The queen of alternative R&B is shedding her skin once again. Kelela has officially announced her third studio album, New Avatar, set to arrive on July 10 via the legendary Warp Records. Following the atmospheric club-focused pulse of 2023’s Raven, this new project marks a startling stylistic pivot, trading the dancefloor for a raw, guitar-driven landscape that pays homage to her indie roots.
Accompanying the announcement is the new single “Linknb,” a track produced by Oscar Scheller. The music video, directed by Mischa Notcutt, serves as a love letter to the New York City landscape, perfectly capturing the urban grit and ethereal grace that Kelela embodies in this “new era.”
From Rave to Resistance: The Evolution of New Avatar
While Raven found its home in the dark corners of electronic music and remix culture (collaborating with icons like LSDXOXO and Shygirl), New Avatar looks backward to move forward. The album draws heavily from Kelela’s early days in the Washington D.C. indie scene. Fans can expect a dense, immersive blend of shoegaze, grunge, and R&B, creating a sonic tapestry that is as confrontational as it is beautiful.
“This album finds solace in confronting,” Kelela explained in a recent statement. “I don’t want the music to be a distraction from what’s really going on in the world; I want it to make sense in this crazy moment.” This sentiment follows her recent live album, In the Blue Light, recorded at the Blue Note, which hinted at a move toward more organic, instrumental textures.
A High-Profile Collaborative Network
Kelela has never been one to work in a vacuum, and New Avatar features a curated list of contemporary innovators:
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PinkPantheress: The “boy’s a liar” star joins Kelela on “The Bridge,” promising a fascinating intersection of UK garage-pop and alt-R&B.
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A. K. Paul: The elusive producer and brother of Jai Paul lends his signature futuristic funk to “Outta Time.”
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Fousheé: Bringing her genre-bending aesthetic to “New Life Forms.”
The 12-track journey was first teased in March when Kelela wiped her Instagram, followed by an intimate SoHo screening of the opening single “Idea 1.” It is clear that New Avatar is not just a collection of songs, but a fully realized transformation of an artist who refuses to stay in one lane.
New Avatar Tracklist:
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Idea 1
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Point Blank
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Goin Down
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Outta Time (feat. A.K. Paul)
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Against Me
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Crystalize
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Retaliation Lullaby
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Linknb
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Don’t Piss Me Off
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New Life Forms (feat. Fousheé)
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The Bridge (feat. PinkPantheress)
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If We Meet Again