Album - SweetSexySavageArtiste - Kehlani Record Label - TNSMI/Atlantic (2017)Duration- 62 minutes
Kehlani Parrish has always been part buzz, part chaos. 21 years and counting, the singer and TV personality has experienced both sides of what the culture has to offer; she has both been rewarded and punished, celebrated and berated, adored and attacked.
The singer from Oakland was in a strong relationship with NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving and was believed to be in quite the dream relationship. The two inundated social media feeds with their happiness and endless photos showcasing their love for one another.
But one day in March, Kehlani’s ex, PARTYNEXTDOOR, destroyed her Irving romance by posting a picture of the singer laying in his bed. And the consequences were disastrous. Kehlani was attacked by the media for her decision to run back to PARTY despite being with her soon-to-be NBA champion.
The pressure nearly destroyed her heart, and threw her into a depression that almost forced her towards suicide. She deleted her Instagram and disappeared for a while. Kehlani needed to recharge and rediscover herself after that tumultuous ordeal.
And then she turned to art for expression, and we have “SweetSexySavage”. The album is honest, tells the truth in unflinching ways, and displays quite the attitude that R&B deserves for all its sensuality.
‘Piece Of Mind’ is a song about resetting life, and starting anew, while her tough upbringing is addressed in ‘Not used to it’. Kehlani was once homeless, and came up from nothing in the hood. It is that hoodness that sometimes overshadow her goodness, and she warns her lover about it in ‘Do U dirty’.
On the love angle, Akon is sampled on ‘Undercover’, and ‘Advice’ deals with the realization that love hurts sometimes. Kehlani fancies women, and although she rarely indulges in that side of the sexual spectrum, she is not restricted from fancying pretty women. That’s why ‘Distraction’ is in existence on this project.
There’s laid-out cohesion on the project, and she pulls off R&B without hitting monotony, or sacrificing dynamism. Kehlani is a singer with distinct talent, and she makes music from the soul. And for all this, she is thankful for what life has offered her, which is why ‘Thank You’ is filled with Thanksgiving. ‘Holding on the edge’ is a lesson in immersive reggae, created by looped chants and something spiritual.
Rating 3.5/5.
Ratings Board
1-Dull2-Boring2.5-Average3-Worth Checking Out3.5-Hot4-Smoking Hot4.5-Amazing5-Perfection