Kele Okereke

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kele Okereke led Bloc Party, an English band that found success with a string of post-punk-inspired releases, including 2005’s Silent Alarm, 2007’s A Weekend in the City, and 2008’s Intimacy. Late in 2009, Bloc Party went on hiatus and Okereke began working on his own, moving to Berlin and collaborating with producers Hudson Mohawke and XXXchange in New York on a solo album. In 2010, the single "Tenderoni" arrived, revealing that Okereke's solo work was more dance-oriented than his music with Bloc Party. That year, he also confirmed rumors that he is gay and was named Sexiest Out Gay Male Artist by the music website LP33. His full-length debut, The Boxer, arrived in summer 2010. While planning to reconvene with Bloc Party in the studio, Kele also issued a solo EP, 2011's The Hunter, which featured a cover of Q Lazzarus' "Goodbye Horses" and "What Did I Do," a duet with classical vocalist Lucy Taylor. ~ Heather Phares