Kelela returns with new single "Washed Away" (listen)

Kelela has finally released her first proper (non-remix) new single since her excellent 2017 debut album Take Me Apart. It’s called “Washed Away,” and it’s an ethereal, atmospheric song that comes with a gorgeous Yasser Abubeker-directed video. For an artist who’s been known to work with clattering beatmakers, “Washed Away” doesn’t have a drum in sight and it practically passes for ambient pop. It’s a very cool new song, and Kelela does promise that “the bangers are on the way” too. Stay tuned for those and check out “Washed Away” below.

Speaking about the song, Kelela said, “I specifically want to speak to marginalized Black folk and highlight the work we do to find renewal in a world that’s built to make us feel inadequate. This song is the soundtrack to the relief we find after going inward.” She also added, “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.”