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Released in December 1999, Kelis' Kaleidoscope arrived just as the millennium was coming to a close. A coming-of-age tale set to thumping bass and wheezing synths, it eschewed Y2K hysteria for an exploration of love – the love of others, love of self, love of experience – and how to learn from all of it.  Over the album's 14 tracks, Kelis sings about playgrounds, diaries, movie dates, and aliens. Song titles like "Game Show," "Suspended," and "Roller Rink" are immediately evocative, sometimes with dual meanings that are clearly intentional ("Suspension" is about the weightless feeling love gives us, not about getting punished at school). Kelis herself was 20 at the time of Kaleidoscope's release, so most of her formative years were spent in the 80s and 90s. At times, the album feels like an amalgamation of classic 90s pop culture tropes.

Kaleidoscope was Kelis' debut album, but it was also a Neptunes brainchild, through and through. But while some artists can find themselves overshadowed by distinctive production styles, Kelis ensured that her personality shone through. Kaleidoscope was more than debut; it was a mission statement. Kelis was bringing back the kind of psychedelic spirituality, Afrofutrism-meets-Stevie Wonder, conscious-raising music to pop-R&B, elevating it to a higher plane. There are moments on Kaleidoscope when you hear the early versions of certain sounds that would dominate the charts for decades to come. From early Pusha T appearances to Star Trak name drops and Pharrell emerging as a rapper in his own right, Kaleidoscope documents a bygone era.