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happy birthday kelela

💛🎶Singers Thread Part 2🎶💛

IMOOOOO don't look at the date don't perceive the fact that we're already 3 days into January + it's like a week past your birthday DON'T....... HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY ICON!! YOUR GOLDEN BIRTHDAY, 25 ON 25!! 🎇🎂✨💛 I hope your holiday/celebration/trip to NY was wonderful and your fully developed brain has been treating you well thus far 🧠 tacky of me to combine these messages but we're 25 y/o gals, we're efficient!! SO -- what were YOUR top 5s of 2023? movies, books, music - biggest surprise(s), biggest flop(s)? excited to see what on earth 25 y/o imo gets into this year 💭

OMG THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH CAS!! NEW YORK WAS INCREDIBLE!! i had theee best time my first ever solo trip and i learnt so much about myself and got to go to a bucket list place just amazing really! i took so many pictures i'm putting together a photo album of my 2023 which i'm really excited to look back on. i found some old family pictures recently and there's nothing like looking back at a HQ printed picture and just reliving that moment

you also caught me at the perfect moment as i'm in the middle of revamping my blog as i'll be changing my username at the end of the week.. scary. anyways my top 5!

books

their eyes were watching god by Zora Neale Hurston

fight night by Miriam Toews

my phantoms by Gwendoline Riley

ring shout by P. Djèlí Clark

sterling karat gold by Isabel Waidner

tv shows

i can't remember much of anything i watched at all LMAO. 1. succession for obvious reasons 2. interview with the vampire 3. and that's genuinely all i can remember let's blame the strike

movies

1. malignant 2. across the spiderverse 3. bottoms 4. bones and all 5. saw x

music

i don't think i posted my wrapped on tumblr i can't remember but my favourite releases of the year were 1. amaarae's fountain baby 2. tinashe's bb/ang3l 3. kali uchis' red moon in venus 4. kelela's raven 5. pinkpantheress' heaven knows

personal stuff

2023 was big for me in terms of being more vulnerable with my friends! i feel like i got so much closer with everyone in my life and feel like i actually have a community which has been really nice. there's a lot of promising things that should be coming to fruition this year career wise and i think saving for and planning a trip to New York for my 25th birthday was a milestone all of itself! i'm very excited for what this year has in store for me

My pride playlist for this year is ready!!

PRIDE 2023: FCKNG+RVLTNG

what have you done to advance sodomy today? together we can consign heterosexuality to the dustbin of history 💖

TRACK LIST:

This Country Makes It Hard To Fuck (Björk Remix) - Fever Ray

Sick Bitch - LSDXOXO

I’m Gonna Be a Slut - Pansy Division

trans girl cringe - gemini

Hot Box - Minivan

Bimbo Doll - Tila Tsoli, BJ Lips

WET - COBRAH

SRS - Chase Icon

Taste My Body - James Indigo, TAAHLIAH

Spit - Show Me the Body, Princess Nokia

Fix My Dick - Christeene

Mistress Violet - Violet Chachki, Allie X, Lecomte De Brégeot

My Sex - Brooke Candy, Pussy Riot, MNDR, Mykki Blanco

FMH (‘4x4’ Mix) - TAAHLIAH

Rubberhand - PUTOCHINOMARICÓN, Chenta Tsai, Tami T

Bloom - Troye Sivan

Jason - Perfume Genius

Truth or Dare - Kelela

Ponyboy - SOPHIE

Back of the Truck - Mimi Zima

Make Out Club - That Kid

Right - MGNA Crrrta

Valentino Leather Skirt - bottoms

LICK IT N SPLIT - Zebra Katz, Shygirl

Horsey - Alex Chapman, Kim Petras

Bangin - No Bra

Swallowin’ Kids - Only Fire

Disgusting - Lil Mariko, Zheani

Daddy (Harder Mix) - Boy Pussy

probably should have posted this last week but forgot. but here is everything i listened to last month. very fruitful! i haven't taken in so much new stuff in years. alas, everything in red was a new listen for me and under thee cut is a rough outline on what i enjoyed and thought was mid. if anybody has any suggestions for this month i am pretty much down for anything :)

thee really, really good:

every wand album. especially golem, ganglion reef, plum and perfume. i'm still going fucking mad on listening to those even now – they're just so good. scratches such a deep itch i didn't know i had laying dormant. haven't spent enough time with 1000 days or laughing stock, unfortunately but they're great too! nearly 400 scrobbles since 16th of march, for what its worth. also help desk is great... literally NO misses from them wtf.

