Kelela released her new album, new avatar, on Friday, July 10. This is her third album, released through the independently owned British label Warp Records.

Kelela is an up-and-coming R&B and soul singer with a career spanning over 10 years. Her sound is a blend of neo-soul and R&B. The album features artists and producers PinkPantheress and A. K. Paul, as well as singer and rapper Fousheé.

The album’s title, new avatar, is accompanied on the cover by text in Amharic that says ከለላ, or “protection.” Amharic is an Ethiopian language, and this is romanized as Kälälä. Kelela has also had her name written in Amharic on many of her past releases, and this is a nod to her Ethiopian ancestry and family roots. Both of her parents were Ethiopian immigrants to Washington, D.C., where she grew up learning Amharic.

idea 1, linknb, and point blank were the three lead singles, with outta time and the bridge arriving later. All except point blank were accompanied by music videos.

From the opening of the album, listeners are brought into a gritty and rageful experience that is not typical for R&B, with thickly layered guitar on idea 1. The track introduces themes of mistrust, betrayal, and deep regret that run throughout the album, and this is present in both the lyrics and Kelela’s vocal articulation.

point blank, one of the lead singles and the second track, is reminiscent of Rochelle Jordan’s clubby UK garage and R&B vibes, with the track loaded with vocal sample flips, staccato vocals, and flanging.

Track 8, linknb, the album’s lead single, carries the catchy danceability of early PinkPantheress but is steeped in the dark themes of new avatar. While the challenge of having one single represent an album is often difficult to overcome, the track successfully acts as a preview of both sides of the album.

The album brings together a wide variety of sonic experiences and genres. Tracks like idea 1, goin down, and crystallize experiment with what R&B can be, utilizing production, chords, and timbres from rock and metal to create a dark and grungy sound. Meanwhile, songs like point blank, linknb, and don’t piss me off are much more danceable, fitting more easily into the UK nightlife scene with their fusion of UK garage and R&B, somewhat similar to Rochelle Jordan’s music.

Then there are the classic R&B ballads, which are slower and fit more easily into the genre, including retaliation lullaby and if we meet again, although the bridge may also fall somewhat into this category. the bridge lies somewhere between these songs and a third category of slow-burning, emotional tracks like outta time and against me, which sonically align more closely with ’80s pop.

A vast majority of the songs on the album represent negative emotions—anger, regret, sadness, and hatred—or have a darker sound. Among these, new life forms stands out as the sole track that is clearly upbeat.

Track 3, goin down, features dark grunge and rock vibes over a kick drum and a slowed R&B beat, with a vocal performance similar to Little Dragon and guitar production reminiscent of nu-metal. The song tells of a relationship that is steadily fading as a partner becomes less and less appreciative.

Track 4, outta time, featuring A. K. Paul’s vocals and production, is a slow burn and feels like a descent into a labyrinth. Similar to goin down, the track explores themes of decaying intimacy. Sonically, it holds many similarities to other tracks produced by Paul Institute, cloaked in ’80s reverb, studio delay, and slapback. It is dripping in style and features simple but beautifully structured vocal passages with complex harmonies and call-and-response sections.

Tracks 5 and 6, against me and crystallize, have a lilt to them, with their percussion feeling like a broken waltz, and both tracks bleed into each other seamlessly. Their production is similar to Daniel Caesar’s tracks, with an exploratory and richly present bassline coursing through both songs. However, through their electric guitar chords and rhythms, they continue the album’s homage to grunge and ’90s rock. They are both structured progressively, changing over time and adding layers and complexity as the songs continue.

retaliation lullaby, a rather short track, puts the listener on a slow boat in the middle of the ocean during a rainstorm, riding the waves. It’s a slow, classic R&B ballad reminiscent of Solange’s soft, smooth, and contemplative sound.

Track 9, don’t piss me off, is structurally a classic UK garage track and feels very similar to linknb in its danceability. Its beat and percussion production are similar to Burial’s Archangel.

Track 10, new life forms, is an anomaly on the album. Kelela’s buttery and airy vocals and Fousheé’s bubbly rap verse bring a bright outlook to the duet, acting as a small opening in the clouds before the storm closes in again. This respite feels well-earned after a very brooding and emotionally gray album.

the bridge thematically contributes to the redemption arc of the story’s narrative, speaking of love and connection returning, reborn, and arriving anew. Combined with the video, the track tells the story of two lovers exploring each other and expresses the push and pull that occurs as two people become closer and closer. They constantly assess and reassess how far they have gone and whether they should proceed.

if we meet again acts as a beautifully articulated conclusion to the album, bringing the story to a close as the two lovers have to say goodbye. Like the album, it is bittersweet. The narrator is unsure of how the other person saw them and goes back and forth between valuing themselves and the other person, trying to perceive themselves through their partner’s mind. Eventually, after all the doubts about themselves and the other person’s true motives that arise throughout the album, they give in and leave. The arpeggiated synth on the track creates a feeling similar to FKA twigs’ sound, and the regretful and ethereal vocals only add to this similarity.

The album’s visual identity, expressed through the album cover and accompanying music videos, plays with light and darkness, setting each space at night, with light and contrast interacting through the use of negative space and silhouettes. This is most apparent in the bridge’s music video, which emphasizes the duality of these two elements in every scene. Duality is also apparent in the presence of two figures centered in every shot. The space and distance between the characters both allow light in and let the song’s rhythm speak through dance and swaying.

Kelela is going on an international tour in fall 2026 with her new album, starting in September. As of this writing, the new avatar tour will travel across 12 countries.

Blog Date: Jul 16, 2026