It’s been three years since Kelela shared her studio album, Raven, with the world. Last year, the “Contact” singer revisited tracks from the project and other releases for her live album, In The Blue Light.
Now, Kelela is ready to share a new original body of work, New Avatar, conjured during her musical hiatus. In April, Kelela took to her official social media pages to tease that she would empty her creative vault soon.
Shortly after, she shared New Avatar’s lead single, “idea 1,” which was produced by Oscar Scheller. The track, loosely inspired by octavia butler’s groundbreaking novel parable of the sower, “idea 1,” in the words of Kelela, is about “what it feels like to exist in this climate.”
“The weight of being expected to witness, absorb, and speak truth at a time when the world feels like it’s unraveling,” wrote Kelela on Instagram. “That’s a particular kind of burden Black women know intimately. This song doesn’t offer answers; it just refuses to look away.”
According to press materials sent out, across New Avatar‘s 12 tracks, this painful introspection is at the center of Kelela’s songwriting.
“[New Avatar] finds solace in confronting,” said Kelela in a statement. “I don’t want the music to be a distraction from what’s really going on in the world; I want it to make sense in this crazy moment.”
New Avatar will feature co-production by Kelela as well as guest appearances by PinkPantheress, Fousheé, and A.K. Paul. Continue below for the confirmed release date, tracklist, supporting tour dates, and more for Kelela’s album, New Avatar.
Release Date
Kelela’s album, New Avatar, is due out on July 10, 2026, via Warp Records. Click here to pre-save or pre-order.
Tracklist
- “idea 1”
- “point blank”
- “goin down”
- “outta time” with A.K. Paul
- “against me”
- “crystalize”
- “retaliation lullaby”
- “linknb”
- “don’t piss me off”
- “new life forms” with Fousheé
- “the bridge” with PinkPantheress
- “if we meet again”
Album Cover
Supporting Tour
This fall, Kelela will kick off her supporting tour for New Avatar. At this time, Kelela has not announced any opening support. Continue below to view the New Avatar Tour poster and schedule.
Tickets for Kelela’s 2026 New Avatar Tour are on sale now. If you can’t get your hands on tickets, we recommend trying a secondary market website, like Vivid Seats. First-time Vivid Seats users can save $10 on ticket orders over $100 by entering promo code VIVID10 at checkout. When tickets are purchased through our Vivid Seats link HERE or using our code, we earn an affiliate commission.
09/08/2026 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
09/09/2026 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
09/13/2026– Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
09/15/2026 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
09/16/2026 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
09/17/2026 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
09/21/2026 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
09/23/2026 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
09/24/2026 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
09/27/2026 – San Francisco, CA @ Portola Music Festival *
10/05/2026 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
10/06/2026 – Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
10/07/2026 – Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall
10/09/2026 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
10/10/2026 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
10/11/2026 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
10/13/2026 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
10/14/2026 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
10/15/2026 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
10/16–17/2026 – Miami, FL @ III Points *
10/21/2026 – Lisbon, PT @ LAV
10/22/2026 – Madrid, ES @ Sala Lab/Wagon
10/23/2026 – Barcelona, ES @ La Paloma
10/27/2026 – Paris, FR @ Élysée Montmartre
10/28/2026 – Cologne, DE @ Stollwerk
10/29/2026 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys Neue Welt
10/31/2026 – Turin, IT @ C2C Festival *
11/02/2026 – Brussels, BE @ La Madeleine
11/03/2026 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
11/04/2026 – London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton
* festival appearance