same goes for the one cory hanson album i listened to (the unborn capitalist from limbo) which felt like a dream. i'll get to his other two at some point during this month at least.

a silver mt zion's he has left us alone but shafts of light sometimes graces the corner of our rooms... was definitely something. like a long winded dreaded cold nightmare of desolation and isolation. it's fucking beautiful. easily an all time fave now but not something i would routinely come back to, that's for sure, for better or for worse.

otherwise great:

white reaper is pretty neat, i really enjoyed the roughness of white aura the most of the select things i listened to. what's really funny to me and important that i note is their spoon-adjacency and how they're elektra signees now. spoon walked and got dropped so white reaper could run. they paved that way. impactful icons much... but yeah i'll get to their two elektra albums at some point too. their new single is neat though!

finally getting to cola after having them in my mental back-burner for the last 2 years was good, too. i was a HUUUUUUGE fan of ought back in 2019 and deep in view does pick up nicely from where they ended with room inside the world. tim's vocals have refined so nicely over the years. it's a good listen. again, new single also great!

along with cola, thee oh sees has been on my mental back-burner for awhile too. floating coffin was the best of the three i listened to (can anybody guide me on where to go with their discog because it is so dense.) hammered/ing the everliving fuck out of minotaur, too.

goon was great! need to spend more time on them. but they're similar to wand and vibey as fuck. heaven is humming is the one, though. same goes for meatbodies, i see they have a new album so i'll get to that eventually too.

the mid:

the post-expo 86 wolf parade albums are sooooooo ugh. cry cry cry being the worst of the two, and worst of their discog overall. contains nothing that makes wolf parade, like you know, wolf parade? depressing and so boring... thin mind was more-or-less the same but it had at least some distinct wp elements.

lala lala's the lamb is so disjointed and quite messy. i didn't hate it, but i didn't enjoy it either. at times it reminds me of chastity belt (not a negative) but i don't see me returning to them any time soon.

menomena's i am the fun blame monster was nothing to write home about and i didn't even finish it lol. just think it's funny that two members have projects with members of the national – really didn't expect that.

the i forgot about this one:

kelela's cut 4 me... i put this on while extremely high and fell asleep shortly after. only put it on after trying to listen to thin mind which i got two tracks into and thought was one of the worst things i'd ever heard and had to turn it off before i ruined it for myself.

if u read my wall of text umm thank uuu ??? here is a cat pic as reward

2022

albums: Alex G - God Save the Animals Alex G - We're All Going to the World's Fair Anthony Naples + DJ Python - Air Texture VIII Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You Björk - Fossora Bladee & Ecco2k - Crest Broadcast - Maida Vale Sessions Carla dal Forno - Come Around Carly Rae Jepsen - The Loneliest Time Cass McCombs - Heartmind Charli XCX - Crash Daphni - Cherry Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Pigments Hikaru Utada - Bad Mode Huerco S. - Plonk Isabella Lovestory - Amor Hardcore Junior Boys - Waiting Game Kali Malone - Living Torch Malibu - Palaces of Pity Marina Herlop - Pripyat Oren Ambarchi - Shebang Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin - Ghosted Organ Tapes - 唱着那无人问津的歌谣 / Chang Zhe Na Wu Ren Wen Jin De Ge Yao Phoenix - Alpha Zulu Physical Therapy - Teardrops on My Garage PPJ - Trindade Rachika Nayar - Heaven Come Crashing Raum - Daughter Sally Shapiro - Sad Cities Sam Prekop - The Sparrow Sam Prekop & John McEntire - Sons Of Shinichi Atobe - Love of Plastic Shygirl - Nymph The Soft Pink Truth - Is It Going to Get Any Deeper Than This? Torus & DJ Lostboi - The Flash Two Shell - Icons The Weeknd - Dawn FM William Basinski & Janek Schaefer - “ . . . On Reflection “

