Voted Runnin'. I love that song.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Tuesday, 24 November 2015 19:42 (eight years ago) link
I wrote something about this album for my local paper column back in May:
Precious few serious people now maintain that mainstream R&B is manufactured, soulless pap. Indeed, a certain carefully curated appreciation of the style is necessary to establish oneself as a rounded and culturally diverse listener. But this orthodoxy is a limited win for the genre critically, revolving as it does around certain overfamiliar archetypes. Consider the twin female pillars of social genuflection: on the one hand, the Queen Bae, and on the other, the enigmatic departed siren Aaliyah. Beyonce’s appeal resides in both universalism and force, as if she is performing not just what we feel but what we want to feel, only more powerfully and with more expressive nuance than we could. Aaliyah’s lionisation reflects the opposite trend: R&B as the mysterious blank slate, the singer whose true feelings are forever denied to us, leaving a void we’re anxious to fill with our own projected fantasies (never mind that this characterisation doesn’t really capture the charms of Aaliyah’s recorded work).
But there are other archetypes, or even just character types, that get dealt out of the story by the relentless march of history. Lately I’ve been thinking about Nivea, a minor player in the millennial R&B renaissance who scored only one hit with 2002’s Don’t Mess With The Radio. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about 2004’s Parking Lot, a fantastically understated song about creeping out on your sleeping man to hook up with your side-thug: “meet me at the McDonald’s parking lot”, Nivea instructs, in what might be R&B’s least glamorous but most real moment ever. Delivered in Nivea’s unaffected, slightly husky alto, the song imagines R&B as unvarnished, plain-spoken but intimate, up-close confessionals drawn from real life. I can’t think of another song quite like it.
But if Parking Lot stands alone, the idea of mainstream R&B delivering life-sized relatability is expertly executed on You Should Be Here, the second album from 19 year old Oakland singer Kehlani, which has been captivating me all week. Kehlani is more classically expressive than Nivea was – you can tell she’s seen American Idol before – but she shares a hint of huskiness and, more importantly, that overriding air of familiarity, delivering her songs with the unfiltered directness of your lover, your best friend or your ex. It’s the addressee, the listener, who changes hats depending on subject matter; Kehlani’s overriding sense of personality remains constant even as she pivots from ecstatic romance on Unconditional to big-sister life affirmation on Bright to knowing dismissal on How That Taste or Jealous (the latter a kiss-off to a fling who takes photos with her to make his ex-girlfriends jealous on social media - Kehlani takes narrative detail quite seriously). She addresses her refusal to play along on Runnin’: “does it make you nervous that I’m not afraid to say what I want?” she taunts both a lover and her listeners.
If there’s a drawback to this, it’s that Kehlani’s consistent relatability can make the album at first seem more samey than it really is, as do the arrangements' seamlessly executed stylistic potpourri cherry-picking the best R&B sounds of the past two decades (stuttering Timblaland beats, synth horns, trap snares); the songs’ diversity and range are handled so capably and unselfconsciously that they're easy to underestimate; conversely, it's this which also gives the album an ease and staying power which, while it might not support breathless social media hype, makes it a welcoming pleasure to return to.
The concomitant pay-off is most evident in The Letter, nominally the album’s big ballad, in which Kehlani directly addresses the mother who abandoned her, her temptation to blame herself ("maybe I didn't deserve you" she repeatedly wonders) as cutting as her refusal to forgive. “If you weren’t going to guide me / why bring me into the light?” she asks, her deceptive gentleness like a knife twisting in your stomach. It's strong stuff, but there's no gratuitous melodrama here, just ice cold clarity and unflinching honesty. Avoiding grand gestures, Kehlani measures her punches so that they're just sharp and powerful enough to penetrate your defences before you have time to steel yourself.
― Tim F, Tuesday, 24 November 2015 22:30 (eight years ago) link
that's really great, "unselfconscious" is really key to this album. the arrangements are never striking in and of themselves - maybe this is why it flew under the radar? as well, as, yes, consistency meaning no one stand-out to rally around - they're really good frames for her songs but never the focal point
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 November 2015 10:06 (eight years ago) link
also didn't realise that this was technically sold as a mixtape rather than her debut album!
