Welcome to In Tune with WBMB, a weekly column where a member of the station covers a new track from the underground. This week’s article is written by Mishel Dutan.
Alternative R&B singer Kelela released her third studio album, “new avatar,” on July 10, 2026. This project saw Kelela explore new soundscapes, such as shoegaze and grunge, without straying far from her signature electronic sound. The album’s first single, “idea 1,” seamlessly blends her musical style with grittier noises.
A contemplative atmosphere is set by an isolated guitar arpeggio on “idea 1.” A layer of murky synths hums over the chords as Kelela evokes the aftermath of a destructive event, “Cloud and crater/scorch every acre.” Clouds linger in the air, polluting the environment, while craters leave a vacancy behind, and scorched acres will take years for the Earth to recover from. The recurrent theme of reckoning with destruction is the thesis of “new avatar.”
In an Instagram post, Kelela conveyed that her intention behind the song was to convey “the weight of being expected to witness, absorb, and speak truth at a time when the world feels like it’s unraveling.” The singer bears witness to demolition, but she expresses emotional blunting as the song progresses.
Fuzzy, pedal-driven guitars played by Scarlet House thrust the listener into the chorus. Kelela sings, “Bearing your cross, it’s your loss, now I’m jaded/Know it ain’t right (Don’t you look away).”
Her delicate vibrato contrasts with the whirling guitar riffs in a way that isn’t jarring; on the contrary, it produces a levitating effect. These sonic elements mirror the lyrics. The world has been falling apart for so long that it no longer elicits any urgency. She desires to release this cross to bear due to fatigue; however, she is aware that the situation is dire.
The song fades out into disorienting synths, a sharp turn from the soft guitar in the beginning. A metropolitan scene can be faintly heard in the background—it connects us all to the indifferent haze atrocities have put us under.
