LA singer Kelela is apart of the emerging collective of singers (SZA, Jessy Lanza, Twigs and more) who genuinely can’t be placed into any particular genre, even if you’re fairly knowledgeable of genre conventions and music history. Accordingly, there is no preface we can give you for her new mixtape, Cut 4 Me. It’s not R&B and it’s not really anything else, though it freely traverses that territory and other familiar places (house, soul) with a certain charming aloofness.  Listen below and try to avoid categorizing it. Music is better when it’s allowed to roam.

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This summer has brought us a slew of memorable music videos and accompanying songs. First it was Mac Miller, who revitalized the long-forgotten, silly Slim Shady video aesthetic; then it was sulky UK songstress Twigs, whose voice melted alongside an amorphous paper mache; then earlier this week Chance the Rapper stood humbly as disconcerting images were beamed through and across his body. The latest interesting video comes from John Legend‘s camp and originated in the mind of Woodkid, a French musician and creative artist whose work you’ve probably encountered before (if you’re a Kendrick Lamar fan).

Directed by Daniel Sannwald, “Made to Love,” features lovers embracing and coalescing as John Legend and New Zealand singer Kimbra take their voices to heavenly heights. Watch below. The video is truly beautiful.

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The mysterious Twigs strikes again. Known for her provocative music videos and sparse, aching vocals, she continues to live up to her mystique. In this video, her vocals glide over the Arca-produced track as an aqueous being continuously dissolves and reforms into abstract shapes.

Sonically, the song is reminiscent of a distant trip-hop song or Rochelle Jordan‘s “How to Feel,” but when paired with such striking visual art, the comparisons weaken. Twigs isn’t branching off: she’s in an entirely different forest. Watch below and check out her bandcamp.

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