Hallucinogen EP (LP)

Kelela's Hallucinogen EP is her major first release since the Cut 4 Me mixtape on Fade to Mind. Cut 4 Me was an incredible body of work and one of the strongest debuts in recent memory, so topping that would be a huge task for even the most confident musician. Kelela breezes through it though, making good on her staggering early potential and suggesting an incredibly bright future ahead.

The Hallucinogen EP exists in the interzone of mutable R&B, chart pop, and grime-inflected production, with behind-the-boards work coming from names like Arca, Kingdom, and MA, but more than ever it's Kelela who appears front and centre on the release, with her biggest and most powerful hooks underpinned by next-gen, hyper-sensual studio moves.