Kelela’s ‘New Avatar’ Isn’t a Departure, It’s a Return

There’s a striking line on the second single, “point blank,” that I sat with for weeks, feeling its weight without fully understanding its meaning: “The bullet set me free.” At first, I wasn’t sure which direction the bullet was headed, away or towards her. Then, during a long walk around Prospect Park, I started to piece together the ego death and subsequent spiritual rebirth that the lyrics traced. That’s the thing about Kelela: she sings in riddles. Her lyrics demand kinetic…