Kelis Still Knows Exactly How to Work a Festival Crowd
This past weekend saw R&B alternative Queen Kelis conquer the Pukkelpop 2026 festival in Hasselt, Belgium — looking strong, free and completely at home in her performance space.
Kelis hit the festival’s Marquee stage on Friday, August 21, for a 6:35 p.m. set, bringing more than two decades of genre-hopping pop, R&B, dance and left-of-center brilliance back to one very receptive European crowd.
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KELIS STILL HAS THE SAUCE
More than 20 years after ‘Trick Me,’ Kelis brings the Tasty-era favorite back to the festival stage at Pukkelpop 2026.
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And among the moments that immediately had us rewinding: “Trick Me.”
The track originally arrived in 2004 as the second single from Kelis’ third studio album, Tasty, following the culture-shifting runaway success of “Milkshake.” Produced by Dallas Austin, “Trick Me” leaned into reggae, funk and pop without losing the strange little edges that always made Kelis sound like nobody else on the radio.
“Trick Me” Has Aged Into One of Kelis’ Sneakiest Classics
“Trick Me” was never simply the song that came after “Milkshake.” It became a major international hit in its own right, reaching the Top 10 across several countries and giving Tasty another track that could move comfortably between alternative radio, pop stations and dance floors.
More than 20 years later, that rhythmic snap still works beautifully live. The groove is loose enough for Kelis to play with, the hook remains inescapable, and the song has the kind of instantly recognizable opening that can turn a festival field into a singalong before anybody has time to think about it.
Pukkelpop itself described Kelis as serving up “sublime, genre-hopping nostalgia”, which is a tidy way to describe why a 2004 record like this still feels so alive inside a 2026 festival set. She has always moved between genres too quickly to become trapped inside one particular era.
So yes, revisit thee goodness. “Trick Me” remains catchy, slightly strange, rhythmically nasty and unmistakably Kelis — exactly how we like it.
Watch Kelis Perform “Trick Me” Live at Pukkelpop 2026
Kelis performed at Pukkelpop’s Marquee stage in Hasselt on August 21, 2026; the supplied clip captures “Trick Me” from the festival appearance.
Source: Pukkelpop.
