Kelela

Kelela Mizanekristos is an American singer from Washington, D.C., who is of second-generation Ethiopian American background. Born in 1983, she grows up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, learns the violin in fourth grade, and sings in her school choir. After graduating from Magruder High School in 2001, she studies at Montgomery College before transferring to American University, where she begins singing jazz standards in cafés.

Early work and collaborations

In 2008, Kelela joins the indie band Dizzy Spells and sings progressive metal after meeting Tosin Abasi, whom she later dates. She moves to Los Angeles in 2010 and later also lives in London. In November 2012, she starts work on her debut mixtape after already recording two songs, and she leaves her job as a telemarketer to focus on music full time.

After moving to Los Angeles, she works with Teengirl Fantasy on the 2013 album Tracer, appearing on the track “EFX”. That collaboration brings her into contact with Prince William of Fade to Mind, who introduces her to the label’s sound and to Night Slugs. She also appears on Kingdom’s “Bank Head” in May 2013.

Mixtapes, EP and album releases

Her mixtape Cut 4 Me is released for free five months after “Bank Head”. The mixtape draws heavily on grime and helps revive the Rhythm & Grime subgenre. Its tracks include “Go All Night”, which appears on Solange Knowles’s multi-artist compilation Saint Heron. In December 2013, DJ Kitty Cash releases the Love the Free mixtape, featuring Kelela on “The High”; she later releases the track herself on SoundCloud in February 2014. She also features on Bok Bok’s “Melba’s Call”, released in March 2014.

Her first EP, Hallucinogen, is announced in March 2015 together with the single “A Message” and its video. “Rewind” follows later that year. The EP presents the beginning, middle and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order.

In 2017, she announces her debut studio album, Take Me Apart. The lead single is “LMK”, followed by “Frontline”, “Waitin” and “Blue Light” before the album is released later in 2017. The record receives widespread critical acclaim, appears on year-end lists, and is included in the 2018 edition of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It is noted for its heavy electronic production.

Later singles and Raven

After a five-year gap, she releases “Washed Away” in 2022, alongside a music video. She then announces her second studio album, Raven, with singles including “Happy Ending”, “On the Run”, “Contact” and “Enough for Love” preceding the album’s release. Her work is associated with alternative R&B, grime, electronic music, ambient, trip-hop and breakbeat.