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Take Me Apart
File:Kelela Take Me Apart.jpg
Studio album by
Kelela
ReleasedOctober 6, 2017 (2017-10-06)
Studio
Various
Genre
Length53:46
LabelWarp
Producer
Kelela chronology
Hallucinogen
(2015) 		Take Me Apart
(2017)
Singles from Take Me Apart
  1. "LMK"
    Released: August 1, 2017
  2. "Frontline"
    Released: September 4, 2017
  3. "Waitin"
    Released: October 3, 2017
  4. "Blue Light"
    Released: October 4, 2017

Take Me Apart is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on October 6, 2017, through Warp Records.[1]

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.[2] 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."[3]

Composition

The music of Take Me Apart was described as electro-R&B and alternative R&B,[4][5] with several critics noting its incorporation of various other musical styles, including electronica, jazz, soul, UK garage and dance-pop.[6][7][8] 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."[9] Clash labeled it as "cavernous, avant-garde R&B that moves the body and heals the broken heart."[10] Fact called the album "a genre-melding journey," and said it has "a subtle, playful Afro-futurist vision."[11] DIY noted the usage of "glacial synths" and "trap beats,"[7] in oppose to Consequence of Sound who commended the producers for "their refusal to use trap as a crutch."[12] 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.[13] The album was also said to evoke the music of Janet Jackson and Björk.[4] 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."[14][15]

Release and promotion

The title of the album was announced on July 14, 2017.[16] The cover art was revealed two weeks later,[17] with the album being made available for pre-order the following day alongside the release of "LMK".[18] 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.[19]

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.[20]

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.[21]

"Frontline" was premiered on September 4 on the HBO series Insecure,[22] and was later released for digital download and streaming services as the album's second single.[23] 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."[24]

"Waitin" was released as the third single on October 3,[25] and "Blue Light" was released the following day as the fourth single.[26] A music video for the song was released on November 7.[27]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[28]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[29]
Consequence of SoundB+[12]
Exclaim!9/10[6]
The Guardian[9]
Newsday[4]
NME[5]
Pitchfork8.6/10[30]
Rolling Stone[31]
The Skinny[13]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84, based on 23 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[28] Stereogum awarded it as their album of the week, with Tom Breihan deeming it as "a towering achievement of an album."[14] Treble Zine also labeled it as the album of the week, with Jackie Im stating: "Underlying is a desire to privilege her own voice, which is a lot of what makes Kelela's music so urgent."[15] The New York Times critic Jon Pareles wrote, "The songs are intricately plotted to give the illusion of being impulsive and obsessive, buffeted by shifting emotions: by turns sensual and wary, vulnerable and guarded, leisurely and urgent."[32] Kyle Mullin of Exclaim! praised the album, stating that "Take Me Apart is a subtle, sexy LP from a woman who knows what she wants, and clearly aims to write anthems for fans feeling the same way."[6] Maura Johnston of Rolling Stone described the album as "forward-thinking R&B," and called it "restlessly innovative."[31]

NME's Nick Levine said "nothing about this lush and accomplished album suggests Kelela is an artist who wants to repeat herself."[5] Julianne Escobedo Shepherd of Pitchfork said that Kelela "might be singing about different partners, but it's the value and dignity she gives to her feelings that provides the true backdrop on Take Me Apart. In the process of setting out to solidify her own sound, Kelela has finally fallen for herself."[30] The Skinny's Nadia Younes wrote, "Take Me Apart may not appear as immediately interesting and unique as her previous work but there are layers upon layers of elements to be explored, digested and, ironically enough, taken apart."[13] Rachel Aroesti from The Guardian said "Kelela's vocal stops Take Me Apart ending up as a fragmented series of sounds: consistently exquisite as it dances between lovesick confusion and shrewd sensuality."[9] Spin's Brian Josephs wrote, "Kelela proudly stands within the genre's tradition. For the most part, she avoids making any grandstanding romantic or political statements, but Take Me Apart finds its purpose within the subdued complexities."[33]

