This Friday, Kelela will finally release New Avatar, her long-awaited third album. She’s satiating her fans’ appetites a few days early, though, with the new single “The Bridge” featuring PinkPantheress. Give the song a listen below.
New Avatar deviates from the electronic R&B that Kelela is known for and, instead, pays homage to her early songwriting career in the Washington, D.C. music scene, mixing together shoegaze, grunge, and indie rock with her usual influences. “The Bridge” follows previous singles “Idea 1,” “Linknb,” “Point Blank,” and “Outta Time,” and is one of several collaborations on the record, alongside guest features by A.K. Paul and Fousheé.
Kelela’s previous studio album, Raven, came out in 2023. That rave-inspired project got its own remix album boasting new renditions by electronic artists like LSDXOXO, Tygapaw, and Shygirl. She also released the live album In the Blue Light last year. Meanwhile, PinkPantheress rolled out both a studio album, Fancy That, and its remix version, Fancy Some More?, in 2025.
Read Kiana Mickles’ Best New Track review of “Idea 1” read about Fancy That at No. 18 in The 50 Best Albums of 2025.
