The meditative, ambient calm of Kelela's 'Raven'
If the singer was taking herself apart before, she is now presenting a unified and independent version of herself, all while actively maintaining a sense of distance from the audience.
Since releasing her debut mixtape, , in 2013, the singer has always innovated at the crossroads of left-field R&B and forward-thinking electronic music. After six years away, she returns to a pop-music landscape that is focused on honoring the Black queer artists who as a refuge and established the clubs where the music was played as safe havens, spaces to celebrate, grieve and build community all at once. Beyoncé's , Dua Saleh's and Shygirl's work with Arca and the late SOPHIE are just some examples of contemporary music existing at the intersection Kelela inhabits. Events like and Papi Juice similarly continue to celebrate the dancefloor as a place
