Kehlani Teased That New Music Is On The Way Next Year: ’24 Is My Luckiest Number’

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In 2022, Kehlani hit the ground running. By last April, Kehlani’s third studio album, Blue Water Road. Shortly after its release, Kehlani hit the road for the Blue Water Road Tour alongside special guests Rico Nasty And Destin Conrad. After such a busy 2022, Kehlani laid low in 2023 while promising a new project was in the works.

On Friday, December 29, the “Up At Night” singer teased that their next project will drop sometime next year. In a post on Instagram, Kehlani hyped their follow-up by captioning pictures of them in the studio. “Describing the year would take more words than I have,” they wrote. “Everything led to this. I accept all of God’s plan for me: twists, turns, and gifts alike. ’24, my luckiest number. See you then.”

Initially, Kehlani suggested that the project would be a sequel to their 2017 album SweetSexySavage. However, that might have changed based on Kehlani’s upload last month. “Been transforming (again) for six months straight,” they wrote. “Reimagining what 100% looks like… Lately, I’ve sat with what I have to offer and what I have to give. The artist’s role is to add beauty to the world & contribute joy, power, and strength amidst the pain.”

Kehlani’s next album seems to align more with Blue Water Road.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kehlani Is Understandably Upset After They Were Allegedly Sexually Assaulted In Europe

After spending several months on their massively successful Blue Water Road Trip tour, Kehlani returns home jaded. The “Altar” singer is not upset about ticket sales or their performance, but rather an inappropriate interaction with an attendee.

The Oakland native is all for a good time seen in the video clips of them dancing with Wakanda Forever actress Letitia Wright, so long as it is consensual. But, unfortunately, one concertgoer didn’t get the memo. Following their performance in Manchester, England, at the O2 Victoria Warehouse, the singer uploaded a video message to their Instagram Story revealing they had been sexually assaulted.

Kehlani eventually deleted the video, replacing it with a written message detailing what happened after to close of the European leg of their tour. The “Little Story” singer opened with why they pulled the video down, writing, “I’ve made video after video after video and deleted it because I don’t want any video of me as angry, triggered, crying upset as I am anywhere.”

The musician continued, “I don’t care how sexual you deem my music, my performances, my fun with my friends dancing at clubs, or me, that does not give any of you the right to cross a boundary like sticking your hands up my skirt & pulling my underwear to touch my genitals as I am being escorted through a crowd after performing.”

As a past sexual assault survivor, Kehlani closed with, “This sh*t made me sick to my stomach. [Especially] as a victim of sexual assault, I am endlessly triggered and mindblown.”

The singer has continuously used their platform to condone several musicians accused of sexual assault, including the late rapper XXXTentacion, now-convicted singer R. Kelly, and actor Kaalan Walker.

Kehlani is on a touring break but is scheduled to resume in January. However, there’s, there’s no word on whether or not the singer will cancel their remaining 2023 tour dates.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kehlani Performs ‘Blue Water Road’ for First Time at ‘Grey Goose Essences IN BLOOM’ in NYC

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Blue Water Road was performed by Kehlani for the first time ever at “Grey Goose Essences IN BLOOM, Imagined by Kehlani” on Sunday night in NYC!

For the first time ever, the GRAMMY-nominated singer played songs from her album Blue Water Road, including “Melt,” which she dedicated to her girlfriend, artist 070 Shake, who was present. Kehlani was moved to tears at the conclusion of the performance. She thanked the crowd for singing along with her word-for-word and expressed her excitement for her upcoming world tour.

The first-ever performances of Kehlani’s brand-new songs, including as “Melt,” “Up At Night,” and “Altar,” as well as beloved standards like “Toxic,” “Nights Like This,” and “Hate The Club,” enthralled the crowd.

The singer, who was joined onstage by 070 Shake, was lovely in a yellow skirt and top combo and white cowboy boots. She was decked out head to toe in the season’s hottest clothing line, Diesel. Even better, the entire audience joined in when Kehlani sang “Happy Birthday” to a fan who was enjoying their special day. As Kehlani’s official opener, model and performer DJ Millie spun lively music as fans streamed into the gorgeous venue, bringing a lot of enthusiasm to the audience. Three Grey Goose Essences cocktails were served to concertgoers, including the Kehmami, which was Kehlani’s exclusive serving and quickly sold out.

You can see images from the night below.