songs: Alex G - JLB's Drawing Bibio - Off Goes the Light Björk - Ancestress (ft. Sindri Eldon) Bladee & Ecco2k - Faust Bladee & Ecco2k - The Flag is Raised Call Super - Swallow Me Carla dal Forno - Side by Side Carly Rae Jepsen - Anxious Carly Rae Jepsen - Talking to Yourself Cass McCombs - Belong to Heaven CFCF - After the After (Bodysync Remix) Charli XCX - Sorry If I Hurt You Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul - Haha Coco & Clair Clair - Bad Lil Vibe Cole Pulice - City in a City Daphni - Take Two Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn - Sandstone Demi Lovato - Substance DJ Heartstring - Can't Stop the Night Doss - Look (All Night Mix) Doss - Strawberry (Singin' Club Mix) Double Virgo - Kicked Out by Seven Ecco2k & Bladee - Amygdala Ela Minus & DJ Python - Pájaros En Verano Embaci - Tiniest Whisper Hikaru Utada - Somewhere Near Marseilles Hudson Mohawke - Bicstan Isabella Lovestory - Exibisionista Job - Lore Junior Boys - Thinking About You Calms Me Down Kelela - On the Run Luis - Jack Anderson Malibu - Iliad Marina Herlop - Abans Abans Merely - The Killing Sun Mr Twin Sister - Resort Mura Masa & Erika de Casier - e-motions Objekt - Ballast Oren Ambarchi - I Organ Tapes - Burnout Organ Tapes - heaven can wait Physical Therapy - Chain Reaction PinkPantheress - Boy's a liar PPJ - Dar Um (Lauer Remix) Purelink - Butterfly Jam Rachika Nayar - Gayatri Raum - Walk together Sally Shapiro - Sad City SG Lewis & Tove Lo - Call on Me (SG's Dub Edit) Shinichi Atobe - Love of Plastic 1 Shygirl - Firefly Two Shell - Unrequited Yasmine - Doce Atração Yung Lean - Lips Yves Tumor - God Is a Circle

games: Elden Ring Kirby and the Forgotten Land Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Signalis Sonic Frontiers Squaredle Tactics Ogre: Reborn

film: Aftersun (Charlotte Wells) Ambulance (Michael Bay) Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron) Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg) Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook) I Thought the World of You (Kurt Walker) Jackass Forever (Jeff Tremaine) Kimi (Steven Soderbergh) Nope (Jordan Peele) Orphan: First Kill (William Brent Bell) Pacifiction (Albert Serra) Sharp Stick (Lena Dunham) Stars at Noon (Claire Denis) Tár (Todd Field) Three Thousand Years of Longing (George Miller)

So I had kind of a full circle moment last month when I finally got to see theee icon that is Kelela live for her Raven tour and it was absolutely magical. It’s full circle for me to post about it on here cause literally 8 years ago my mutual @ruffrowdyboiz reblogged her “A Message” music video and she’s been my favorite ever since. Not to be corny but I don’t wanna know how different my life would’ve been if tumblr did help me find my favorite artist.

