‘What I Want’ Is For You To Check Out Kehlani’s CRASH

Kehlani has been a part of the music world since 2014 when they dropped their debut release, a mixtape titled Cloud 9. Since then, they’ve released three mixtapes, fifteen promotional singles, and, due to their most recent release, four studio albums. 

Kehlani released their fourth and highly anticipated album on June 21, 2024. The album consists of thirteen tracks. Their latest album shows a lot of growth and maturity from the singer since their last release of Blue Water Road two years prior. Within the thirteen tracks, Kehlani features collaborations from other musical names and samples from a few songs. That’s not all! While an R&B songstress Kehlani explores genres outside of R&B on the album, including country, dancehall, afrobeats, folk, and pop.

CRASH takes you on a journey that you’ll be happy to say you were a part of. Kehlani was unapologetically themselves in every sense of the way. The common themes throughout the album include romance, heartbreak, jealousy, empowerment, flirtation, sensuality, and growth. We can’t go without saying it gives all the queer vibes.

“A crash, in any form, is the peak height of the moment.” “It isn’t the anxiety of the before, or the lament after. It is the ever so imperative present. A space with no reminisce, no remorse, and no afterthought. CRASH IS HERE. At my most free, most fun, most loud, most fueled, so far.”

Kehlani during a press release

‘GrooveTheory’

Kehlani wasted no time setting the tone for their new album with the first track, “GrooveTheory”. ‘GrooveTheory’ is a two-parter, as it’s two small songs combined to make one full song. In the beginning, Kehlani gives us a dreamy and hypnotic vibe with a mix of seductiveness. When the song begins, Kehlani sings, “I’m not the one, and I’m kind of crazy; I like my shower water in flames, and I don’t feel a thing.” From the jump, we knew that they were about to take us on a wild ride. It’s a ride that we’re ready for. 

The second part starts at 1:17 and is marked with an interlude. The beat and tone shift toward an upbeat and dramatic vibe, with Kehlani giving us all the vocals while singing how they want to get into the groove of things with a woman. The nostalgia is there with this track as it gives off a 90s R&B feel. In our opinion, this was the perfect choice to start the album.

Have a playlist about a crush? This song could pair well with it.

‘Next 2 U’

‘Next 2 U’ was the second single and promotional song from the new album. Kehlani is found to be romantic and singing to their significant other about how they’re willing to protect them no matter what and how much the person means to them. Other themes that are included in the song are flirtiness and connection. “They gon’, they gon’ have to come get me, they gon’ have to see about me to get next to you,” they sang at the start of the chorus.

In the video, Kehlani not only made it as queer as possible, but they also showed their support for Palestine. They did this by starting the video off with a quote from a Palestinian-American author, Hala Alyan, showing Palestine flags, and mentioning those who lost their lives. It was a bold move but also a much-needed one.

This song could pair well with several playlists but our choices would be a workout playlist or one about a crush.

‘After Hours’

Released as their first promotional song for the album, ‘After Hours’ has an upbeat and fun vibe. The song samples two songs or three, depending on how you see it. The first song it samples is Michael Jackson’s ‘Liberian Girl’. The second and third songs ‘After Hours’ samples are Scatta’s ‘Coolie Dance Rhythm’ and Nina Sky’s ‘Move Ya Body’, with the former being the original. The song has Kehlani singing about how they want someone to stay with them after hours so they can enjoy the person’s time and company more. The video was shot at a Vegas hotel and shows Kehlani, their dancers, and their guests having fun and unapologetically letting loose.

It should also be noted that Kehlani released a second version of ‘After Hours’ called ‘After Hours (Cater 2 U Mix),’ which features a sample of Destiny’s Child’s song ‘Cater 2 U’.

Do you want ideas for what playlists to add ‘After Hours’? Look no further. This song would be a good addition to a summer, getting ready, or pride playlist.

