The music industry, like any other, still needs to recognize more women, especially queer women of color. While there are thousands of queer women who could be recognized, this music review is going to someone whose music has resonated with me for a while. Kehlani has been a force to be reckoned with since she was a part of the group of Poplyfe but has truly risen to stardom as a solo artist. Looking at her discography, her early life, and her now, this week’s article will showcase the true well-rounded artist Kehlani is, and she is impactful to many communities.
My first memory of Kehlani was when she just on the cusp of fame as a solo artist with the song Jealous. It was in the back of my 8th grade English class this girl was listening to it on her phone and I asked to listen with her. I was instantly hooked, the funk inspired beat, lyrical ability, and overall tone of her voice is captivating. The entirety of the album is truly a masterpiece of a debut. I really fell in love with the production of her albums and how she wasn’t afraid to experiment from one album to the next. She has obvious influences from rap, Hip-Hop, and R&B, but her music is in its own league. SweetSexySavage, in my opinion was a huge jump from her debut and a great sophomore album. My favorite song is In My Feelings, it reminds me of Jealous but a new more improved and mature version of Jealous. Also, in 2017, she released Honey, a song that till this day I listen to frequently. This was a great WLW song that expressed her queerness is a beautiful slow ballad backed by acoustics rather than the more funk-beats she’s used in the past. Her next album While We Wait has one of her biggest songs, yet which was Nights Like This, another low-fi funk-beat style song. Her vocals complement the song nicely but no overtaking the beat, something I believe she has mastered quite well. Kehlani has powerful vocals but I believe a lot of her music works because she holds back. Her newest album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t was released in 2020. The opening song is Toxic which is my new favorite song from her at the moment. Her vocals make any song because her tone is so unique and recognizable. She truly is an artist, who uses her music to tell her story, one that so many people can relate too.
Honey is a great example of a beautifully written, produced, and vocally great song about a queer woman. As mentioned above her music has always resonated with me so Honey, while I may be gay, is still relatable. I love that the song is unapologetically queer, that’s what I love so much about the song. The reason that Kehlani music is so impactful to many communities is that she tells her story through her songs, and many of the stories are applicable. As many queer people, love is complicated, more so than non-queer people realize. The song Honey is in my top 20 songs of all time, from the acoustics backing but also it displays Kehlani’s many talents as an artist. How she composes her songs lyrically are great, but this song for me takes the cake. “All the pretty girls in the world, but I’m in this space with you.” Is such a sweet ballad line that shows that even as queer individuals, no matter how hard it may seem, can have normal love.
Kehlani’s queerness is explained by her, “i felt gay always insisted there was still a line drawn as to which 'label' of human i was attracted when i really jus be walking around thinking ERRYBODY FINE." Which I believe is a beautiful sentiment to what it is to be queer. No labels. We try and fit in boxes that were never created for us, so why even check the box at all? Kehlani is a talented, Grammy-nominated artist, who is not done being her authentic self and making music that is just the same. Queer women of color have little representation in any media, but Kehlani is doing our community justice.
Resources:
Crowley, P. (2018, October 12). Kehlani reminds fans that Queer women can have babies after announcing pregnancy. Retrieved March 17, 2021, from https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8479766/kehlani-pregnant-queer
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