Rihanna and Lady Gaga have taken the fashion world by storm with their bold sense of style, but before them was Kelis. While the “Bossy” singer’s influence on today’s female pop stars remains a hot topic of conversation, Kelis is sounding off to Rap-Up.com about her impact on music’s leading ladies.


When asked whether she had heard the Internet chatter comparing her style to that of Rihanna and Lady Gaga’s, Kelis responded, “Yeah. I tried not to see, but it’s noticeable.”

Although it may ruffle her fans’ feathers, the “Acapella” songstress says she’s flattered by the comparisons and attributes the similarities to her peers’ ages. “They’re really young. What else are they supposed to do?”

Kelis explains that this is not the first time an artist has been accused of “swagger jacking.” Borrowing fashion and recycling trends has occurred many times before her. “I’ve been around for a long time and that’s what artists do; we take from each other and we recycle,” she states. “And quite frankly, it may not even be them. It might be stylists that have been around as long as I have and are like, ‘Hey, let’s recycle this on these younger artists.’”

But she shrugs off the controversy. “I’m not offended by it. I don’t really have much feeling about it, honestly. It just keeps me on my toes and allows me to continue moving forward, so it’s cool. I really don’t see it as a bad thing. I guess it means I’m on the right track.”

While she has no beef with her fellow fashionistas, you won’t find her listening to their music on her iPod. “I can’t say that I do. I’m familiar with it, like I know it. I don’t live in a hole. If I’m at a party and they play it, I enjoy it. I get it.”

Kelis’ new album Flesh Tone arrives in the U.K. on May 17 and July 6 in the U.S.