Kelela Drops Brand New Single 'Contact'

Kelela has dropped her brand new single "Contact," the fourth single off her upcoming album RAVEN which is set to drop February 10th via Warp.

Laced with a pulsing bass, "Contact" is a quintessential party hit, created for what feels like the sole purpose of being blasted through speakers at a crowded club. Kelela sings about the sensual nature of being on a packed dance floor and feeding off that high, lending the song her ethereal vocal quality as she so often does.

About the track, Kelela says: "'Contact' has a little bit of something for every part of the night. It's a soundtrack for 'pre-gaming' (a song to play as you're getting ready or on your way to the club). 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" joins previously released singles "Washed Away," "Happy Ending," and "On the Run" in the lead up to RAVEN's arrival in February. Late last year, Kelela also announced her now sold out RAVE:N tour, which kicks off March 16th in Atlanta, GA in support of the highly anticipated sophomore album.

Listen to the new single here:

Kelela's RAVE:N Tour 2023

Mar 16 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West

Mar 17 - New York, NY - Webster Hall

Mar 18 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall

Mar 23 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

Mar 24 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House

Apr 01 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda

April 07 - London, UK - Outernet

Kelela has something new to say. Or rather, new ways to express what people really think, but too often, dare not say. For February 2023's RAVEN, the singer-songwriter is delivering 15 new songs and imploring listeners to go even deeper into themselves. Vulnerability and radical surrender are the tentpoles of love, romantic or otherwise. Kelela knows this well and is ready to further articulate this to her eager audience.

The process of crafting RAVEN has been deeply intentional, both sonically and in terms of the meaning being produced. On the album, the singer oscillates between the improvisational aspect of jazz, the pulsing tempo of dance/electronic music and the openness of traditional R&B.

Many of the album's tracks bleed into each other, creating a continuous mix that flows through the different terrains of dance music. From the hazy atmospherics of "Fooley" to the playful breakbeats of "Happy Ending," Kelela is adept and commanding in each environment.

RAVEN is executive produced by Kelela and co-executive produced by Asmara. Kelela also wrote and arranged all of the album's tracks. Yo Van Lenz and Florian T M Zeisig (members of ambient duo OCA) and LSDXOXO serve as the main producers throughout the album, with additional production from Bambii.

Photo credit - Neva Wireko

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