On You Should Be Here, she expresses the resentment she felt toward not having her mother on “The Letter.” Her songwriting shines on the track as she sings, “And every girl needs a mother and damn it I needed you / Instead, you ducked for cover and ran from the truth.” Kehlani’s unflinching admission of feeling abandoned by her mother is felt even more by her audible crying, as if she’s confiding in the listener as a longtime friend. Written and released when she was 19-years-old, You Should Be Here showcased her ability to tell tales of self-realization in a way that was charming, candid, and vulnerable, propelling her career as an R&B singer and helping to solidify her as one of Oakland’s most promising stars.ĥ YEARS OF YSBH! HISTORY! 🎂 glory to God forreal 🧡 Released five years ago this week, You Should Be Here served as the follow-up to the singer’s 2014 debut mixtape, Cloud 19.
I added the mixtape to my library and spent the rest of my high school days drowning in the project. I saw myself in Kehlani: a young woman sitting at the edge of the world before her, ready to face what’s ahead. I had just subscribed to Apple Music when I came across its illustrated cover art - Kehlani overlooking her Oakland hometown and the Golden Gate Bridge as a plane flies above in the distance, the then-teenage singer surrounded by her essentials: a pair of Vans Sk8-Hi’s, an open laptop, and a MIDI controller. Kehlani’s second mixtape, You Should Be Here, dropped when I was in high school.
Well clearly she did.Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage You Should Be Here showcased Kehlani’s ability to tell tales of self-realization in a way that was charming, candid, and vulnerable. Fans were hoping that the artist would jump back from the fight for her life. Though, with this new release, fans speculated her comeback from the Grammy-nominated release of You Should Be Here that brought NBA player Kyrie Irving’s dating history with her to light. Make have critiqued Kehlani’s sound for being too close to that of Aaliyah’s many hits, but for the Oakland rapper and songwriter, finding inspiration stems from being immersed in the music. Now the artist has much to cheer about with her debut albums making it’s way through the ears and airwaves of millions of Americans. In 2016, she was nominated for the Best Urban Contemporary Album Grammy Award for You Should Be Here.
Kehlani’s second mixtape, You Should Be Here, debuted at number 5 on the national R&B/Hip-Hop chart in 2015 and preceded her sold-out North American promotional tour. The album was listed among Complex’s “50 Best Albums of 2014. She released her first mixtape, Cloud 19, in 2014. Kehlani is originally from Oakland, California where she achieved initial fame as a member of the teen pop group, Poplyfe, which was a finalist on America’s Got Talent. Large music streaming services like Spotify have put the artist’s debut album as their “must-listen too in 2017.” If you would have told Kehlani years ago that should would have a debut album hitting major stores all over the world, she’d say, “you’re fuckin’ nuts.”īut dreams do come true as this Oakland-native’s debut album has hit major airwaves, stores, and internet accolades. Kehlani’s album cover SweetSexy Savage, photo via Atlantic Records
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