AllMusic's Andy Kellman compared it favorably to its predecessor, claiming "Like Cut 4 Me, Take Me Apart is predominantly electronic and progressive R&B, one moment as dreamlike and fevered as an intense courtship, then as startling and chilling as a breakup. It's more composed, less pieced together, with mixtape and EP collaborators Jam City, Ariel Rechtshaid, and Arca primary among a comparatively supplemental and mostly new crew of associates. This also comes across more as a work of in-person interaction than one of distanced communication."[29] In his rave review for Spectrum Culture, Jake Cole wrote Kelela "gave the impression of immediately finding her groove with cutting edge electronic backing, sharp songwriting and a powerful voice. Yet the leap from Cut 4 Me and Hallucinogen to Take Me Apart is as impressive in its own way as the growth toward Homogenic. Though technically Kelela's full-length debut, the album feels like a next step, proof that her striking sound was no mere gimmick but instead the foundation for one of the most advanced, daring artists in contemporary pop. By the time her emotional journey crests with the hopeful closer "Altadena," Kelela gives the impression not only of being more secure in love but in her own skin, firmly on the same wavelength with her collaborators, more capable than ever of pushing boundaries with her work."[34]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
AllMusic AllMusic's Best Albums of 2017 —
[35]
Billboard 50 Best Albums of 2017
11
[36]
Complex Top 50 Albums of 2017
17
[37]
Cosmopolitan Best Albums of 2017
4
[38]
Consequence of Sound Top 50 Albums of 2017
11
[39]
Crack Magazine Top 100 albums of 2017
21
[40]
Dazed The 20 Best Albums of 2017
6
[41]
Drowned in Sound Favourite Albums of 2017
88
[42]
Dummy Mag The 10 Best Albums of 2017
2
[43]
Entertainment Weekly The 25 Best Albums of 2017
11
[44]
Fuse The 20 Best Albums of 2017
16
[45]
Gorilla vs. Bear Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2017
42
[46]
Mashable Favorite Albums of 2017
6
[47]
Noisey The 100 Best Albums of 2017
8
[48]
Now The 10 Best Albums of 2017
4
[49]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2017
4
[50]
PopMatters The 60 Best Albums of 2017
8
[51]
Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2017
19
[52]
The Quietus Albums of the Year 2017
6
[53]
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2017
48
[54]
Vulture The 10 Best Albums of 2017
7
[55]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2017
26
[56]
Uproxx 50 Best Albums of 2017
38
[57]
Vinyl Me, Please The 30 Best Albums of 2017
14
[58]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Frontline"
Jam City5:39
2."Waitin"
3:15
3."Take Me Apart"
4:02
4."Enough"
  • Kelela
  • Mocky
5:09
5."Jupiter"
  • Aaron David Ross
  • Nick Weiss[a]
2:05
6."Better"
  • Kelela
  • Mocky
  • Croft
4:26
7."LMK"
  • Kelela
  • Jerry
  • Asma Maroof
  • Jam City
  • Kwes[a]
3:38
8."Truth or Dare"
  • Jam City
  • Kwes[a]
4:12
9."S.O.S."KelelaKingdom2:22
10."Blue Light"
  • Kelela
  • Dew
  • Bok Bok
  • Maroof
  • Nia Andrews
  • Dubbel Dutch
  • Bok Bok[a]
  • Rechtshaid[a]
  • Terror Danjah[a]
  • Maroof[a]
3:36
11."Onanon"
  • Kelela
  • Arca
  • Jay Prince
  • Arca
  • Rechtshaid[a]
4:31
12."Turn to Dust"
  • Kelela
  • Arca
  • Croft
  • Jam City
4:29
13."Bluff"
  • Kelela
  • Boston
Jam City1:12
14."Altadena"
5:10
Total length:53:46

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Take Me Apart.[59]

  • Kelela – vocals, executive production
  • Ariel Rechtshaid – production (track 6), additional production (tracks 2-4, 10, 11, 14), executive production
  • Arca – production (tracks 4, 11, 12), additional production (track 3)
  • Jam City – production (tracks 1-3, 7, 8, 13, 14), executive production
  • Jessica Chambliss – background vocal arrangement and vocal production (tracks 3, 4, 6, 9-12, 14), background vocals (track 14)
  • Kwes – mixing, additional production and instrumentation (tracks 2-4, 6-8, 12, 14)
  • Bok Bok – production (track 6), additional production (track 10)
  • Dubbel Dutch – production (track 10)
  • Kingdom – production (track 9)
  • Mocky – production (tracks 6)
  • Aaron David Ross – production (track 5)
  • Al Shux – production (track 3)
  • Asma Maroof – additional production (track 10)
  • Loric Sih – additional production (track 3)
  • Terror Danjah – additional production (track 10)
  • Nick Weiss – additional production (track 5)
  • Kelsey Lu – cello (tracks 4, 11, 12)
  • Alex Hayes – percussion engineering (track 10)
  • Matt Mysko – assistant engineering
  • Marta Salogni – additional mixing (track 7)
  • Dave Kutch – mastering
  • Mischa Notcutt – art direction
  • Kit Mason – design
  • Daniel Sannwald – photography

Charts

Chart (2017) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[60] 104
New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[61] 3
Scottish Albums (OCC)[62] 96
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[63] 80
UK Albums (OCC)[64] 51
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[65] 7
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[66] 3
US Billboard 200[67] 128
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[68] 11
US Top R&B Albums (Billboard)[69] 18