‘What I Want’

Track four reeled us in with Christina Aguilera’s ‘What A Girl Wants’ sample. A few words we would use to describe it are s*xual, sensual, and unapologetic. Kehlani, instead of singing in the third person, expresses their physical and s*xual desires to the person they have their eyes on. They aren’t afraid to get a bit raunchy while doing so either. One of the most memorable lines from the chorus is when they sing, “I need all the pretty girls to the shower.” It’s not the only memorable line.

There are a lot throughout the song, but there is another one that was quick to catch our attention. During the second verse of their song, Kehlani sings, “that b*tch tryna hate as a distraction; she a fan of mine,” giving a nod to their second single, ‘Distraction’ from their debut album SweetSexySavage. If Kehlani were to do a remix, a remix featuring Christina Aguilera would be amazing, in our opinion. It’s what we want, or should we say, it’s ‘what I want’.

Want to feel confident or be reminded to have self-love? Put this song on a playlist with those themes and you won’t regret it.

‘Crash’

The single and video for ‘Crash’ was released to the public the same day as the album of the same name. If you’ve been a Kehlani fan since their You Should Be Here album or prior, you might feel the same vibes from the video of the same name with ‘Crash’. Kehlani took a simple approach to the music video. Instead of having dancers, being in a club, etc, they took their video to New York. In the video, Kehlani sings and shows off their electric guitar skills. From the guitar playing to the vocals, Kehlani knew their vision for the song and made it a reality.

In the song itself, Kehlani sings about yearning for their lover and for them to be able to be in their moment and truth. One could say the track is about reflecting on things. They sing, “your love is so damn healing, ooh,” off the bat, letting it be known their lover is their person. The song is one of the two songs on the album that features a bit of a country sound.

It’s the perfect song for a romantic or angsty playlist. 

‘8’

Kehlani brought the s*xual and made it classy with their song ‘8’. The song samples Kwamé’s 1990 song ‘Ownlee Eue’. In the chorus, we hear Kehlani giving us a math lesson while chanting ‘8’. ‘I’m in the mood, you know what to do; treat this like some food,” they unapologetically sing on the track. If they’re trying to mesmerize someone, they’re doing a good job at it. While it’s the shortest song on the album, it’s one of the catchiest.

We could say many things about this song, but we might be here forever if we do. Kehlani wanted to show their freaky side, and they did that! We believe that they ‘8’ this song up and left no crumbs. 

If you need a song to add to your late-night drive or self-love playlist, we 10/10 recommend this be part of them.

‘Sucia’ (feat. Jill Scott & Young Miko)

‘Sucia’ features two artists: Jill Scott and Young Miko. Jill Scott kicks off the song with a spoken word intro, while Young Miko sings the chorus with Kehlani and sings in Spanish on the third verse. Having Young Miko sing on the record in Spanish is very fitting for the song, as “sucia” is the Spanish word for “dirty.” The track is seductive, with themes centered around confidence and discussing the nature of s*xuality.

Kehlani knew what they were doing when they enlisted Jill Scott on the track. Jill Scott, paired with Kehlani, and Young Miko brought a seductive and nasty side to them with their unique spins. They weren’t afraid to speak their minds and say how they felt. Kehlani sings “Came across an oasis in the Mojave, follow any instructions of your body,“ and honestly, we’re a little lost for words, but we can say that about a lot of the lyrics on the album. Being at a loss for words is a good thing!

This could be a great song for a playlist centering around feminine energy, empowerment, s*xuality, or confidence.

‘Better Not’

The theme of ‘Better Not’ is jealousy. Kehlani finds themselves singing to someone who while they might be intimate with, isn’t theirs. While they know they have a no-strings-attached relationship Kehlani would rather not see the other person with anyone that isn’t them. “I don’t wanna have to make you choose I see the way you look at me and I bruise,“ they sing letting it be known they’re not trying to put the person in the middle of anything.

This is the second track on the album that gives off a country vibe. We were rocking the entire song. If Kehlani was trying to get into their Cowboy Carter mindset, they did it and did it well.

