Raven | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 10, 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2020–22 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 62:33 | |||
Label | Warp | |||
Producer |
| |||
Kelela chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Raven | ||||
|
Raven is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on February 10, 2023, via Warp Records. It comes six years after the release of the singer-songwriter's debut album, Take Me Apart , which was lauded by critics as one of the best albums of 2017. [1] [2] [3] A remix album, titled Rave:N, the Remixes, was released on February 9, 2024. [4] In a press release, Kelela said Raven began as a reaction to feeling alone as a Black femme working within dance music, and described the album as an affirmation of that perspective. [5] The album was supported by the singles "Washed Away", [6] "Happy Ending", [7] "On the Run", [8] "Contact", and "Enough for Love".
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.0/10 [9] |
Metacritic | 86/100 [10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Clash | 8/10 [12] |
DIY | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [14] |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 8.4/10 [17] |
The Telegraph | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Upon release, Raven received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 86, based on 18 critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [10] Aggregating 20 critic scores, AnyDecentMusic? rated Raven an 8.0 out of 10. [9]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Andy Kellman described the album as a series of "(constant) if fluid oscillations between diaphanous ballads, pulsing slow jams, and modern street soul bangers . . . suited for the greater number of songs based in relationships." [11]
Joey Levenson at NME compared it to Kelela's debut, saying it "makes for a frequently breathtaking companion to Take Me Apart," and that in a "debut album which was all about breaking down, Raven reminds us of what it means to be put back together". [16]
Pitchfork designated the album "Best New Music", with Eric Torres calling it a "rapturous" and "masterful display of tension and release, centering queer Black womanhood through blasts of heated dance music and ambient comedowns". [17]
Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Resident Advisor | The Best Albums of 2023 | 1 | |
Consequence | The 50 Best Albums of 2023 | 13 | |
The Line of Best Fit | The Best Albums of 2023 | 17 | |
Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2023 | 16 | |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2023 | 17 | |
Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Albums of 2023 | 83 | |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2023 | 26 |
All tracks written by Kelela, except "Closure", written by Kelela & Rahrah Gabor. All tracks arranged by Kelela. Additional lyricists are listed.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Washed Away" | Janiva Ellis | Yo van Lenz | 3:36 |
2. | "Happy Ending" | 4:08 | ||
3. | "Let it Go" | Ellis | 4:22 | |
4. | "On the Run" |
|
| 4:52 |
5. | "Missed Call" |
| 3:51 | |
6. | "Closure" |
| 3:29 | |
7. | "Contact" | Asmara | 4:00 | |
8. | "Fooley" | Ellis | 3:34 | |
9. | "Holier" |
| 4:14 | |
10. | "Raven" |
| 4:36 | |
11. | "Bruises" | 4:15 | ||
12. | "Sorbet" |
| 5:29 | |
13. | "Divorce" |
|
| 3:21 |
14. | "Enough for Love" | Ellis | 4:25 | |
15. | "Far Away" | van Lenz | 4:21 | |
Total length: | 62:33 |
Notes
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [26] | 168 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [27] | 91 |
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [28] | 22 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [29] | 18 |
US Top Album Sales ( Billboard ) [30] | 47 |
RAVE:N, The Remixes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Remix album by | ||||
Released | February 9, 2024 | |||
Length | 81:39 | |||
Label | Warp | |||
Kelela chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from RAVE:N, The Remixes | ||||
|
On October 20, 2023, Kelela announced a remix album to Raven titled RAVE:N, The Remixes, alongside the album's lead single, "Contact (Karen Nyame KG Remix)." [31] [32] On December 6, 2023, she released the album's second single "Closure (Flexulant x BAMBII Remix), featuring Rahrah Gabor + Brazy, alongside the tracklist. [33] [34] On December 27, 2023, she released "Happy Ending (A.G Remix)", the album's third single. [35] [36] On January 24, 2024, she released the album's fourth single, "Holier (JD. REID Remix)", which featured rapper/singer and DJ Shygirl. [37] [38]
All tracks written by Kelela Mizanekristos. All tracks arranged by Kelela. Additional lyricists are listed.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Raven" (Agazero Remix featuring BbyMutha) | Brittnee Moore |
| 4:58 |
2. | "Contact" (Karen Nyame KG Remix) | Asmara | 4:27 | |
3. | "Closure" (Flexulant x BAMBII Remix featuring Rahrah Gabor & Brazy) |
|
| 4:46 |
4. | "Holier" (JD. REID Remix featuring Shygirl) | Blane Muise |
| 3:35 |
5. | "Bruises" (SUCIA! Remix) |
| 3:32 | |
6. | "Washed Away" (Ethereal Remix featuring Liv.e) | Hailee Olivia Williams |
| 3:57 |
7. | "Far Away" (DJ Swisha Remix) |
| 3:47 | |
8. | "Raven" (TYGAPAW Remix featuring Rochelle Jordan) | Jordan |
| 4:26 |
9. | "Sorbet" (LSDXOXO Remix) |
| 4:31 | |
10. | "Divorce" (DJ Manny Remix) |