References

  1. ^ "Take Me Apart by Kelela on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  2. ^ Price, Joe (August 1, 2017). "Kelela Returns with New Song "LMK"". Pigeons & Planes. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  3. ^ Geslani, Michelle (August 1, 2017). "Kelela announces debut album, Take Me Apart, shares lead single, "LMK": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Mullin, Kyle (October 5, 2017). "'Take Me Apart' review: Kelela's debut offers pulsating R&B". Newsday. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Levine, Nick (October 6, 2017). "Kelela – 'Take Me Apart' Review". NME. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Mullin, Kyle (October 4, 2017). "Kelela Take Me Apart". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Johnson, Eugenie (October 6, 2017). "Kelela - Take Me Apart". DIY. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  8. ^ Peters, Micah (October 5, 2017). "Kelela Is on Her Own Time". The Ringer. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c Aroesti, Rachel (October 5, 2017). "Kelela: Take Me Apart review – future-facing glitchy R&B with traction". The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  10. ^ Hussain, Shahzaib (October 9, 2017). "Kelela – Take Me Apart". Clash. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
  11. ^ Julious, Britt (October 7, 2017). "Kelela's Take Me Apart is a genre-melding journey to the truth about sex and love". Fact. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  12. ^ a b Lamb, Karas (October 6, 2017). "Kelela – Take Me Apart". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c Younes, Nadia (October 5, 2017). "Kelela - Take Me Apart album review". The Skinny. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (October 3, 2017). "Album Of The Week: Kelela Take Me Apart". Stereogum. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  15. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (October 3, 2017). "Album of the Week: Kelela – Take Me Apart". Treblezine.com. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  16. ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (July 14, 2017). "Kelela's Debut Album Is Titled Take Me Apart". The Fader. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  17. ^ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (July 31, 2017). "Kelela Shares Take Me Apart Cover Art". The Fader. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  18. ^ Moran, Justin (August 1, 2017). "Kelela Debuts 'Take Me Apart' Album Art & Lead Single". Out. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  19. ^ Strauss, Matthew (August 15, 2017). "Kelela Announces Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
  20. ^ "Kelela - All It Took (dir. Wu Tsang) - Official Trailer". YouTube. October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  21. ^ Josephs, Brian (August 1, 2017). "Kelela - "LMK"". Spin. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  22. ^ Wicks, Amanda (September 4, 2017). "Listen to Kelela's New Song "Frontline"". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  23. ^ Lozano, Kevin. ""Frontline" by Kelela Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 7, 2017.
  24. ^ Darville, Jordan (September 4, 2017). "Kelela Shares New Song "Frontline"". The Fader. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  25. ^ Starling, Lakin (October 3, 2017). "Kelela comes face to face with the past on "Waitin"". The Fader. Retrieved October 7, 2017. It's the third single from her forthcoming debut album Take Me Apart.
  26. ^ McInerney, Anastasia (October 5, 2017). "kelela shares moody new track 'Blue Light'". i-D. Retrieved October 7, 2017. the artist took to Instagram to announce a fourth single from the record titled Blue Light
  27. ^ "kelela - Blue Light". YouTube. November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for Take Me Apart by Kelela". Metacritic. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  29. ^ a b Kellman, Andy (October 6, 2017). "Take Me Apart - Kelela | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  30. ^ a b Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne (October 6, 2017). "Kelela: Take Me Apart Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  31. ^ a b Johnston, Maura (October 6, 2017). "Review: Kelela's Forward-Thinking R&B Is Restlessly Innovative". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  32. ^ Pareles, Jon (October 4, 2017). "Kelela's 'Take Me Apart' Is R&B That's Intimate Inside and Out". The New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  33. ^ Josephs, Brian (October 6, 2017). "Review: Your Body Is Not Ready for Kelela's Take Me Apart". Spin. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  34. ^ Cole, Jake (October 11, 2017). "Kelela: Take Me Apart". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved October 25, 2017.
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  38. ^ "Best Albums of 2017". Cosmopolitan. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  39. ^ "Top 50 Albums of 2017". Consequence of Sound. November 27, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  40. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of 2017". Crack Magazine. December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  41. ^ "The 20 Best Albums of 2017". Dazed. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  42. ^ "Drowned in Sound's Favourite Albums of 2017". Drowned in Sound. November 22, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
  43. ^ "The 1 Best Albums of 2017". Dummy Mag. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  44. ^ "The 25 Best Albums of 2017". Entertainment Weekly. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  45. ^ "The Top 100 Albums of 2017". Fuse. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  46. ^ "Gorilla vs. Bear's albums of 2017". Gorilla vs. Bear. December 3, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  47. ^ "Everyone from Lorde to SZA delivered amazing albums in 2017. Here are our favorites". Mashable. December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  48. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2017". Noisey. December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  49. ^ "The 10 Best Albums of 2017". Now. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  50. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Pitchfork. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  51. ^ "The 60 Best Albums of 2017". PopMatters. December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  52. ^ "Albums of the Year 2017 – Top 20". Rough Trade. November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  53. ^ "Quietus Albums of the Year 2017". The Quietus. December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  54. ^ "NME's Albums of the Year 2017". The Skinny. November 29, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  55. ^ "The 10 Best Albums of 2017". Vulture. December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  56. ^ Stereogum Staff (December 5, 2017). "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Stereogum. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  57. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2017, Ranked". Uproxx. December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  58. ^ "The 30 Best Albums of 2017". Vinyl Me, Please. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  59. ^ Take Me Apart (CD liner notes). Kelela. Warp. 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  60. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kelela – Take Me Apart" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  61. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  62. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  63. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kelela – Take Me Apart". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  64. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
  65. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  66. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  67. ^ "Kelela Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  68. ^ "Kelela Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  69. ^ "Kelela Chart History (Top R&B Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
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