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Photographer Credit: Craig Barrit /Getty Images for Grey Goose vodka and Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Grey Goose Vodka

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Kehlani’s ‘Melt’ Video In Brazil Is A Sweet Depiction Their Budding Relationship With 070 Shake

Last month, Kehlani released their third album, Blue Water Road, marking their first album put out since coming out to the world as Queer. The singer had teased the fact that Blue Water Road was, “…vastly different than anything I’ve ever created.” And while there’s a new sense of confidence in these passionate tunes, to long-time fans, it’s still that same sultry vocalist from hits like “Gangsta” and “Nights Like This.”

With the new video for “Melt,” we get the first intimate look at Kehlani’s relationship with their new partner, rapper 070 Shake. In the clip, the pair are in Brazil, sitting at an idyllic outdoor café at opposite tables. They each swig their cachaça at the same time and then meet up in a jungle abode to romance each other.

Speaking on the track itself, Kehlani said in a statement, “It’s about the feeling of laying up with someone, cuddling, or even being sexually intimate, and you want to fall in their skin.” And lyrics like “I can’t tell where your hair ends and mine begins,” and, “Across the bed feels way too far,” really raise the stakes for a pure depiction of their intimacy in the beautifully shot clip that also captures the essence of the pace of life in Brazilian so well.

Watch the video for “Melt” above.

Blue Water Road is out now via Atlantic. Get it here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kehlani Announces The ‘Blue Water Road Tour’ With Rico Nasty And Destin Conrad

Kehlani just recently released their new album Blue Water Road, the follow-up to the 2020 LP It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. Though the album conveys a chapter of serenity and happiness for Kehlani, the promotion cycle was quite the opposite with uncomfortable interviews leading to their decision to no longer do interviews anymore.

The “Nights Like This” singer, though, has just announced that they will be heading out on the road this summer to promote the album, starting in Raleigh, North Carolina at the end of July and closing in Honolulu, Hawaii in October. Check out the full dates below, which all feature Rico Nasty and Destin Conrad as openers.

07/30 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
08/01 – Miami, FL @ FPL Solar Amphitheater
08/03 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
08/05 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
08/07 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem
08/09 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
08/12 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
08/13 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
08/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage @ The Mann Center
08/16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ UPMC Events Center
08/17 – Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
08/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
08/22 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
08/24 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage!
08/26 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
08/28 – Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
08/30 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
09/01 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater
09/03 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
09/06 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
09/09 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea @ The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
09/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater
09/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Federal Theatre
09/15 – San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
09/17 – Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds @ Moda Center
09/18 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
09/21 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum!
09/30 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
10/21 – Honolulu, HI @ Waikiki Shell

Find ticket information here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kehlani says she won’t do any more interviews, cites mental health

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May is Mental Health Awareness month and artist Kehlani is using her platform to explain why she is planning on anymore interviews, citing protecting her mental health.

The announcement came late last week after the Morning Hustle’s interview with Kehlani was released with much speculation that the artist “did not want to be there.” Kehlani was doing the interview as part of her promotional tour for her new album, Blue Water Road. (The full interview can be seen here for complete context).

Fans were divided, with many feeling like Kehlani was uncooperative with other criticizing the show’s hosts for the way that they addressed the artist’s pronouns. (Kehlani’s official Instagram account says “she/they.”)

Following the interview, Kehlani wrote on Instagram Live: “No more interviews,” “support the music or don’t Im done,” “all I care about is my fans,” “only people I care about serving is the fans,” and “i’m here for y’all and that’s it.”

She followed up by criticizing fans who shared clips out of context and encouraged her followers to check out all of the other great stuff she had been up to recently.

On Sunday, Kehlani, who is a mother of one, celebrated Mother’s Day by sharing a photo of her daughter in a celebratory post and also posting a quote by Alex Elle on Instagram Live, which she titled “a note for manifesting generators” that read: “I’ve started to learn that everyone isn’t going to be happy with me for changing and choosing myself. it is not my job to please anyone. I have one life to live…am allowed to create a joyful life for myself even if outsiders do not understand.”

Blue Water Road is Kehlani’s third full-length studio release and features guest appearances from Ambré, Justin Bieber, Blxst, Jessie Reyez, Syd, and Thundercat.

The post Kehlani says she won’t do any more interviews, cites mental health appeared first on The Source.

