Kelela became a certified voice in the R&B scene since emerging. Though she maintains a rather lowkey presence compared to some of her contemporaries, her music truly speaks for itself. The "Washed Away" singer pushed the boundaries with each project. Kelela takes the sounds of traditional R&B and forms them into something of her own with a variety of influences. And while she isn’t the type to release a new project each year, the wait is always worth it. It’s what makes her one of the most unique voices in the R&B space.
In the past year, she built up anticipation for the release of a new project. With singles like “Happy Ending” and “On The Run” (a song she co-produced and includes contributions from Kaytranada and Junglepussy), she left fans eager for the next chapter of her career. She dropped off Take Me Apart in 2017 and basically, left fans waiting for her next project in the six years that followed. Though she dropped a remix project the following year, 2022 was among the first time we’ve heard from her since Take Me A_Part, The Remixes.
Kelela Drops Off “Raven”
The wait is over and Kelela made her triumphant return on Friday morning with her sophomore LP, Raven. Her new project boasts 15 songs in total with a sole feature from RAHRAH GABOR. This time, Kelela expands her sound to incorporate more dance-friendly sounds. It was as evident when she released “Contact” earlier this year. The project also boasts previously released singles like “Enough For Love,” which includes a strong roster of producers, including Asmara, Badsista, Bambii, Florian ™ Zeisig, Mocky, and Yo van Lenz.
The project takes a noticeable amount of cues from dance music. However, it’s not a gimmick to hop on the bandwagon of what we’ve seen with Drake and Beyoncé last year. Instead, these sounds allow her to convey a specific vibe – sexy. “I really want to be sexy in a nuanced way,” she told the New York Times this week. “We want our sexy moments to feel one of a kind, that’s why it feels sexy — because you don’t think that it’s run of the mill.” Press play on Raven and sound off with your thoughts in the comments below.