Kelela Announces New Live Album 'In The Blue Light' + Reveals First Single | Warp

Nearly a year after her acclaimed RAVE:N, The Remixes, Kelela announces her next project In The Blue Light, a live album capturing a pivotal moment in her career. In May 2024, Kelela shared new arrangements of her work in a series of intimate performances at New York City’s legendary jazz club The Blue Note, creating a one-of-a-kind unplugged experience to sold-out audiences. The album’s first release, “Better (unplugged),” offers a powerful glimpse into this highly anticipated live collection.

In The Blue Light is Kelela’s love letter to her musical inspirations and devoted fans. The project showcases her remarkable range, from a silky, reimagined version of the fan-favorite "Bankhead,” to a sultry, evocative reinterpretation of Joni Mitchell's cult classic "Furry Sings the Blues." Crafted in collaboration with Daniel Aged (Frank Ocean, FKA Twigs, Rosalía), the album is a masterful celebration of Kelela's musical intersectionality, seamlessly weaving together soul, dance, jazz, and R&B into a cohesive and captivating body of work.

Album Tracklist

01. Enemy (unplugged)
02. Raven (unplugged)
03. Take Me Apart (unplugged)
04. Bankhead (unplugged)
05. Waitin’ (unplugged)
06. 30 Years (unplugged)
07. All the Way Down (unplugged)
08. Furry Sings the Blues (unplugged)
09. Blue Light (unplugged)
10. Love Notes (unplugged)
11. Better (unplugged)
12. Cherry Coffee (unplugged)

Kelela has something new to say. Or rather, new ways to express what people really think, but too often, dare not say. After a nearly five-year hiatus, she released her groundbreaking album, Raven, in February 2023 and its critically-acclaimed counterpart, RAVE:N, The Remixes in early 2024. The works established Kelela as a curator and executive producer of the highest order, imploring listeners to go even deeper and immerse themselves in a unique sonic landscape.

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. The remixes solidified her already-groundbreaking presence in the dance music space. The past two years have been nothing short of incredible for Kelela, as she hit a range of career milestones, including a heartfelt performance of “Enough for Love” on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, a fresh NPR ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ and global headline tours that sold out in minutes.

The intention Kelela puts into crafting each era — whether that be the range in her sound or the precision in her visual language — continues as we experience this new facet of her legacy with In the Blue Light.

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