In an endless sea of hip stars and pop/hip-hop hybrid stylists, one might argue Kehlani is something of an authentic exponent of an all-too-commonly heard genre. Some performers might sing about the hardships of life, but Kehlani has actually lived them. Following her stint as a finalist on America’s Got Talent, Kehlani is bursting onto the music scene and making some serious waves.
A native of Oakland, California, Kehlani came from a broken home (dealing with a deceased father and a convicted felon mother). At one point, she aspired to be a professional dancer with Julliard School ambitions, but she braved the rough waters of attempting to make it as a pop star in the cutthroat modern music industry, all while living through homelessness. At only 21, it’s relatively safe to say that new hip-hop star is a survivor. That being said, many already familiar with her music are expecting one major dynamo of a debut album. In a matter of weeks, all of this will be determined with Kehlani’s new album 2017, titled SweetSexySavage. Set for release on January 27, Kehlani’s new songs 2017 will start to creep out to the public airwaves. Not many are sure what to expect, but given early release information and samples, it’s expected to be something of a knockout!
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Coming on Strong
Kehlani’s new album is coming from years of hard work and toughing it out in other pop outfits, before doing her own songs thereafter. Some listeners that also watch reality TV might remember her, as she was previously a member of the group PopLyfe, who performed on America’s Got Talent back in 2011. It was this performance for which she was famously complimented by judge Piers Morgan on how talented she was. While she left PopLyfe soon afterward and struggled for a time to support herself, TV host Nick Cannon helped back her solo music ventures and launch her in the industry. This was the boost she needed and has paid off for Kehlani ever since.
Her 2015 mixtape, You Should Be Here was a surprise at just how much Kehlani had evolved as a performer, both in sound and lyrical content. It went so far as to earn her a Grammy nomination! Inspiring as her solo debut work was, Kehlani has been quoted on wanting a debut full length album to be polished song-wise and that she wanted to “push [herself] to get the sonics right”.
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Already Out
While the announcement of Kehlani’s new album came last fall, the Kehlani new songs have been slow to reach the public. A complete track listing for the new album hasn’t even been released yet. Yet those already seeking Kehlani’s upcoming album for 2017 can already get a taste of her new stuff. Her new single, the unexpectedly brash, “Do U Dirty” was released on January 12—and you can listen online. It’s just a taste of what’s to come, so there will still be some industry mystery around SweetSexySavage, and what it’ll sound like as a complete song collection. How much of her new songwriting is autobiographical and based on her own life experiences like others in the hip-hop milieu are completely uncertain. But given the toughness of “Do U Dirty” and the fact that it’s got a polished sound, fans are likely to expect a well-produced album that bolsters Kehlani’s aforementioned sonic perfection desires, while not holding back on lyrical content. The countdown to Kehlani is on and hip-hop fans are waiting anxiously!
