An animated version of Kelela dumps a former flame and drives away in a silver Mercedes convertible in the new clip for “Frontline.” The song originally appeared last year on the singer’s Take Me Apart album.
Kelela delivers the news to her new ex at the start of the clip and sheds a single tear. She spends most of the rest of the video on the road, taking a break to smoke a joint and dance with two friends before returning to her vehicle. Flashbacks hint at the reason behind the breakup.
“With this Sims-like video, I was able to tell my story in a light-hearted but dramatic way,” Kelela told Rolling Stone. “It’s about leaving your ex with the wind in your hair while acknowledging a curiously complex feeling of pain that he has left you for a white woman.” Kelela developed the clip’s concept with Mischa Notcutt; Claudia Matè handled animation and visual effects.
“Frontline” is the first track on Kelela’s debut album, Take Me Apart, which came out last October through Warp Records. The singer assembled a number of collaborators to contribute to the record, including “Frontline” producer Jam City (who also helped craft a song on Kelela’s acclaimed 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me), Arca (FKA Twigs, Björk) and Ariel Rechtshaid (Vampire Weekend, Haim).
Take Me Apart reached Number 11 on Billboard‘s Independent Albums chart. Kelela performs in Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club on March 1st and New York’s Irving Plaza on March 2nd.