|
| 4:36 |
11. | "Fooley" (LEECH Ambient Queen Remix) | Ellis |
| 4:18 |
12. | "Missed Call" (KYRUH Remix) |
|
| 3:36 |
13. | "Happy Ending" (A.G Remix) |
| 3:15 | |
14. | "Let It Go" (NGUZUNGUZU x DJ GAY-Z Remix) | Ellis |
| 5:44 |
15. | "On the Run" (River Moon Remix featuring ThugPop) |
|
| 3:27 |
16. | "Enough For Love" (Tayhana Remix) | Ellis | 3:59 | |
17. | "Enough For Love" (Yaeji heart+beat Remix) | Ellis |
| 2:29 |
18. | "Divorce" (Loraine James Remix) |
|
| 3:53 |
19. | "Far Away" (DJ LHC Remix) |
| 2:56 | |
20. | "Far Away" (SUUTOO His Eye Is On the Raven Remix featuring Ms. Carrie Stacks) | Ms. Carrie Stacks |
| 5:27 |
Total length: | 81:39 |
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Pitchfork | 7.8/10 [39] |
Writing for Pitchfork , Harry Tafoya praised the album's production writing: "RAVE:N bears the distinction of being the most kinetic Kelela release in a very long time." [39] Kiana Mickles's review for Resident Advisor concludes: "It pulls out all the stops—freshly recorded vocals, relevant contributors and a perfect song for every hour of the night." [40]
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | February 10, 2023 | Warp | [41] |
Röyksopp are a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of childhood friends Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland who formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave. After experimenting with different genres of electronic music, the band solidified their place in the electronica scene with their 2001 debut album, Melody A.M., released on the Wall of Sound record label.
Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns, Dominic Aitchison, and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mogwai typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.
Simbiatu "Simbi" Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, better known by her stage name Little Simz, is an English-Nigerian rapper. She rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums: A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons (2015), Stillness in Wonderland (2016) and Grey Area (2019), the last of which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and won the awards for Best Album at both the Ivor Novello Awards and the NME Awards.
Alejandra Ghersi Rodríguez, known professionally as Arca, is a Venezuelan musician and record producer based in Barcelona, Spain. She initially began releasing music under the name of Nuuro. After attending the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Ghersi first released the EP Baron Libre (2012) under the name Arca and subsequently released the EPs Stretch 1 and Stretch 2; the latter experimented with hip hop and brought her attention from prominent music publications.
Caroline Elizabeth Polachek is an American singer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek cofounded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late-2000s Brooklyn music scene with the sleeper hit "Bruises". In 2014, she released her first solo project, Arcadia, as Ramona Lisa. Under CEP, she released Drawing the Target Around the Arrow in 2017.
Kelela Mizanekristos is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. After a nearly 5-year hiatus, Kelela released her second album, Raven, in February of 2023.
Hallucinogen is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on October 9, 2015, by Warp Records and Cherry Coffee Music.
Take Me Apart is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on October 6, 2017, through Warp. Combining electronic music and R&B, the album was noted for its futuristic sound and its incorporation of various musical styles. Kelela worked on the album for four years with producers she had previously collaborated with on her previous releases, Cut 4 Me (2013) and Hallucinogen (2015).
Miss Anthropocene is the fifth studio album by Canadian musician Grimes. It was released on February 21, 2020, through 4AD. It marked her first album in over four years, after the release of Art Angels in 2015. The album was officially announced on March 19, 2019. The name of the album is a pun on the feminine title "Miss", and the words "misanthrope" and "Anthropocene", a neologism popularised by Paul J. Crutzen in 2000 that was proposed to denote the current geological age the Earth is in. The album is a loose concept album about an "anthropomorphic goddess of climate change" inspired by Roman mythology and villainy. Miss Anthropocene is Grimes' final album on record label 4AD, to which she has been signed since 2012. The album is darker in style than Art Angels, containing inspiration from the sounds of industrial music.
Salvador Navarrete, better known by his stage name Sega Bodega, is an Irish-Chilean music producer, singer, songwriter, DJ, and co-head/founder of the record label and collective Nuxxe. Sega Bodega is known for his futuristic, bass-heavy and leftfield take on electronic and club music, fusing various elements of UK bass and hip-hop music, deconstructed club, and trip hop music into his songs. He rose to prominence producing tracks for London-based rapper, co-founder of the Nuxxe label, and close collaborator Shygirl, gaining attention from the likes of Rihanna, using various Nuxxe tracks for her Fenty Beauty commercials and fashion shows. Sega Bodega released various EPs before releasing his debut album, Salvador, in 2020, and his second album, Romeo, in 2021.
