Kelela
18th February 2018- Manchester Academy
Kelela has been crafting clever combinations of R&B and electronic music since her daring debut ‘Cut 4 Me’. Kelela has never fit neatly into one box; “I am a black woman, a second-generation Ethiopian-American, who grew up in the ‘burbs listening to R&B, jazz, and Björk,” Kelela said upon the announcement of her new album. “All of it comes out in one way or another.” Not purely R&B or electronic, her music has a subtle, playful Afro-futurist vision. On her first-ever full-length, Take Me Apart, she delivers a sophisticated collection of future-forward pop that hangs tight to the signature brutal honesty that separates her lyrics from the usual platitudes we hear in songs about both love and heartbreak.
Kelela has since shared the stark, striking video for ‘Blue Light’ with Helmi creating a strange, alien-like experience. Visually thrilling yet oddly unsettling, you can check it out below.
Kelela’s talents do not stop there, as she has also created her own short film which aired at the New Museum in New York on November 12th, adding a thrilling extra-dimension to her artistry.
You can catch Kelele at Manchester Academy 2 in February, it’s going to be special.
Manchester Academy, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR
0161 232 1639
www.manchesteracademy.net/
