You've probably heard about Kelis' milkshake. The one that brought the boys to the yard over ten years ago. (Yes, ten.) But you probably haven't heard about her sauce.

You see, while the Harlem-born daughter of a caterer has spent a lot of time making music (six albums so far), she's spent just as much making something else: food. In fact, Kelis is a certified chef, having graduated from Le Cordon Bleu a couple years back as a saucier. She also has a line of sauces coming out this summer, along with, potentially, a show on the Cooking Channel.

She beautifully combined all of this into an honest, confident, brass-blasting new album, aptly named Food (out April 22). On it, she sings about breakfast and ribs, biscuits and gravy, cobbler and hooch. The songs have the flare and funk of her old stuff, but they're more savory, more soulful — more grown up.

In the midst of this moment she's having, Kelis took a minute to talk with us — about Food and food.

But first, we chatted about not being able to eat.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

ESQUIRE.COM: You just got your wisdom teeth removed. How're you holding up?

KELIS: Freaking nightmare. I got three out. They'll have to kill me to get the fourth.

Can you eat yet? I ate nothing but ice cream and applesauce for days.

I ate so much shit. It's horrible. I'm so over it.

Let's talk music then. You reached a whole new level with Food. It's retro. It's funky. It's soulful. It's mature, but at the same time it's fun. It feels like an evolution from your past work. Do you feel that, too?

I think the reality is: I feel grown up. This is who I am, and I like who I am. The older you get, the less apologies you make for yourself — not that I was particularly great at making them before. But I feel really good. I feel really comfortable and at peace with it.

You can hear that in the songs. They're powerful. Not that "Milkshake" and "Bossy" weren't, but…

Every single record of mine is who I am at that moment. You only get to see who an artist truly is once they've had time to have a career. I'm fifteen years and six albums in it now, and I can look at my body of work and be like, Wow, all of this — every single part of it — is who I am. Age 17 to 34 is a vast difference, [laughs] hopefully. A lot of time goes by, and you grow up. And there's nothing — there's no therapy session like a writing session. You can actually be honest with yourself.

You recorded the album at [TV on the Radio member and Food producer] Dave Sitek's house in LA, and I know you guys did some cooking during the process and that micheladas were involved. How much did food actually influence the music?

I don't know how directly it influenced the album, but food and music are the most nourishing things that we can, as people, create. You go to a song or you go to plate. That's what people do.

Kelis' Jerk Sauce Recipe

They're both comforting — which is something I felt listening to the album.

I wanted to make an album that I could sing to for a long time. I want people to feel like they've grown up with me. And they have. For me right now, this album wasn't about proving anything, because I've proved everything — I've far exceeded what I ever thought I needed to accomplish. This album was about wanting to capture something for myself. I wanted it to be something that was honest, that feels good. Music should feel good.

Speaking of: What are your comfort foods?

I love soup. I'll make a split pea soup or a carrot ginger soup. I'll make a really spectacular sandwich. You know, that sort of stuff I'll make for myself to make myself happy at home.

Do you think that it's the same sort of happiness that you get from music?

They're different. I love cooking. I love feeding people. I love breaking bread with people. But that moment when you write a song and it's perfect — for that moment, and for who you are — there's nothing like that. And so I don't really compare the two. They both bring me immense satisfaction and joy in my life. And they both let me take something and kind of incorporate it into who I am.

Was it the creativity, then, that drew you to cooking — and ultimately to Le Cordon Bleu?

I could always cook — my mom was an amazing cook — but this was the first time in my entire adult life where my time didn't belong to someone. I wasn't contractually required to do anything. People weren't relying on me to produce. I could take time off and do something just for me. And when I did it, it was the best thing I've ever done. Literally. It was life changing. Not because I learned to cook there, but because I was able to focus on something new. I was able to realize that I make music because I love it, not because I have to, and that there are other things that I do just as well, if not better, that bring me as much passion and joy and satisfaction.

And you became a saucier, which, honestly, up until now, I didn't know was a real thing.

It wasn't a plan, but I realized it was what I always put my energy into. It's what I was excited about. And then I realized, I don't want anything without sauce. I'm always like [deep, husky voice] where's the sauce? Every time I go to a restaurant, I'm like, Do you guys have some sauce?

Amen.

I just think everything should be smothered, dipped, and poured. It's the extras in life. I like the extras in life.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io