“The future has existed since the beginning of time; it’s a coherent understanding of the past that’s always being obscured and contested. And it was like that when Washington DC-born artist Kelela emerged in 2013 with her CUT 4 ME mixtape. Even though nearly a decade has passed, that release’s sheer variety, ingenuity, and baffling brilliance of beats still feels of the future – a fully-formed mem”
“Kelela’s rapturous second album is a masterful display of tension and release, centering queer Black womanhood through blasts of heated dance music and ambient comedowns.”
“Beyoncé’s Renaissance was a celebration of Black club music, and specifically the freedom carved out in queer spaces. Largely absent since her debut album Take Me Apart and its remixes (2017-18), US R&B outlier Kelela also goes hard at the club; her long-awaited second LP is a more first-hand account, foregrounding a rebirth. Since her debut, the singer has delved deep, absorbing narratives of re”
“the innovative sound of an artist ready to start anew”
“Kelela’s hypnotic and atmospheric journey Raven rewards patience”
“Kelela paints herself into a corner relatively quickly on the somewhat immersive Raven.”