Blane Muise, better known by her stage name Shygirl, is an English singer, DJ, rapper, songwriter and co-head/founder of record label and collective Nuxxe. Shygirl's music incorporates elements of dance music, hip-hop, experimental pop, grime and deconstructed club. She has also been associated with the hyperpop music scene. Shygirl rose to prominence after working with close collaborator and friend Sega Bodega, as well as other well-known experimental producers Arca and Sophie, and gaining attention from the likes of Rihanna, who has used various Nuxxe tracks for her Fenty Beauty commercials and fashion shows. Shygirl has released various singles since 2016, and three EPs titled Cruel Practice, Alias and Club Shy. Her debut studio album Nymph was released on 30 September 2022 to widespread acclaim from music critics.
"Jealous" is a song by Filipino musician Eyedress, released on 6 December 2019 as a single from his album Let's Skip to the Wedding (2020). It first charted at number twenty four on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and number twenty three on the Billboard Hot Alternative Songs charts on the week of 20 February 2021, climbing to number fifteen on both charts the following week, and remaining in the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart for 20 weeks. It received multi-platinum certification from the RIAA for selling 3,000,000 equivalent units in the United States. The single was also certified gold in Australia and Poland and platinum in Canada.
Dawn of Chromatica is the third remix album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on September 3, 2021, by Streamline and Interscope Records. Consisting of remixes of songs from Gaga's sixth studio album, Chromatica (2020), the album embraces an underground, hyperpop production and features collaborations with numerous pop, electronic and Brazilian musicians.
Fossora is the tenth studio album by Icelandic singer-musician Björk. It was released on 30 September 2022 through One Little Independent Records. The album was recorded mainly during the COVID-19 pandemic and centers around the theme of isolation, loss, and grief, mainly of the death of her mother, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir, in 2018. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 11 and the US Billboard 200 at number 100. It received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming Björk's ninth consecutive nomination in the category.
Rave & Roses is the debut studio album by Nigerian singer Rema. It was released on 25 March 2022 via Jonzing World and Mavin Records. The album included guest appearances from 6lack, Chris Brown, AJ Tracey, and Yseult. The deluxe version of the album was released on 28 April 2023, renamed as Rave & Roses Ultra.
Nymph is the debut studio album by British rapper and singer Shygirl. It was released on 30 September 2022 on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital download, through Because Music. The album was announced alongside the release of its lead single "Firefly" on 10 May 2022. The second single "Come for Me" was released on 7 June 2022. The album was shortlisted for the 2023 Mercury Prize.
This Is Why is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Paramore, released on February 10, 2023 through Atlantic Records, their final studio album for the label. It is their first album since 2017, following After Laughter, and the second recorded by the lineup of Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro. The album was supported by four singles: "This Is Why", "The News", "C'est Comme Ça", and "Running Out of Time".
Dehaney Nia Lishahn Hunt, known professionally as Nia Archives, is an English record producer, DJ, singer and songwriter. Born in Bradford in West Yorkshire, she moved to Leeds aged seven, out of the family home aged sixteen, and then to Greater Manchester, during which time she was inspired by jungle documentaries and their women participants. After finding herself messed about by local producers, she began producing her own jungle and drum and bass works; after moving to Hackney Wick for university and finding that no record labels would release them, she released them herself, attracting attention for the EPs Headz Gone West and Forbidden Feelingz. After featuring on numerous 'best of' lists, she released a third EP, Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against the Wall, in 2023, which topped the UK Dance Albums Chart, followed by an album, Silence Is Loud, which peaked at No. 16 on the UK Albums Chart. Hunt is generally regarded as being at the forefront of the post-2020 drum and bass revival, and has been cited as an inspiration by Piri.
George Bedford Daniel is a British drummer, record producer, and electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the pop band the 1975, as part of which he released five albums that topped the UK Albums Chart. His songwriting and producing partnership with the band's vocalist Matty Healy made him the co-recipient of multiple awards and nominations including two Ivor Novello Awards and four Brit Awards. He has also been co-nominated twice for the Mercury Prize and once for the Grammy Awards. He released his debut single, "Screen Cleaner", in August 2024.
Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat is the first remix album by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 11 October 2024 by Atlantic Records. The album contains remixes of seventeen out of eighteen tracks from the deluxe version of her sixth studio album, Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not (2024), but also features the original tracks, thereby serving as a double album.