“I'm finding out what part of punk culture or white indie culture I act...” — Kelela Quote

“I'm finding out what part of punk culture or white indie culture I actually still want to hold onto - What are the values? What are the contributions that I actually like? - and it not coming from a place of desperation or wanting to be embraced or wanting approval, essentially.”

“As it pertains to my black womanhood, there's just a lot of ground to cover. There's a lot of stuff to say.”

“'Take Me Apart' doesn't feel cohesive in a singular way but in a varied way. You can fixate on individual songs, and there are references from all over the place: Anita Baker to Bjork. I wanted to show all the facets of myself.”

“Knowing and being secure in yourself keeps you from being held hostage by the approval of others.”

“Fear of men's judgment manifests itself in competition for men's approval.”

“I've searched all of my life for approval from my dad who is not around. So if I can get approval by his fans or from peers and critics, it helps me.”