Alanté Serene | July 31, 2024
When I first heard Kehlani’s debut mixtape, it was a comfort that reminded me of home. The proud Oakland, Calif. native was 19 years old when that project dropped, and so was I. The tracklist was exactly what I needed as a new Washington, D.C. transplant, thousands of miles away from all of my loved ones in the Bay Area. Over the past decade I’ve followed Kehlani along their journey, growing with them as we both experienced young adulthood. Vulnerability is their superpower, and that power was put to the test at the Tiny Desk, where Kehlani succeeds with flying colors.

“It’s been a long time coming. I definitely know I’m overdue for doing this [Tiny Desk],” Kehlani says in their set. The journey starts with “Nights Like This,” the heartbreak single from their 2019 mixtape, While We Wait. Then, Kehlani switches gears into “Distraction,” from their debut album SweetSexySavage, followed by an effortless merge into “The Way,” from the 2015 project, You Should Be Here.

After the sultry sounds of “Can I,” Kehlani parks their performance for a moment. “I want to take a second to say: Free Palestine. Free Congo. Free Sudan. Free Yemen. Free Hawaii. Free Guam,” they say. “It’s deeper than this. I need everybody that’s here right now, everybody that’s watching, to step up, to use their voices.” The set then accelerates into “After Hours,” the groovy, summertime anthem from their latest album, CRASH. Kehlani conquers the Desk with raw and real talent, setting them up for a future in music that is full of possibilities. I’m eager to see their next destination.

SET LIST
“Nights Like This”
“Distraction”
“The Way”
“Can I”
“After Hours”

MUSICIANS
Kehlani: lead vocals
Freaky Rob: guitar, musical direction
Doctor O: keys
Simba: bass
Jermaine Poindexter: drums
Karyn Porter: vocals
Chelsea West: vocals
Jasmine Patton: vocals

TINY DESK TEAM
Producers: Alanté Serene, Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Hannah Gluvna
Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Grace Raver
Audio Engineer: Phil Edfors
Production Assistant: Elle Mannion
Photographer: Keren Carrión
Tiny Desk Team: Kara Frame, Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#kehlani #nprmusic #tinydesk