Kelela has shared a new track, “Contact,” and it transforms her sexy whispers into sonic delight.
“It’s a soundtrack for ‘pre-gaming’ (a song to play as you’re getting ready or on your way to the club),” she explains.
“It’s also the interior club experience: the heat that envelops you when you walk into a packed rave. All this culminates in a very naughty, psychedelic moment in the back of the club with a lover.”
“Contact” is Kelela’s fourth song released ahead of her sophomore album, RAVEN, due Feb. 10 via Warp.
“I started this process from the feeling of isolation and alienation I’ve always had as a black femme in dance music, despite its black origins,” said Kelela. “RAVEN is my first breath taken in the dark, an affirmation of black femme perspective in the midst of systemic erasure and the sound of our vulnerability turned to power.”
Kelela announced the arrival of her forthcoming album last November. In tandem with the reveal, she dropped her song, “On the Run,” which was supported with a visual the following month.
Two previous singles, “Happy Ending” and “Washed Away,” preceded the official album announcement. The latter was the lead single and was said to be recorded “in the midst of uncertainty.”
“Washed Away,” along with its accompanying video, was shared over the summer. “I really didn’t think I’d hit on anything that would resonate out the gate, but I can see now that it was my willingness to try that paved the way for self-belief and renewal. Hope this makes you feel the same,” Kelela wrote on Instagram.
On March 16, Kelela will launch her headlining RAVE:N Tour in Atlanta, Georgia.
Stream “Contact” by Kelela below.