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 November 2015 10:07 (eight years ago) link
good stuff tim
― Spottie, Wednesday, 25 November 2015 17:04 (eight years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Sunday, 29 November 2015 00:01 (eight years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Monday, 30 November 2015 00:01 (eight years ago) link
you should vote here
― j., Monday, 30 November 2015 00:08 (eight years ago) link
I didn't discover this album until last weekend. I'm looking forward to digging in. "The Letter" is the early highlight.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 30 November 2015 00:57 (eight years ago) link
"Jealous" is my favourite song not to get a vote.
― Tim F, Monday, 30 November 2015 02:14 (eight years ago) link
Haha classic early adopter ilx poll results
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Monday, 30 November 2015 03:16 (eight years ago) link
i think i forgot, i woulda voted for 'be alright' : /
― j., Monday, 30 November 2015 03:18 (eight years ago) link
no wait 'bright'
the empowering one
grammy nominated
― J0rdan S., Monday, 7 December 2015 17:45 (eight years ago) link
RIGHT HERE
― j., Monday, 7 December 2015 19:08 (eight years ago) link
http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/kehlani-tore-up-new-song.1967554.html
― Spottie, Monday, 7 December 2015 20:39 (eight years ago) link
Great piece, Tim (though disagree somewhat about Beyonce as universalist: think she gives this innocent/simple country boy mind the grand illusion of seeing through *her* eyes, feeling the rush and massive skyscraper impact of *her* outsized experience, sometimes anyway). Also other comments on this thread got me going, will check alb.
― dow, Monday, 7 December 2015 20:47 (eight years ago) link
didn't vote in this but i've been feeling Bright lately
― thom yorke state of mind (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 15 December 2015 17:26 (eight years ago) link
Jealous is the earworm on here for me
― pplasma, Tuesday, 15 December 2015 20:34 (eight years ago) link
new song "Did I" is def a step closer to the mainstream
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Thursday, 17 December 2015 07:53 (eight years ago) link
heh i too once eagerly invoked nivea to sell this (or perhaps the prev one idk) to someone before sternly reminding myself that irlx is not a thing
looking forward to her going a bit more pop if so, feels right now. maybe someone oughta hook her up with some y2k 'he loves u not'/ 'no matta what' spazz beats just cos she can
― r|t|c, Thursday, 17 December 2015 10:10 (eight years ago) link
Omg yes
― Tim F, Thursday, 17 December 2015 10:43 (eight years ago) link
almost too cruel to invoke that possibility when it will never happen
i think she'll be great at going pop in whatever era though, albeit not with this new one specifically, which feels a bit trudging compared with her own stuff
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Thursday, 17 December 2015 17:48 (eight years ago) link
relistening to "he loves u not" now (<3) and the first girl really is a dead ringer for kehlani!
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Thursday, 17 December 2015 17:49 (eight years ago) link
maybe the pop & oak connection is polluting my thinking here but the way the sample is used in the "did i" hook is a little too reminiscent of "say it" for me
― J0rdan S., Thursday, 17 December 2015 17:53 (eight years ago) link
the rap part of the verses remind me of drake's big rings hook
― thom yorke state of mind (voodoo chili), Thursday, 17 December 2015 18:11 (eight years ago) link
good bridge
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Thursday, 17 December 2015 19:20 (eight years ago) link
which actually reminds me of "FWU"
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Thursday, 17 December 2015 19:21 (eight years ago) link
what the fuck is going on
― j., Tuesday, 29 March 2016 07:01 (eight years ago) link
http://www.factmag.com/2016/03/29/kehlani-suicide-attempt/
Always so sad to hear about anyone reaching this place.
― tangenttangent, Tuesday, 29 March 2016 11:17 (eight years ago) link
new songhttps://soundcloud.com/kehlanimusic/24-7a
― Spottie, Tuesday, 3 May 2016 21:52 (eight years ago) link
this one's dope, way better than 'did i' IMO
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Tuesday, 3 May 2016 23:43 (eight years ago) link
THE EAST COAST AINT GOT NO LOVE FOR KEHLANI ?
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Wednesday, 4 May 2016 22:34 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHoonuZ8og
― Spottie, Monday, 18 July 2016 16:24 (eight years ago) link
Not as into that one as the other new one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCGky5MaSLs
― Listen to my homeboy Fantano (D-40), Monday, 25 July 2016 03:36 (eight years ago) link
something very swv about "distraction", i love it (and "24/7" is also such a necessary song)
― lex pretend, Saturday, 30 July 2016 11:26 (eight years ago) link
I love it too but it's about 45 seconds too long? idk
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 30 July 2016 14:13 (eight years ago) link
"The Letter" is so brutal.