Kehlani’s Lifelong Search For Serenity Is Complete On The Fulfilling ‘Blue Water Road’

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Kehlani’s sophomore album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, focused on absorbing the destruction that failures in love and life caused against her while disallowing it from throwing her off her journey. This theme of navigating through the presence of an unwanted being was fitting at the time as the world was forced under the glass dome of a global pandemic. For Kehlani, everything else was good until it wasn’t, and for the rest of us, by that same token, the once-normal world that we previously took for granted was good until it was deemed otherwise. With that, it leaves us with two options: wait for things to work themselves out or acknowledge the circumstances as a sign to make changes in your life. With her third album Blue Water Road, Kehlani opts for the latter.

Recreating happiness is what Kehlani strives for on Blue Water Road. In its best form, it’s as pure and euphoric as the ocean waters that sat across from the Malibu stretch of road that her third album is named after. Luckily for Kehlani, happiness is not uncharted territory for her. The singer’s 2015 debut album SweetSexySavage is probably the giddiest and most spirited we’ve heard her be so far. But it came with a heavy dose of naivety and overflowing charisma that, together, asked “what could go wrong?” Well, a lot did and that’s what brought us to It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. However, time heals and it did for Kehlani as it placed her on an upward trek that returned her to her better days. Kehlani succeeds at recreating happiness on Blue Water Road while her old naivety is replaced with the gratitude to be here again. It also comes with the understanding that she’s not only experienced the worst, but a permanent residency at the top of the world goes unguaranteed.

By the end of Blue Water Road, Kehlani’s lifelong search for serenity is complete, and it’s quite fulfilling. In an Apple Music interview, she revealed that her initial intention on Blue Water Road was to make music for a deluxe release of It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. What Kehlani didn’t know at first is that the growth she needed was already in progress, and thus the music that came out of those sessions was no longer connected to her sophomore album. We waste no time learning about these changes as Kehlani yearns to “throw a paper tantrum” at a strip club for a dancer she’s grown very fond of. Just two years ago, she forced herself to be in the middle of loud music and erratically flashing lights while noting, “Damn, you know I hate the club.” Where It Was Good Until It Wasn’t begins with a chilling anecdote about a “Toxic” love, Blue Water Road sets off with accountability and the recognition of her faults in love through “Little Story.”

Kehlani progress on this journey comes with its missteps and unsuccessful moments. It’d be wrong to assume that the ever-growing 27-year-old singer suddenly figured out how to perfectly and flawlessly approach life. She enters a new relationship only to leave with regrets on the Slick Rick-sampling “Wish I Never,” she’s gaslit on “Get Me Started” with Syd, and she attempts in a very Issa Rae way to justify her infidelity on “More Than I Should” with Jessie Reyez. It’s all honest and relatable and it’s what makes Kehlani’s music so indulgent. She never approaches it from a holier than thou perspective, and she never throws stones from her glasshouse. We understand Kehlani cause we’ve been there before and we all aim to fit life’s complicated puzzle pieces together to solve some problem that we have.

With that, Kehlani successfully achieves serenity through her ability to establish it within her. You can’t fall in love without knowing and accepting what you love, and you will never find peace without dealing with the chaos that lies within. A perfect example of that comes on “Altar,” where Kehlani grapples with grief and achieves the initially impossible feat of accepting that a loved one is no longer physically present. “Soon, I’ll see your face,” she sings with undeterred optimism. “Don’t know why I ever thought you were far away / I shoulda known better.”

So what does serenity look like for Kehlani? It could be finding a love so perfect and united that she confuses her hair, reflection, and her skin for her lover’s on “Melt.” It could also be enjoying the fruits of her labor towards a healthy love on the nearly-NSFW “Tangerine” where she sings, “So don’t tell nobody what’s done in the garden / The fruits you can harvest, they grow where you water.” However, it’s best captured on “Everything” as the arrival of a new lover who checks off her physical, verbal, and compatibility boxes leaves her to praise the heavens for this gift she’s waited so long for. As a result, her excitement for it can’t be bottled. “That was before me, it’s childish, you done with your wildin,’” she sings. “Now you can be wild with me, run that mile with me / Catch some flights out with me.”

Simply put: Kehlani won. She found new love and accepted her natural identity – both sexual and physical – all while managing to keep the thunderous clouds and unsettling fires that shook her world on It Was Good Until It Wasn’t out of her present-day life. Nowadays, things are better than good, they’re great, and it’s all thanks to Blue Water Road.

