Kelela
Raven was met with glowing reviews upon release and has been hailed one of the ‘Best Albums of 2023’ by Pitchfork, Billboard, Vulture, Variety and more. 2023 has been an incredible year for Kelela, with the release of Raven, celebrated by a performance of “Enough for Love” on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, and a successful sold-out North American and European, RAVE:N Tour in the spring.

Kelela has something new to say. Or rather, new ways to express what people really think, but too often, dare not say. In February 2023’s RAVEN, the singer-songwriter delivered 15 new songs and imploring listeners to go even deeper into themselves. Vulnerability and radical surrender are the tentpoles of love, romantic or otherwise. Kelela knows this well and is ready to further articulate this to her eager audience.

The process of crafting RAVEN has been deeply intentional, both sonically and in terms of the meaning being produced. On the album, the singer oscillates between the improvisational aspect of jazz, the pulsing tempo of dance/electronic music and the openness of traditional R&B. Many of the album’s tracks bleed into each other, creating a continuous mix that flows through the different terrains of dance music. From the hazy atmospherics of “Fooley” to the playful breakbeats of “Happy Ending,” Kelela is adept and commanding in each environment.

RAVEN is executive produced by Kelela and co-executive produced by Asmara. Kelela also wrote and arranged all of the album’s tracks. Yo Van Lenz and Florian T M Zeisig (members of ambient duo OCA) and LSDXOXO serve as the main producers throughout the album, with additional production from Bambii.