Here, Kehlani is well aware her relationship is dissipating and she’s losing the interest of her lover. The title track for Kehlani’s Grammy-nominated mixtape, You Should Be Here, is one of the album’s most vulnerable cuts. She confidently brags, “You think we competing for rings, you think you playing in my league/ But you couldn’t catch up if I took a break and vacationed for weeks on top of weeks.” Lani continues to taunt her detractors and assures haters that she’s earned bragging rights. The Oakland native oozes her bravado onto the track as she departs from her delicate croons and channels a rap-sing flow. In contrast to the brooding ballads and romantic love songs, Kehlani took a different approach for “Did I” – a lively, upbeat jam and a dedication to Lani’s critics. You can be adventurous and outspoken about your sexuality.” Speaking to The Fader about the inspiration behind the video, Kehlani revealed, “The inspiration behind the song was me trying to show young people in the LGBTQ community that you don’t have to hide anything. Rather than create cookie-cutter bubbly pop music like most 19-year budding talents, Kehlani opted to sing about more mature themes in her music, such as sexual freedom as evidenced by her early cut, “First Position.” On “First Position,” Kehlani is trying to persuade a female to join her for a steamy late-night rendezvous as she tells her leading lady, “Say baby, stop messing with those boys get you a lady.” Kehlani assembles an all-female cast for the sultry visual. To boost the single more, Lani and Chance dropped off a black and white accompanying visual, where she performs a sultry choreographed routine and dances seductively all over Chance.
One of the clear standout tracks on Kehlani’s sophomore mixtape, You Should Be Here, was the Chance the Rapper-assisted “The Way.” Kehlani’s soft, syrupy vocals float effortlessly over the textured slow-burner as she sings about being smitten over a boy who causes her to lose sleep at night because he’s all she thinks about. The Cloud 19 opening track finds Kehlani reassuring her man of her commitment and loyalty to him. “FWU” was another welcome introduction for the singer as she not only further proved she had the vocal chops and songwriting skills but that she was also a triple-threat when she unveiled the dance-heavy music video. Kehlani began to gain traction with the release of her Cloud 19 mixtape, causing many to wonder who the budding singer was. On “Get Away,” frequent Kehlani collaborator Jahaan Sweet whips up an ode to Ginuwine’s 1999 hit “So Anxious.” Throughout the song, Lani carries on the tributes to her influences by saluting “Jada in her prime” – referencing actress Jada Pinkett-Smith – and R&B singer Musiq Soulchild as she advises her lover not to be scared to take a risk with her before it’s too late.
If Kehlani’s collection of ballads proves one thing, it’s that the singer is heavily influenced by the sounds of throwback ’90s R&B, from the production to the singer’s vocal prowess. She flips the summer romance cliché and sings about saving herself from falling into a temporary summer fling although she’s clearly enamored by the object of her affection. Her break came after uploading her first single “ANTISUMMERLUV” to Soundcloud, a downtempo, jazz-tinged earworm – courtesy of Derek “D.O.A” Allen – that provided the perfect melody for Lani to feather her honey warble over.
It didn’t take long for the music world to catch on to Kehlani’s talent, but long before becoming a Grammy-nominated artist, the Oakland singer was a fresh-faced, burgeoning singer looking for her big break. Kehlani Talks Eating Responsibly & Wanting to 'Make It Cool to Be Healthy'įrom brooding love ballads to empowering anthems, here are Billboard‘s picks for Kehlani’s 10 best songs.
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