What playlist would this be a good song for? One about jealousy or a summer fling.

‘Tears’ (feat. Omah Lay)

This is another song on Kehlani’s album that features another artist. This time they enlist Afrobeats artist Omah Lay to be on the track with them. The song features an Afrobeats sound. The song’s theme is all about healing. Kehlani gets candid and puts their feelings first. They ask the person they’re singing to, “Are you just needing a little love right now? Why you got teardrops in the club?”

They deserve the happiness and none of the mess the person they’re singing about put them through. We can and will say that Kehlani is worth missing, so if they’re not missing them, then something’s wrong, because they deserve the best.

‘Tears’ is the perfect pair for a breakup playlist or about wanting to heal from someone or something.

‘Vegas’

“What happens in ‘Vegas‘ stays in ‘Vegas'”. In Kehlani’s case, “what happens here stays here; it’s just like Vegas.” It might be safe to say that Vegas could be one of Kehlani’s favorite places, as they both created a track titled ‘Vegas’ and their ‘After Hours’ music video was shot in Sin City. The themes surrounding the track are escapism and romance. The song is about Kehlani wanting to be spontaneous and show the person they were done with beforehand a risky side of them that will stay between them.

‘Chapel’ is fitting for any playlist about a serious relationship, a future wedding, or love.

Need an addition to your playlist centered around a night drive or escaping from the world? Look no further. 

‘Deep’

 Kehlani gets deep on their song ‘Deep’. The themes of the song are loneliness and vulnerability. They aren’t afraid to speak about their upbringing, past, or being a hardworker. Kehlani sings, “Came from sleeping on a mattress; that’s deep. Came from sleeping on the bare concrete,” letting us know they don’t forget where they came from.

We love that they speak about things that they’ve gone through. Not all R&B singers tend to be like that nowadays, and it’s refreshing when one does. The song does feature a choir in parts of the song, which can be a hit and miss for some people depending on how you feel about a choir feature. For us, we enjoyed it.

This song is best suited for a chill or low-key playlist you listen to when alone.

‘Chapel’

The second-to-last track on the album is ‘Chapel’. Kehlani explores the themes of commitment and romance. There’s also a theme revolving around marriage that they sing about. Kehlani doesn’t like their time wasted and wants to do more and be more with their significant other, even though the person has put them through a lot. They want to do something different for traditions, singing, “We ain’t gettin’ younger; let’s do somethin’ new, and our time is borrowed; give me somethin’ blue.”

It’s evident through the lyrics that Kehlani is in love and got it bad, at least in the aspect of the song. We’re not mad about it. There’s nothing wrong with being in love because it can make for great songs. ‘Chapel’ is proof of that. We’re in our feelings with Kehlani on this one.

‘Lose My Wife’

The final and closing track of Kehlani’s album CRASH is ‘Lose My Wife’. The themes behind the track are flirtation, guilt, and fear. Kehlani is found in a situation where they had a night out at the club that involved drinking and flirting with other women and because of it they believe they’re going to end up losing their wife. “And if I make it home, damn, I would feel so wrong, I’ve been wildin’ out tonight,” they sing during the pre-chorus.

They got married on the last track, and now they’re about to lose their wife. Whoever Kehlani was flirting with at the club had to be something for them to get to this point. We’re hoping they don’t lose their wife before they release their next project, let alone release the tour dates for their next tour. 

This song would go well on a playlist about the loss of a relationship, a night in, or guilt.

Are you looking for an album to have on repeat this summer? We recommend putting Kehlani’s new album CRASH in rotation. Kehlani gives us all the vocals and feels with this release. While there’s no word of a tour on Sunday, July 21, and Friday, August 2 they’ll be putting on an exclusive Vegas residency. If you want to know more, check out the website for LIV Las Vegas at the Fontainebleau.

Have you already given Kehlani’s CRASH a listen? If so, what do you think? What are your favorite songs? Let us know in the comments below or by contacting us on our socials via @thehoneypop, Facebook, or Instagram.

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