In her debut studio album – Kelela showcases immense maturity with high praise from artists like Solange and Björk. Take Me Apart celebrates pop idols that came before her, while simultaneously reimagining the sound and feel of a pop song. Kelela incorporates a cinematic and worldly feel to the album with inclusion of outside sounds layered in. In her song, “Frontline,” that was featured in in the TV series Insecure, the song takes you on a journey beyond complex rhythms and detailed lyrics. In the background layers of the song you can hear a joint crackle, keys jingle, a car alarm beep, and an engine rev. The album is deeply connected and layered to the world around.
With this, Kelela’s music videos released with the album and visually iconic. Frontline’s music video reclaims the SIMS- yes the game we all remember. In the video Kelela breaks up with the horrible SIM man, and rides off into the sunset with her girl squad. If only video games provided this experience! Thankfully Kelela did it for us. LMK’s video, plays a classic tribute to pop, with a 90’s futuristic aesthetic that invokes memories of the Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child. Then with Blue Light, Kelela simply stands in a yellow dress, with provocative and alien-esq lighting that looks as if she has just stepped out of a tank. The combination of imagery proves again the complexities of the album itself – both a tribute to pop and treading on new ground.
Perhaps Kelela’s maturity comes with her age itself. While many emerging artists we hear release their first studio album younger and younger – many even at age 16 – Kelela clearly has a confidence, and deep knowledge of what she wants with her music. This kind of knowledge comes certainly with both age, and Kelela’s pure talent both in voice and storytelling through music. With such a well-composed piece of work to perform, Kelela’s performance at the Theatre at Ace Hotel on April 17th 2018 is one you shouldn’t miss.
Kelela
Theatre at Ace Hotel @ 9:00PM
All Ages
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