Blue Water Road is out now via TSNMI/Atlantic. You can stream it here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kehlani’s Newfound Romance Altars Her Sleep In The Dreamy Video For ‘Up At Night’

Kehlani has never been one to make her fans wait too long for a new project from her. That’s evident through her latest project Blue Water Road, which arrives just two years after her sophomore effort It Was Good Until Wasn’t was released. Blue Water Road dropped with 13 songs and features from Blxst, Syd, Justin Bieber, Jessie Reyez, Ambre, and Thundercat. So far, Kehlani has shared videos for “Altar” and “Everything” from the project, with the latter coming when the project was released. Now, she adds a third one to the mix with a visual for “Up At Night.”

The new video kicks off with Kehlani asking her Google-powered speaker to play her sleep playlist. “Up At Night” soon roars in the background and Kehlani hops into bed to fall asleep. With that, we enter the singer’s mind which is filled with vibrant colors, elegant dance moves, sparkly diamonds, and more, which are all brought forth by her feelings towards a newfound romance.

During a recent Apple Music interview, Kehlani revealed that many of the songs on Blue Water Road were initially records for a deluxe version of It Was Good Until Wasn’t. However, she says she mentally “wasn’t in the deluxe of my last album” due to a unique experience at the location of where the music was recorded, and thus, Blue Water Road was born.

You can check out the visual for “Up At Night” in the video above.

Blue Water Road is out now via TSNMI/Atlantic Records. You can stream it here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kehlani Explains What Inspired The Title Of Her New Album, ‘Blue Water Road’

A little over two years after she released her sophomore album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, Kehlani returned with her third official body of work with Blue Water Road. The project is comprised of 13 songs with guest appearances from Blxst, Jessie Reyez, Syd, Justin Bieber, Thundercat, and Ambre. Blue Water Road is a companion album of sorts with It Was Good Until It Wasn’t as it captures the brighter days that took place after the unfortunate events on her sophomore album. Together with the release of Blue Water Road, Kehlani stopped by Apple Music’s R&B Now Radio to share some insight about her latest release.

During her sit down with Apple Music’s Nadeska, Kehlani explained what inspired the title Blue Water Road. “I actually started the album down the street on Blue Water Road at this house,” she said during the interview. “It was an Airbnb that we got for a recording trip that was supposed to be for the deluxe of my last album, and then I left and had a big spiritual … I don’t want to say experience, but I went to a couple ceremonies and came back, and it was just completely different to me. The album just didn’t sound like … Or mentally, I wasn’t in the deluxe of my last album.”

She continued, “Mentally, I was super far away from my last album in general. And a couple songs resonated with something, I guess, that felt just like whatever the next was. And we didn’t want to lose that, but we also knew we couldn’t just keep renting out this person’s house down the street. So we found a studio, luckily, really close, and it still felt the exact same as the house down the street, so we just stayed here and made the whole album here.”

Shortly after this interview aired, Kehlani shared a new music video for “Everything.”

You can watch Kehlani’s interview on Apple Music’s R&B Now Radio in the video above.

Blue Water Road is out now via TSNMI/Atlantic. You can stream it here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kehlani Reveals The ‘Blue Water Road’ Tracklist, Featuring Justin Bieber, Syd, And Thundercat

Just weeks away from their third studio album Blue Water Road, Kehlani has revealed the star-studded tracklist. With the album intro “Little Story” already setting the stage for a cohesive body of work and the album’s lead single “Altar” demonstrating Kehlani’s powerful vocals, Blue Water Road is promising to be their most intimate work to date.

Earlier this month, Kehlani dropped their Justin Bieber collaboration “Up All Night,” showcasing a groovy musical chemistry between the two. Upon the album’s release, we’ll hear collaborations with LA singer Blxst, Jessie Reyez, and Syd.

Kehlani recently collaborated with Syd on “Out Loud” from her sophomore album Broken Hearts Club. The two first collaborated on “Birthday” from electronic duo Disclosure’s 2020 album, Energy.

On the album’s closing track, “Wondering/Wandering,” Kehlani shares the bill with Thundercat and Ambre, the lattermost they collaborated with on a 2016 single called “No Service In The Hills.”

Check out the tracklist below.

1. “Little Story”
2. “Any Given Sunday” Feat. Blxst
3. “Shooter Interlude”
4. “Wish I Never”
5. “Up At Night” Feat. Justin Bieber
6. “Get Me Started” Feat. Syd
7. “Everythin Interlude”
8. “More Than I Should” Feat. Jessie Reyez
9. “Altar”
10. “Melt”
11. “Tangerine”
12. “Everything”
13. “Wondering/Wandering” Feat. Thundercat and Ambre

Blue Water Road is out 4/29 via Atlantic. Pre-save it here.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.