[artist id="509603"]Kelis'[/artist] funky musical style and the Neptunes' quirky production always seemed like the perfect fit, as evident on hits like the sprightly "Caught Out There" and the rumbling "Milkshake." But the singer parted ways with Pharrell and Chad Hugo on her last album, 2006's Kelis Was Here.

For her forthcoming offering, Flesh Tone, Kelis has hooked up with a different super-producer: the Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am. The pair [article id="1539077"]worked together in the past[/article], but now, Kelis is signed to Will's label through Interscope Records.

"Will and I worked on my last album together, and I love the fact that -- a lot of producers don't know music. They might know the genre that they're doing, but he's great because he has a really vast knowledge of music," Kelis told MTV News about her new boss. "There's not a song you can mention or an era of music that you can mention that he doesn't know about or doesn't understand what made it that [successful]. I think that's the key in trying to do something fresh."

As a result of the lead Pea's musical knowledge, Kelis described their union as "comfortable" and said it "felt right." So far, Kelis revealed she's been working with producers Free School, who are also signed to Will.I.Am's label, on an uptempo collection of tracks slated for Flesh Tone.

Late last year, Kelis hinted that her next album would feature [article id="1627936"]a "futuristic disco" sound[/article]. Recently, she spoke to MTV News about [article id="1634470"]her latest single, "Acapella,"[/article] which topped the Billboard Dance & Club Songs chart.

Kelis said the feedback for the David Guetta-produced electronic number has been welcome. "I knew that I loved it, and I felt really good about it," she said. "It's exciting to see that people feel what you feel. That's always encouraging. But I had no idea that that would happen that quickly like that. I just knew that the song felt really real for me."

What do think about the direction Kelis is taking her music? Who else should she work with besides Will.I.Am? Let us know in the comments below!