OKP’s Biggest Takeaways From Kehlani’s Self-Titled New Album

Credit: Atlantic Records

For her 31st birthday, Kehlani decided to give her fans a gift with Kehlani, a self-titled album that renders early 2000s hip-hop and R&B aesthetics into an energetic portrait of introspection, nostalgia, and pristine vocal control. Basically, it’s got some slappers. 

But what goes into it? I’m sure I’ll change my mind about favorite songs in the future, and I’m still developing my overall opinion, but for now, here are our biggest takeaways from the project.

It’s a Statement Album

I mean, you had to know this before the album even dropped: anytime an artist unloads a self-titled project, it’s meant to express the idea that it’s their bare, essential self. In more cynical marketing terms, the subtext is something like, “hey, this is a really big deal — pay attention or I’ma subtweet you!” And then there’s the fact that she dropped it on her birthday. So, yeah. All the signifiers are there. BUT. But. Kehlani isn’t leaning on connotations for this one; the album somehow feels like a belated reintroduction, with last summer’s “Folded” somehow being her first-ever single to break into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. 

It’s a Love Letter to the Music of Her Childhood

Listening to Kehlani’s latest feels like my mom’s driving me to the first day of 7th grade 22 years ago, and from the jump, it’s clear that that’s the point. Here, Kehlani links up with luminaries from every corner of late ’90s and early aughts R&B and hip-hop. Laced with T-Pain, Lil Jon, and snaps, “Call Me Back” sounds like a cousin of “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’).” Meanwhile, “No Such Thing” features a killer Clipse guest spot and a soundscape that sounds like it samples The Pharcyde. The Brandy-assisted “I Need You” makes me feel like Kehlani should’ve been on the The Boy Is Mine Tour. Usher, Lil Wayne, and Missy Elliott are also on the project, which, if you’re an early-to-mid-’90s baby, could have easily soundtracked your middle school dance. 

The Retro Stuff Is Not a Gimmick

Unlike 2024’s Crash, Kehlani’s newest LP feels sonically unified and self-assured. From the tracklist alone, you can tell channeling the throwback sounds was near the top of the agenda. But that might be simplifying it a bit. The retro R&B aesthetic feels more like a tool rather than an endgame, with her tender, yet sultry vocals and introspection making the production feel inhabited instead of “used.” Crash, on the other hand, felt scattershot, with Kehlani shifting between sonics with a clumsiness that was kind of unbefitting of her vocal talent and songwriting. It still slapped, but it lacks the same fluidity.

Cardi B and Kehlani Need a Joint Project

I’m not sure if it’s the textures of their voices or their polarized demeanors, but Cardi B and Kehlani are now three for three when it comes to collaborations, with “Pocket” being a perfectly playful and sexy theme song for flirtation. I’m not sure if I like it more than “Ring,” but it feels right at home next to the sexy drill-inflected “Safe,” but listening to them all consecutively, I had visions of the best EP we’ll never hear, with their ricocheting charisma and soft, but all-consuming vocals making it all a mesmerizing affair.