― Tim F, Friday, November 20, 2015 11:16 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
totally. really exemplifies what makes her songwriting so effective for me - it's so unflinching, she doesn't sugarcoat any word or emotion (and her relatively plain style of singing accentuates this), but really elegant in the way she pieces together a situation and its consequences via so many details that bring the entire song into focus
― lex pretend, Tuesday, November 24, 2015 12:08 PM (nine months ago)
it's kind of fucked to put it even as early as trk 9 / 8 (w/ intro), since it wrecks you and then the next few songs can just pass by in a daze
― j., Sunday, 4 September 2016 01:38 (eight years ago) link
"crzy" is getting those payola spins
― dyl, Sunday, 4 September 2016 20:51 (eight years ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CtjoPDgUEAErbq-.jpg:large
― Spottie, Thursday, 29 September 2016 23:04 (seven years ago) link
can we initiate hype proceedings for the ilm aoty 2017 or what
'undercover' is perfect
― r|t|c, Thursday, 12 January 2017 13:02 (seven years ago) link
― r|t|c, Thursday, 17 December 2015 10:10 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Tim F, Thursday, 17 December 2015 10:43 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― cher guevara (lex pretend), Thursday, 17 December 2015 17:48 Bookmark
lowkey close!!
― r|t|c, Thursday, 12 January 2017 13:06 (seven years ago) link
I'ma save your name under somethin' elseI'ma keep your things deep in myselfI'ma tweet our inside jokes to the outside worldForget you, go awayI'ma pick you up from the back in trainsKept you in the world when it's all pretendYou're just you, I'm just meThere's no us, it's nothin'
― r|t|c, Thursday, 12 January 2017 13:13 (seven years ago) link
'undercover' is perfect― r|t|c, Thursday, January 12, 2017 6:02 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― r|t|c, Thursday, January 12, 2017 6:02 AM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeh it is.
― Spottie, Thursday, 12 January 2017 16:58 (seven years ago) link
i loooove "undercover" and basically all of the other songs i've heard from this record
― who is extremely unqualified to review this pop album (BradNelson), Thursday, 12 January 2017 17:01 (seven years ago) link
it's not even like chance x tlc blew my mind or anything but as soon i saw the cover and title i had this v relaxed certainty that yes this album will be a happening
now it feels like being in the airfield tower watching the career plane approach smoothly for landing
still quite opaque to locate the moment when/why her tide rose. to say it was the incident is reductively cynical but also pretty wrong i think
― r|t|c, Thursday, 12 January 2017 17:17 (seven years ago) link
weirdly i think it was the grammy nom? like, them getting her singer-songwriterliness
― lex pretend, Thursday, 12 January 2017 17:19 (seven years ago) link
omg "undercover"
― lex pretend, Thursday, 12 January 2017 17:30 (seven years ago) link
I've listened to "undercover" about 20 times today
― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Thursday, 12 January 2017 18:45 (seven years ago) link
I really like toxic. thought this project was pretty low key but need to sit with it for a while. sweetsexysavage and while we wait both masterpieces for my money tho
― megan thee macallan 18 year (||||||||), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 08:10 (four years ago) link
you should be here is so good too. building quite the catalog
― megan thee macallan 18 year (||||||||), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 08:11 (four years ago) link
"Leave the juice to your squeeze" my god
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 12:51 (four years ago) link
I'm pretty obsessed with the "Open" half of "Open/Passionate" and the lyrics of the pre- and the chorus (and the perspective flip in the second pre-/chorus!):
[Pre-Chorus]What if you slip up?What if tequila grab your neck and say, "Don't bitch up"?What if you wanna shoot your shot and load the clip up?Are you scared to lose your queen and gain a bishop?
[Chorus]Do I got you way too open to be open?Is the lens you see me through just way too focused?What if you're curious and caught up in the moment?Can you hold me down when I'm across the ocean?Can you control it?Do I got you way too open to be open?Would you let it twist up all of your emotions?What if you're curious and caught up in the moment?Do I got you way too open to be (open)
― winters (josh), Tuesday, 12 May 2020 19:38 (four years ago) link
lmao my brain just shuts off and stops recording whenever i hear tory lanez's voice
otherwise i regret taking forever to get around to this record, it's fantastic
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 29 June 2020 17:34 (four years ago) link
"bad news" is a really beautiful song
j0rd knows
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 29 June 2020 17:36 (four years ago) link
"Open (Passionate)" is, according to my phone, 2020s most played song.
