my single is (finally) dropping

Where Has Kelela Been? Cleansing Her Soul in the ‘Washed Away’ Video

We’ve been asking this for four years: Where has Kelela been? Well, according to her new song, “Washed Away,” and its music video, cleansing her soul, exploring the Danakil Depression, and flaunting her newly shaved head. The R&B innovator released “Washed Away,” her first new music since the 2018 remix album Take Me a_Part (adapted from her long-awaited debut, Take Me Apart), after teasing her return on social media with videos about her much-memed disappearance. So far, it has been worth the wait, as “Washed Away” centers Kelela’s subtly exquisite voice. The song skews more toward the ambient than the chopped and screwed beats Kelela is used to singing over, but don’t worry — she assured us that the “bangers” are coming. “I love a banger, but for the first point of contact out of my hiatus, it felt more honest to lead with an ambient heart check,” she said in a statement. As for where the bangers have been? Hopefully on a new album.

Where Has Kelela Been? Cleansing Her Soul in ‘Washed Away’