Kelela 'LMK' by Andrew Thomas Huang

David Knight - 14th Aug 2017

Andrew Thomas Huang takes a bold step into pop video territory, and presents R&B singer Kelela as a mesmerizing figure of many guises for LMK.

Huang presents Kelela like a one-person girlband, as she takes on different personas through sections of the song - kind of appropriate for a singer who's sound harks back to the classic Nineties R&B of bands like TLC and En Vogue. But whoever the character she's playing, Kelela delivers her message down the lens of the camera through a crowded confined space that's shimmering with colour and light.

Such is Huang's mastery of his colour palette this venture into a mainstrream genre, and giving it an edgy twist, is a very exciting move.

ANDREW THOMAS HUANG:

"Kelela and I started development many months ago talking about how to create a breakout piece for her new album Take Me Apart. The album is so rich and emotionally dynamic that it became clear that there are so many different dimensions of Kelela's personality that we were trying to capture at once. This led us to make a video that showcases the multiplicity of who Kelela is and who she has the potential to be.

"The video is essentially a grand unveiling featuring Kelela wearing different wigs and guises as she pushes through the club with her friends, ultimately revealing herself at the end of the video. The message of this video is empowerment: it's for the girls, for anyone whose heart has been trampled on and deserves to go out and feel good about themselves. It's a call to action, demanding to be taken and to be quick about it. This is the reason why we love Kelela - she's making herself vulnerable and kicking down doors in the process.

"The video was made with all female leads except for myself and they've been one of the best crews I've ever worked with. Mischa Notcutt was creative director and stylist; Siobhán Daly line producer; Rina Yang cinematographer; Hatty Ellis-Coward art director; and Kimberley Taylor choreographer."