Photo by Neva Wireko

“Seed to a star / New avatar / Illumination.” And so begins, properly, the next Kelela album era, as the transcendent experimental R&B songwriter will release her follow-up to 2023’s nighttime hypnotic standout, RAVEN, with a new album identity this summer. There were pieces of heavier metal to be found in its initial concept, “idea 1”, but the album’s latest single “lnknb” feels more in phase with the virtual worldbuilding that materializes in the song and album title. She links up with PinkPantheress producer Oscar Scheller to create an attention-deficit-length listen that sinks itself in just enough to clock the dopamine while not overstaying its welcome, and instead reintroduces us to a version of Kelela through a serene dream decay of digi-pop-rock. “All I know is that I paved the way / Underpaid / We’ve been here before / What’s mine is yours,” she sings. As if anyone else could replicate that kind of aura even if they tried…

Directed by: Mischa Notcutt

Kelela’s new avatar will be released July 9th on Warp Records.