Kehlani Parrish -better known as Kehlani- is making a name for herself. This Oakland, California R&B singer made her claim to fame as the frontrunner of the pop group, (appropriately named) PopLyfe that made its first appearance on the hit reality show, America’s Got Talent. This past year she blessed us with her album, You Should Be Here. The idea and concept behind the record is this just as simple as the title. In the album introduction she says, “So to anybody who isn’t here to see how far I’ve gone or how far I’ve yet to go. To family members that didn’t make it or friends I lost along the way. Or maybe someone I gave my heart to that didn’t know what to do with it. You should be here.”
I may be a little late in the game with this review, but from a fellow 20-year-old female’s perspective, this album is pure genius and completely relatable to all young women. Her album expresses her learning to love herself to being a overall bad bitch. A current favorite of mine is her song “Bright.” Kehlani brought back the jazzy vibes with the message of no matter your looks, race or gender, it’s important to love yourself first or no one else can. As a college student who is trying to find her place in this world, this song spoke deeply to me and I’m sure is relatable to most people my age.
She also shows a badass side of herself in songs like “Niggas” and “Runnin’” which show off her confidence and feministic side. This girl really knows how to reach a wide audience by covering topics such as love, confidence and embracing her bisexuality. In her song “Runnin’” (and also my personal favorite) she sings through her rise to fame and the success and discusses the power that women can hold. I feel like she could be the voice for this generation of women and speak out about the gender roles in today’s society through her beats. Kehlani is the type of girl that makes men FEAR the power of women. Who knows how large out audiences she will reach…
On top of all of this, the girl has also collaborated with some up and coming artists. The album features rappers such as Lexii Alijai, BJ The Chicago Kid, and well known Chance the Rapper. Her hit “The Way” feat. Chance was how she got herself out to the majority of the music world. The song is a perfect mix of bumping beats, fantastic vocals and and edgy rap verses. Outside of the album she also has a single with well-known Bay Area rapper, G-Eazy and is also rumored to be featured on former One Direction member, Zayn Malik’s solo album. With all the success, she also manages to embrace her insecurities and display that in front of millions which is what I believe has made her such a hit. All female R&B singers and rappers better watch out because this girl is taking the world by storm. She is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
Rose Journalism 