left to pursue solo projects in 2009.-History:...
Tripple Thick Vocal Mix) – 9:30 - "Milkshake" (DJ ZincDJ ZincBenjamin Pettit, better known by his stage name DJ Zinc, is a drum and bass / breakstep DJ from the United Kingdom. Zinc is well known for 1995's "Super Sharp Shooter", a hip hop / jungle fusion.-Biography:...
Remix) – 5:59 - "Milkshake" (Freq Nasty's Hip Hall Mix) – 6:24
- "Milkshake" (Tom Neville Mix) – 6:26
- "Milkshake" (Music video) – 3:11
- EU Promo 12" Vinyl
- "Milkshake" – 3:05
- "Milkshake" (Acapella) – 2:57
- "Milkshake" (Instrumental) – 3:05
- US Promo 12" Vinyl
- "Milkshake" (X-Press 2 Remix) – 9:30
- "Milkshake" (DJ Zinc Remix) – 5:59
- "Milkshake" (Album Version Club Mix) – 3:06
- US 7" Vinyl
- "Milkshake" – 3:05
- "Milkshake" (Instrumental) – 3:05
Charts
| Chart (2003–2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Certifications
| Country | Certification (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2004) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 4 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 27 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 47 |
| UK Singles Chart | 14 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 14 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (2000–2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 87 |
Chart procession and succession
|-Release history
| Region | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | August 25, 2003 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| Australia | November 24, 2003 | |
| New Zealand | ||
| Sweden | ||
| United Kingdom | ||
| United States | December 29, 2003 | Digital Radio Remix |
| United Kingdom | January 5, 2004 | CD single |