KELELA UNVEILS ‘RAVEN’ OUT FEB 10TH + NEW SINGLE OUT TODAY
Fresh off the release of ‘Happy Ending,’ Kelela returns today to debut her newest single, ‘On The Run’. The track is produced by Yo van Lenz, Kelela, Kaytranada and Bambii, with additional production by Asmara. ‘On The Run’ is a Caribbean-influenced, unconventional dance track that blurs the lines of R&B and atmospheric club music as Kelela flirts with the push and pull dynamics of love. The new single is taken from her upcoming album RAVEN, set to be released February 10th 2023 via Warp. Listen to ‘On The Run’ here.
Both ‘On The Run’ and ‘Happy Ending’ are preceded by the first track off the upcoming record ‘Washed Away,’ which Kelela dropped back in September. RAVEN is the follow up to her critically acclaimed debut album, Take Me Apart, which accelerated Kelela’s ascension into the mainstream. RAVEN is executive produced by Kelela and co-executive produced by Asmara, with all songs written and arranged by Kelela. Yo Van Lenz and Florian T M Zeisig (also known as the ambient duo OCA) and LSDXOXO serve as two main producers throughout the album, alongside additional production from Bambii.
Kelela’s next chapter, RAVEN, promises a sonically beautiful and lustrous experience. On RAVEN, Kelela emerges from the tides of her higher self’s oceanic orbit to explore autonomy, belonging and self-renewal as healing across the fifteen-track LP. ‘Washed Away’ and ‘Happy Ending’ have already both been regaled with critical acclaim: Pitchfork called ‘Washed Away’ a “showcase for her swooping soprano” and ‘Happy Ending’ also demonstrative of her “breathy, decorous vocals.”
“I started this process from the feeling of isolation and alienation I’ve always had as a black femme in dance music, despite its black origins. RAVEN is my first breath taken in the dark, an affirmation of black femme perspective in the midst of systemic erasure and the sound of our vulnerability turned to power,” Kelela says about the project.
Skillfully straddling the frequencies of R&B and Dance music, Kelela has established herself as an artistic interpolator of music, art and fashion. Her early works Cut 4 Me (2013) and Hallucinogen (2015) were momentous examples of her singular spirit, and cemented her artistry as a leading force in the alternative, underground R&B and electronic worlds. She has since collaborated with fellow visionary artists like Solange, Gorillaz, Andrew Thomas Huang and Danny Brown. Thoughtfully intermixing elegance, futurism, divinity and sensuality, Kelela’s unique perspective has carved a lane that demonstrates style as both a component of art, and art in and of itself.
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TRACKLISTING
- Washed Away
- Happy Ending
- Let It Go
- On the Run
- Missed Call
- Closure
- Contact
- Fooley
- Holier
- Raven
- Bruises
- Sorbet
- Divorce
- Enough for Love
- Far Away
“[‘Washed Away’] is an immediate reminder not just of Kelela’s singular, stone-smooth voice, but also of the confident restraint of her artistry. Here, as ever, she’s moving at her own pace.” — New York Times
“Kelela’s breathy, decorous vocals swoop over jumbling breakbeats courtesy of LSDXOXO. It [“Happy Ending”] feels like a jubilant return to more uptempo songs like “Rewind.” — Pitchfork
“Kelela’s impact on the culture is undeniable…she’s back to raise the bar once more.” — DAZED
“[Kelela] delivers angelic runs and impassioned vocals over a bed of equally divine synths radiating with the vastness and warmth of sun rays, gently filling all and every space.” — Billboard
“Where the hell was Kelela after all these years? Making gorgeous music, of course.” — PAPER
“Stunning” — Rolling Stone
“outrageously gorgeous swirl of synths and pristine vocals.” — Evening Standard
