In the Blue Light is a live album by American singer Kelela, released on February 11, 2025 on Warp Records. The live recordings are taken from the two concerts Kelela held at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York on May 28 and May 29, 2024. The album's lead single "Better (Unplugged)" was released on January 28, 2025.
Critical reception
Paul Simpson of AllMusic wrote that "In the Blue Light reveals a more introspective dimension to Kelela's craft, making it a standout in an already near-perfect discography." Simpson noted that Kelela's "songwriting has always been captivating, and often heartbreaking, and while her releases' futuristic production, incorporating a wide spectrum of forward-thinking club and electronic styles, is a major part of why her music is so unique, the songs are just as powerful interpreted in a neo-soul/jazz club setting." Tarisai Ngangura of Pitchfork said that Kelela "is a masterful re-interpreter of her own songs, unafraid to redo and redo and redo, stripping away instrumentation, adding more stacked vocals, or bringing in the acoustics of a band." Ngangura concluded the review in saying that "the album is memory revised and remixed. Kelela has sharpened an unnerving capacity to face despair, and it makes her work unexpectedly lethal: It can land like a teardrop, or slice like the first time you see the one you used to love after a break up."
Track listing
Note All tracks are subtitled "(unplugged)"
Personnel Credits are adapted from Tidal. Kelela – lead vocals, executive production, creative direction Daniel Aged – bass, co-executive production Briley Harris – piano, Rhodes, keyboards Ahya Simone - harp Buz Donald – drums Alayna Rodgers – background vocals Xenia Manasseh – background vocals Simon Lancelot – mastering Gloria Kaba – mixing, vocal engineering Jessica Chambliss – vocal production on "Better (Unplugged)"
References