PER F ECT SPACE When young vocalist Kelela left her native D.C. for Los Angeles five years ago, like so many others before and after, she had one thing on her mind. Fame and fortune were distant dreams as she couch-surfed her way through the L.A. electro-bass scene, trying to find her voice while performing early-morning warehouse shows. Kelela’s particular sonic tastes were finally met when she met underground producer Total Freedom and his Fade to Mind crew. Their subsequent mixtape announced the arrival of a new force on the left-field R&B scene—her cool confidence anchored a cosmic blend of electro bangers and ballads. As she prepares her debut album, keenly aware of her place in a long line of modern-R&B female vocalists going back to Janet and Aaliyah, Kelela continues the search for her true self while exploring femininity through her revealing songwriting.
by T. P. Carter photography by Yev Kazannik
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