Kelela has just announced her third studio album, new avatar, due 10th July via Warp Records.
Alongside the announcement, she has shared a new track, “linknb,” produced by Oscar Scheller. Built around a winding guitar riff and driving drums, the song emerged during a period of writer’s block and doubles as a self-written mantra about resilience and hard-won confidence.
A new video directed by Mischa Notcutt places Kelela in a surreal cityscape, blending realism and abstraction as she moves through an urgent, dreamlike journey.
new avatar sees Kelela merging distorted guitar-led R&B with dancefloor experimentation, bringing together the full scope of her musical influences. The album includes features from PinkPantheress, A.K. Paul and Fousheé.
Speaking on the album, Kelela explained: “This album finds solace in confronting. 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 while helping people get in touch with the beauty and joy they’re also experiencing.”
Listen to and watch “linknb” below.