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 29 June 2020 17:39 (four years ago) link
i just skip the first 2 songs honestly... from that point on it's very easily a top 5 record of the year to me
― J0rdan S., Monday, 29 June 2020 17:51 (four years ago) link
hate the club... what an artist
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 29 June 2020 17:56 (four years ago) link
"grieving" is so good i'll even endure the unwelcome yodel of james blake
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Monday, 29 June 2020 18:11 (four years ago) link
https://www.vulture.com/2020/07/kehlani-can-i-music-video-tory-lanez.html
Lanez wasn’t in the video, but it still featured his verse. “Full transparency cuz i believe in that with my following,” Kehlani tweeted. “His verse is still on the song, the video is solo. new verse on the deluxe.” In a since-deleted tweet, she added, “The album came out months ago i can’t remove it, doesn’t work like that. can only move forward.”
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 31 July 2020 00:56 (four years ago) link
get lanez off this and it might be my fave track on the albumhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjDDyKoNG2Q
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Friday, 31 July 2020 00:58 (four years ago) link
there's a new album out???
― Nourry, Friday, 29 April 2022 16:17 (two years ago) link
Indeed.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 29 April 2022 16:25 (two years ago) link
It's pretty good
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 29 April 2022 17:39 (two years ago) link
i think shes slipped quite a bit.
― jammin on the dud (Spottie), Friday, 29 April 2022 18:09 (two years ago) link
this is solid, hope it sticks with me better than the last one
― ufo, Monday, 2 May 2022 08:04 (two years ago) link
kind of an odd record... it seems like she wanted to make an intimate, minor-by-design sort of album? i think it gets better at the end, starting w/ "altar." i like "tangerine" a lot. the gestures towards tempo (the slick rick sample, the bieber song) don't feel very realized. some of the production and vocals are pretty but idk how much any of the songs really stick w/ me.
the last album was great to me. this album is missing songs like "change your life" and "hate the club" ... and even "bad news" and "everybody business" does the sound of this album better than this album. will give this one a few more tries but it may just be a write off for me.
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 4 May 2022 18:43 (two years ago) link
pitchfork has this rated as the best kehlani album... i'm yelling "objection" at the judge
― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 4 May 2022 18:50 (two years ago) link
this is her weakest to my ears
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 4 May 2022 19:31 (two years ago) link
easily
― he was eating Vaseline like it was bunch of cheeseburgers (Spottie), Wednesday, 4 May 2022 19:37 (two years ago) link
I feel like if she waited a bit longer between albums and gathered up the best material she had, instead of doing random singles and mixtapes, she would have a better strike rate. Six albums (or album-length projects) in eight years is a lot.
― boxedjoy, Wednesday, 4 May 2022 20:05 (two years ago) link
"after hours" is ahh... hmm...
― interstellar anthropologist+music philosopher, (Austin), Tuesday, 30 April 2024 18:17 (four months ago) link
horrible
― I Chet the Holmgren (Spottie), Tuesday, 30 April 2024 18:21 (four months ago) link
sigh.
i hated it immediately :(
― interstellar anthropologist+music philosopher, (Austin), Tuesday, 30 April 2024 19:03 (four months ago) link
i think it's fine if undistinguished and obvious
― dyl, Tuesday, 30 April 2024 23:32 (four months ago) link
same but as a direction i like it a lot better than that last album which was by far the most forgettable of her career
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 2 May 2024 17:55 (four months ago) link
this is certainly the first time I've become aware of a new Kehlani video by reading Al Jazeera:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpI7ekFG8A0
― rob, Tuesday, 4 June 2024 20:51 (three months ago) link
i actually like “after hours” a lot, good summer record. there is a yearning & longing that i think plays off the sample really well the rest of the album however
― slob wizard (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 11 July 2024 14:59 (two months ago) link
I like the album better than anything she's put out since 2019. I do not like the Christina Aguilera interpolation or the Jill Scott number.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 July 2024 15:14 (two months ago) link
After hours is a gem, yes
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 11 July 2024 17:40 (two months ago) link
new mixtape is about a billion times better than the new album, you hate to see it but it happens
― ivy., Saturday, 31 August 2024 20:12 (three weeks ago) link
i like the song named after her that she remixed lol
― dyl, Sunday, 1 September 2024 03:03 (three weeks ago) link