Their voice flits between the shuffling drums of the Slick Rick sample powering the angsty backseat lust of “wish i never” with the same conviction that drives the platonic remembrance of lead single “altar.” On “get me started,” Kehlani’s voice winds up and down a spiral of hi-hats and synths with hushed grace. Kehlani’s vocal runs and rapping skill contribute to the lifted mood, expanding and contracting to the scope of each narrative. Even the tracks with a darker musical edge-like the strip-club love story “any given sunday”-are backed by synths and soft ad-libs that pop with champagne fizz. The production, largely handled by executive producer Pop Wansel, is split between aqueous rap’n’b beats and guitar-centered pop arrangements. Kehlani has never sounded more comfortable in their own skin, selling the transition from SweetSexySavage to grown, sexy, and tender.Īs opposed to the moodier atmosphere favored by artists like Summer Walker or 6LACK, blue water road has a bubbly tinge. blue water road has its share of debauchery-the deep notes when they sing “Call me daddy in front of all your bitches in the lobby” on “any given sunday” are seduction incarnate-but the overall vibes are steamy and committed, more eager than ever to bet it all on love. In 2020, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t explored bad relationships and one-night stands with the efficiency of spring cleaning, assessing the damage on all sides. The way Kehlani shares really personal narratives is what music is about to me, it’s what I love in artists like SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Solange and there’s no reason that Kehlani shouldn’t one day have as much mainstream success.Kehlani has always portrayed love as a kaleidoscope of feeling-the lust, the trauma, stabs at commitment that evaporate like JUUL vapors. Something about this album really resonates with me. I find this comfort in a lot of songs toward the end of the album, and I now find that I seek that comfort out in r&b albums but seldom find it from anyone but Kehlani. Listening to “Alive” on a rainy day, makes my soul feel a little less heavy.
She branches into finding confidence in herself and uplifting the spirit of the listener which I feel like is something that has really been lost in music today. “Be AlrightÛ, “BrightÛ, and “Alive” are songs that always make me feel good. Eventually she finds acceptance and empowerment in the songs toward the end. The simple raw emotion is so powerful in “The Letter” and it voices a lot of the insecurities that I think a lot of people – especially women have. “The Letter” is one of my absolute favorite songs on the album. In “Jealous” and “N****s” she delves into deeper issues in her relationships and her own insecurities. In the beginning of the EP she is very doubtful, while questioning her love and her lover. Kehlani isn’t just a technically brilliant artist either, her lyricism so clearly reflects her own ethos in each and every song on “You Should Be HereÛ. Her vocals feel absolutely effortless and clean to listen to, almost impossibly so, and the beats to back them up aren’t overly complicated, producing this collection of songs that’s just for lack of a better word, nice to listen to. Kehlani has the vocal prowess and warm, fun energy of Ariana Grande with the creativity, moodiness, and relatability of SZA, and I think this speaks so clearly on You Should Be Here. While I liked SweetSexySavage to a degree, I can say that You Should Be Here will remain on my favorite album list for a very long time. But I want to draw more attention to her 2015 EP titled You Should Be Here. She’s had chart successes to a certain extent but most know her for her more recent, hip-hop focused album SweetSexySavage, Distraction and Undercover being the more popular tracks. Anyone paying attention to r&b or hip-hop has to know the name Kehlani.
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