Kelela - Raven ALBUM REVIEW

Kelela’s 2017 debut album, Take Me Apart was easily one of the best albums to be released in 2010s. When I heard it for the first time, I was blown away as there have been albums in the past that have mixed electronic, pop, and R&B but Take Me Apart was truly something special. After putting out the Take Me Apart remix album in 2018, Kelela almost completely vanished as she didn’t post on social media, put out music, do any features, or play any shows after the initial Take Me Apart tours. Her return to music is very much welcome and now that her second album, Raven is out, I can say that it was worth the six year wait. Sometimes when an artist sets the bar so high with their first album and takes a lot of time to put out their second one, the second album doesn’t usually hit the same. It’s a bit early for me to say that Raven is on par with Take Me Apart, but it is absolutely a worthy followup. On just the first listen, the production is incredible and allows Kelela to take some more artistic risks while maintaining her signature sound that she established with her first album and the EPs before it. She’s made upbeat pop songs like LMK and Rewind but this album has many more uptempo songs that one can groove to, such as the rave-ready Happy Ending, the UK Garage-inspired Missed Call, and the ethereal song Contact, which also nods to UK Garage as well. Kelela is someone who always pours her heart into every song of her’s; music seems very therapeutic for her and it is nice to hear her make songs where she sounds like she’s having fun even though the lyrical content might be quite emotional. The aforementioned dance songs are a prime example of that, as is the song On The Run. I was not expecting Kelela to make a dancehall song with this album but it works just so perfectly and is easily one of the best songs on the album. Her vocal performance on the song is phenomenal as she continues to put her all into every single song. The beat has such a nice bounce to it and  the “hey” sounds from Dave Kelly’s iconic Showtime Riddim really bring the entire song together with the incredibly catchy hook. It’s a song that one can whine and cry to as well. Enough For Love gives similar vibes and that song is another song that is absolute perfection as she sings so beautifully on that song. Slower songs like the fantastic Washed Away and the downbeat banger Closure are better examples of Kelela continuing to stick to the sound that we know and love from her. There’s also a run towards the end of the album that provides those very slow and minimal moments from Kelela where she showcases her vocal range. My only criticism of this album is that I would have liked for these songs to be better dispersed within the tracklist as the album is an hour and six minutes long and these slower songs all being after each other makes the album feel longer whereas the variety in the first third of the album goes by very nicely. While Raven has a lot of great songs to dance to, she sounds very hurt on the album as her vulnerability in every song is what makes her so special, no matter what the song sounds like. Whether it’s a bouncy dancehall song, a 2-step Garage track or a slow ballad, Kelela is going to give everything she has into it. For those reasons, Raven is a fantastic followup to one of my favorite albums of all time and a triumphant return for one of my favorite artists. 

Fav Tracks: Washed Away, Happy Ending, On The Run, Missed Call, Contact, Enough For Love

Solange Cements Icon Status By Composing Score For New York City Ballet

Solange, newly knighted cultural icon for “alternative” Black girls everywhere, is making history as the first Black woman to compose a score for The New York City Ballet Company.  This partnership will be part of NYC Ballet's tenth annual Fashion Gala. The singer's score will be paired with a ballet choreographed by Gianna Reisen. Spanish designer Alejandro Gómez Palomo will make costumes for the performance. The announcement came Monday via NYC Ballet's official website. In addition to their announcement, Solange made one herself. For now, the show is untitled. 🖤very excited to announce i’ve composed an original score for the New York City Ballet 🖤 choreography by Gianna Reisen , score performed by the City Ballet Orchestra + soloist from my ensemble 🖤 Shows : October 1, 8, 11, 16 May 2, 11, 13, 17, 18th at Lincoln Center pic.twitter.com/F0TvxzObDX — solange knowles (@solangeknowles) August 16, 2022 Solange Knowles: A Modern Visionary Solange is known for her hit albums, A Seat At The Table and more recently, When I Get Home. And though the music itself is significant, so are the accompanying visuals. The way Solange uses colors, patterns, and cultural iconography to convey a message about complex emotions and experiences is something to note. However, her creativity doesn't stop at her albums. In 2013, the singer launched creative agency, Saint Heron. The company aims to uplift marginalized voices in various artistic communities. Artists participating in Saint Heron's artistic projects include Sampha, Kelela, and Jhené Aiko. In a 2021 interview, Solange explained why she launched Saint Heron. “I wanted to not only tell these artists’ stories, but honor those before us who really created the blueprints,” she said. I needed to find my community, and there was no space or outlet that embodied the nuances that represented the people who surrounded me and the space we took up in the world. And so I thought, I’ll just create it. The New York City Ballet allowing her to take the reins for such an important event, makes sense, given the success of her visual projects. Solange's score can be heard for the first time at New York's Lincoln Center on Wednesday, September 28 and repeat performances set for October 1, 8, 11, and 16. At this time, tickets start at $38 and are currently on sale. Written by Kimberly Stelly | Instagram | Twitter  | Tumblr Follow FMHipHop on Twitter  | Instagram   | Spotify Read the full article

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frontline

Beauty and talent

LMK [What’s Really Good Remix] - Kelela ft. Princess N*kia, Junglepussy, Cupcakke, & Ms. Boogie