Kelsey Lu

Seven years after the release of their debut album Blood, a baroque, cello-led exorcism that introduced a singular voice moving between the sacred and the sensual, Kelsey Lu returns with So Help Me God.

On Saturday, October 3, Kelsey Lu presents So Help Me God, a sweeping new musical and visual project that marks a powerful reemergence for the artist at Pioneer Works. Written in the aftermath of profound isolation and grief, the album moves through rupture toward connection—channeling ecstatic longing, spiritual surrender, and queer tenderness into songs that feel both intimate and monumental.

Blending drum & bass propulsion, distorted guitars, choral arrangements, and cinematic electronic textures, So Help Me God expands Lu’s singular sonic universe while remaining rooted in experimentation and emotional rawness. Featuring contributions from Sampha, Kamasi Washington, Lady Jess, and Kim Gordon, the project unfolds across music, film, and performance, drawing inspiration from the chiaroscuro of Caravaggio and the visceral emotionality of devotional art.

The accompanying live performances transform the record into an immersive experience where sound, image, and movement converge. At once feral and vulnerable, So Help Me God captures Kelsey Lu at their most expansive—offering a work that embraces fracture, transcendence, and the possibility of communion.

About the artist

Kelsey Lu is a composer, cellist, vocalist, and multidisciplinary artist whose work spans music, film, fashion, and visual art. Born in North Carolina and based in New York City, Lu has collaborated with artists including Yves Tumor, Jamie xx, Debbie Harry, Skrillex, Nan Goldin, Wu Tsang, and Jacolby Satterwhite, and created commissioned work for Gucci, Miu Miu, and Bottega Veneta. Their original scores include Netflix’s award-winning documentary Daughters and A24’s BAFTA-winning Earth Mama. Through expansive performances and deeply cinematic compositions, Lu continues to redefine the boundaries of contemporary artistry.