Album Review: Kehlani Gets Personal on Long Awaited Album "SweetSexySavage"

/

(Atlantic Records)

SweetSexySavage, the long-awaited debut album from R&B songstress Kehlani, was released Friday. The album follows a long list of singles, and of course, the Grammy nominated mixtape, You Should Be Here, which was released in 2015 to much critical acclaim. The much anticipated album, which announces her presence in powerful and raw ways, boasts lyrics dealing with love and embraces the notion of being a sweet, sexy, and savage woman.

The lengthy track listing of eighteen songs offer appealing in-house production and catchy lyrics that draw in the listener. In the “Intro”, Kehlani brings in an uncredited woman who recites words from her heart, which is a common theme that follows throughout the album. She tackles her emotional past, life lessons, and how she has found herself. “Keep On" addresses how she feels about a guy who takes her back after all she has put him through. "Piece Of Mind" shows her trying to distance herself from all the stress and feelings that go into relationships.

The sexy songs "Distraction" and "Undercover" provide hits fit for the radio and boast strong vocals and repetitive verses. The album also offers "CRZY," which gives an unapologetic outlook of how the young singer deals with negativity, and how she sees a silver lining. The Savage comes out in the songs, "Not Used To It," "Too Much," and "Do U Dirty," where she sings in a more lewd and raunchy way.

The record showcases sweet and intimate ballads like "Everything Is Yours", "Escape," "Personal," and "Hold Me By The Heart", where she puts it all on the line and delves into the romantic love aspect of life. She thanks her fans in the emotional song "Thank You" and ends on the silky R&B song, "I Wanna Be."

SweetSexySavage is a phenomenal debut album that solidifies Kehlani’s place in the music industry. Coming out from a year full of drama, including cheating rumors, and a suicide attempt, this project shows that regardless of your situation, you can turn it around for the better. With SweetSexySavage, Kehlani created a passion-filled album that reveals a fragile, yet strong and confident artist who is destined to rise to the top.

Kehlani will embark on a massive world tour this February. Get tickets to see Kehlani in a city near you over at Ticketmaster. 

MTV Woodies Lights Up SXSW With Upcoming Musicians

/

Jidenna performing at the 2016 MTV Woodies Festival on March 16th, 2016 (MTV).

A$AP Rocky’s black-and-white introduction to the MTV Live Stream of The Woodies music festival discussed the inspiration and unique qualities desired in the industry. He is hosting the live stream and explains that defining yourself, as an artist, is what is important no matter what others define you as.

A$AP Rocky also stepped onto the stage to introduce the viewers and concertgoers to the first act of the night. “We are celebrating artists that you discovered pushing boundaries and making the music you love,” A$AP Rocky said. The festival took place in Austin, TX and began with A$AP Ferg.

The lightening turned to red as he sprung onto the stage on a tall stage that projected pouring rain on its surfaces. A$AP Ferg brought up the energy in the crowd, as it begun with a rap act. He eventually left the tall stage and rapped from the normal main stage, grey hoodie hanging on his head. His song had a repetitive chorus easy to pick up, “I’m on a new level.” This phrase was literally represented with his change in level between the two platforms, causing a neat performance effect. 

After the first performance, MTV showed a mix of clips of rising artists who discussed their music and what inspires them. Jack Antonoff explained that one of his inspirations is Fleetwood Mac. The entire show was about discovering new artists and celebrating their differences, so the montage fit well with the vibe.

Anderson Paak and the Free Nationals were the next performance. They led with a very Michael-Jackson vibe with super lighthearted beats and funky rap. There was a slight similarity to Bruno Mars’s style that leans towards the 80’s, as well, which created a generally fun vibe. Anderson Paak’s outfit fit his musical style; his jacket was extremely colorful and pattern-filled. The performance also directly referenced the passing of David Bowie with a melodical rendition of “Let’s Dance,” that had the crowd smiling.

A$AP Rocky introduced Erin Paul as one of the “dopest actors on TV.” Erin Paul then introduced the next act, Jack Garratt. He was the first artist that was not in the hip-hop/rap genre. His song was slow and intense with blue lighting to compliment the tone. Garratt’s genre could be considered a version of rock; the grit in his voice filled the stadium with loud clarity, and Garratt played multiple instruments while presumably using a loop pedal. Anderson Paak featured in Garratt’s song, adding a smooth rap tone to the intense performance. Garratt’s guitar skills stole the show, as he closed the performance with a phenomenal solo.

MTV then showed clips from earlier in the day at the festival from artists like Kehlani and Lukas Graham. It allowed the viewers at home to see a further range of the talent than what is simply shown on the hour live stream. Jidenna also performed “Classic Man” earlier in the day, and the viewers were able to hear the radio hit through the clips shown from the daytime part of the festival. 

Kehlani took the stage next for her night performance, adorning a black mini dress and joined by two backup dancers. Her artistic style leaned towards sensual, R&B that created hot dance music that contrasted from all the previous performances.

CHVRCHES was the next performance. This festival came around six months after their stellar performance at Boston Calling Music Festival in fall 2015. Her airy voice creates a unique tone for the band, which makes them easy to pick from the crowd, literally and metaphorically. Electronic beats are similar to The Chainsmokers in their artistic tone and performance. 

Pusha T introduced the main act of the night, The Chainsmokers, who performed their hit “Rozes.” Fog machines exploded during the bass drop in the song, and the entire crowd evidently looked forward most to this performance. As the performance ended, confetti flew through the crowd. It was an epic ending to the festival, particularly with Lamar introducing the main act.

Catch up on all the performances here. 

Photos: Kehlani Ignites Boston Crowd at "You Should Be Here" Tour

/

Kehlani performing at Boston's Sinclair on July 13th, 2015 (Benjamin Esakof/Roman's Rap-Up).

"Can't learn to love somebody until you learn to love yourself."

Those were the words preached Monday night when R&B up-and-comer Kehlani brought her sold out "You Should Be Here" tour to Boston for an evening full of positive energy. The Oakland-star opened the set with her emotional intro from her recent mixtape release, "You Should Be Here." "They say, God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers," lyrics from the intro, set the scene for the night of unforgettable music. Kehlani transitioned seamlessly from song-to-song, all while showing off her powerful vocals and impeccable choreography.

Kehlani ended the night by telling her fans that she will be releasing her debut album in 2016.

See photos and a video from the show below: