Kelela – Raven
On Raven, the follow-up to 2017's Take Me Apart, Kelela explores autonomy, belonging, and self-renewal as healing
Last September, Kelela delighted and surprised fans with Washed Away, the lead single to her forthcoming second album, Raven. Pairing an ambient soundtrack with lyrics that speak to the relief of finding fullness within oneself and transmitting energies of peace and renewal outwards to heal a troubled world, Washed Away sets the tone for a record about autonomy, belonging, and self-renewal as healing.
On Raven, Kelela reunites with old collaborators such as Junglepussy and new ones like Kaytranada. The two producers partner on the Caribbean-inflected slow dance jam On the Run which sees Kelela ruminate on the push-and-pull dynamics of love. It’s a highlight, featuring a chorus that ranks as one of the catchiest here.
Across the record, Kelela’s striking and deeply affecting vocals are baked into sultry, hypnotic soundscapes that captivate and hold onto the listener at every turn, no more so than on Let It Go, which is as haunting as it is arresting. Meanwhile, the slow-burning psychedelic R'n'B of Contact brims with uncontained sexual energy as Kelela sings about dancing with a lover in the back of a club that is so hot it feels like a sauna.
Listen to: On the Run, Let It Go, Closure