Kelela – New Avatar

Kelela is back with her third studio album.

With "new avatar", everything Kelela has been working towards comes into focus. She began writing her first songs in the Washington, D.C. indie scene before the club music and electronic production that defined her early career took over. With "new avatar", she has come full circle: R&B underpinned by distorted guitar sounds meets new interfaces in dance music, culminating in a sound that draws on all the musical influences that have ever shaped her. The album also features collaborations with PinkPantheress, A. K. Paul and Fousheé.

"This album finds solace in confrontation," says Kelela. "I don't want the music to distract from what's really going on in the world; I want it to make sense in this crazy time while helping people get in touch with the beauty and joy they're also experiencing." The album grapples with a world that is falling apart at the seams and the clarity that survival requires. At its core, "new avatar" depicts a multi-layered experience, and although the outside world is present, it never weakens Kelela's resolve.