Bold new side of Kehlani revealed in new mixtape
By: Kyle Spencer
Staff Writer
Kehlani Ashley Parrish is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Oakland, California. Kehlani started her singing career in a group called Poplyfe who appeared on “America’s Got Talent” in 2011.
“While We Wait,” released Feb. 22, 2019, is a new look for Kehlani, following up her last album “SweetSexySavage” released in 2017. She has slightly changed her voice, no longer caring what people think anymore. She put a lot behind her lyrics in this album, talking about relationships and personal problems.
Her opening song “Footsteps,” featuring Musiq Soulchild, gave a very soothing vibe with the sounds of water flowing. Her lyrics told listeners how her last relationship ended and how she still wanted to be with her ex. Her harmonious background vocals were met with Musiq’s strong voice as they collided to end the song.
The next song “Too Deep,” she repeated the words “Too Deep” throughout the song, getting stronger and stronger until the conclusion. The production and mixing of this song were key elements to the vibe and overall sound, pairing perfectly with Kehlani’s vocals.
“Nunya” featuring DOM KENNEDY used a voice synth. Kehlani layered her voice and catchy hook. DOM KENNEDY rapped over the beat, delivering meaningful lyrics as the song rode out on the synths to allow you to understand the song more.
In “Morning Glory” she used her own humming voice as a synth, singing about letting loose. Transitioning to effortless rapping with a consistent flow, this song is about self-empowerment and self-respect. She sang, “If you can’t love me at my goodnight then you can’t have me at my morning glory,” meaning that someone can’t only love her when it’s beneficial, they have to be there with her through the hard times too.
With “Feels,” Kehlani sang about the feelings she had with someone. Her voice going down the scale on the word “feel” is both melodious and symbolic. The notes were a metaphorical representation of her lyrics because a relationship has its own ups and downs.
“Nights Like This,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign was a great chill song. Ty Dolla $ign backed up Kehlani as they both sang about past relationships, overall, making the song sound fuller.
In “RPG” featuring 6lack, Kehlani slowed down the album with a simple beat and focused heavily on vocals for this song. Repeatedly singing “show me your love,” 6lack complimented Kehlani and was an essential part of the song.
With a simple beat, “Butterfly” kept the album at a slow pace. Listeners were able to appreciate her voice in this song especially as she spoke to a man, asking him to break down his walls for her.
The last song on the album, “Love Language,” was a strong conclusion to the album and picked up the pace of the album again. She gave it her all. As with the rest of the album, the mixing on this song was expertly done.
This technically was a mixtape until her main album was released. “While We Wait” delivered powerful messages in the lyrics and Kehlani opened up and showed a bold new side of her. This album truly held its own, leaving listeners in anticipation of what is still yet to come.