The Guardian profiles genre-bending R&B artist Kelela around the release of her third studio album, New Avatar, framing it as another bold reinvention of her sound and persona. The piece highlights how her latest work fuses silky, hook-laden vocals with shoegaze reverb and rock textures, a shift the writer calls one of her least expected yet most successful to date. It matters because Kelela has become a significant influence on younger Black female electronic and pop artists, even as a wave of viral, meme-friendly moments has drawn scores of new listeners to her music.

Interviewed at a studio in east Williamsburg, New York, Kelela reflects on her playful, image-shifting online presence, her collaborations and her wider convictions, including speaking up for Gaza and the challenges she navigates as a Black woman. The article traces her trajectory from the 2013 breakout mixtape Cut 4 Me through work with Solange, Danny Brown and Gorillaz, and a sold-out tour. It also features praise from PinkPantheress, who appears on Kelela's new single The Bridge and credits her with widening the market and opening doors for other Black female electronic and pop artists.