Take Me Apart (2017)

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).

The album received widespread acclaim from music critics, many of whom commended its innovative production and Kelela's sharp songwriting and vocal delivery. It appeared on several publications' lists of the year's best albums. The album was supported by the singles "LMK", "Frontline", "Waitin" and "Blue Light".

Development and production

Kelela worked on Take Me Apart for four years, alongside Arca and Jam City, whom she had previously worked with on Hallucinogen and Cut 4 Me respectively. She stated that they "anchored" the album and produced the bulk of it. On February 18, 2016, Kelela featured on a short film by Dazed named "Interlude", which contained new material that would later turn out to be snippets of tracks included in the album. In a press release, Kelela explained that the album expresses "an honest vision of how we navigate dissolving ties with each other and yet remain sanguine for the next chance at love," continuing: "despite it being a personal record, the politics of my identity informs how it sounds and how I choose to articulate my vulnerability and strength. I am a black woman, a second-generation Ethiopian-American, who grew up in the 'burbs listening to R&B, jazz and Björk. All of it comes out in one way or another."

Composition

The music of Take Me Apart was described as electro-R&B and alternative R&B, with several critics noting its incorporation of various other musical styles, including electronica, jazz, soul, UK garage and dance-pop. The Guardian described the album as "glitchy R&B", while also stating that the album offers "tracks that are both pop-minded and gratifyingly future-facing." Clash labeled it as "cavernous, avant-garde R&B that moves the body and heals the broken heart." Fact called the album "a genre-melding journey," and said it has "a subtle, playful Afro-futurist vision." DIY noted the usage of "glacial synths" and "trap beats," in contrast to Consequence of Sound who commended the producers for "their refusal to use trap as a crutch." The Skinny added that the album differs from the "heavy, industrial beats" from Kelela's previous releases, despite many of the same producers appearing on this album. The album was also said to evoke the music of Janet Jackson and Björk, whom Kelela named as influences. Lyrically, the album deals with various themes, such as love, romance, sex, impatience, vulnerability, the rewards and pitfalls of relationships, and "the complicated things that can happen when complicated people try to understand each other."

The album's tracks were produced by a number of different producers including Jam City, Arca, Bok Bok, Kingdom, Dubbel Dutch, Al Shux and Ariel Rechtshaid. All tracks were mixed by Kwes, and vocals were recorded and engineered by Chris Kasych.

Release and promotion

The title of the album was announced on July 14, 2017. The cover art was revealed two weeks later, with the album being made available for pre-order the following day alongside the release of "LMK". A tour in support of the album was announced later that month. It kicked off in September and includes dates in North America and Europe, as well as three dates in Australia with the xx and Earl Sweatshirt in January 2018.

On October 27, 2017, Kelela shared a trailer of an upcoming film in support of the album titled "All It Took", directed and produced by Wu Tsang.

Singles

The lead single, "LMK", was released on August 1, alongside the pre-order of the album. The song premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show.

"Frontline" was premiered on September 4 on the HBO series Insecure, and was later released for digital download and streaming services as the album's second single. The Fader said that in the song Kelela is "leaving behind someone who was holding her back, and she's not looking to apologize. It's not a cold track, though, but one about how certain significant decisions can be made easier with a strong knowledge of self-worth." An animated music video for the song was released on February 28, 2018.

"Waitin" was released as the third single on October 3, and "Blue Light" was released the following day as the fourth single. A music video for the song was released on November 7.

Take Me a_Part, the Remixes

On September 12, 2018, announced a remix album titled Take Me a_Part, the Remixes alongside the "LMK (What's Really Good)" remix featuring Princess Nokia, Junglepussy, Cupcakke, Linn da Quebrada and Ms. Boogie. The album was released on October 5, making it one year since the release of Take Me Apart. It features contributions from Kaytranada, Rare Essence, Serpentwithfeet and more.