Sample Sessions: Kehlani - blue water road

Sam-ple Sess-i-on

1. Noun

No stops. No skips. A one-take review.

Oakland native Kehlani has made their return to our music journals with their highly anticipated third studio album blue water road, a spiritual journey of love, regret, acceptance and frustration. It is a sensual, alluring project that fuses the rose-tinted looking glass that filtered You Should Be Here with the introspective, grown It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. The experience of parenthood and their distance from heteronormativity paint BWR as a progression from the past, it feeds on their recurring motifs of passion and control to illustrate them making peace with the present. Although Kehlani’s music is not a monolith and inter-project comparisons should ideally be kept as such, comparisons, BWR is undeniably freckled with influence from their earlier projects, a tinge of optimism and contentment oozes from songs like altar and up at night that directly opposes SweetSexySavage’s Everything is Yours or Do U Dirty. The young romantic vagabond she embodied in their earlier eras hasn’t so much changed but evolved, birthing a new Kehlani who’s still the same one we all know and love, but just a little more in tune with themselves.

As per the rules, no stops, no skips, no rewinds. This is, blue water road.

little story

Immediately starting blue water road off with a two-second long snippet of ocean waves, Kehlani puts its central themes into perspective with the intro track. It’s an ethereal, sombre guitar joint that focuses the camera on their desire for a healthy, honest love, while juggling with their own character flaws and allowing themselves the liberty of grace. Kehlani writes a narrative of soft nostalgia “you know I love a story, only when you’re the author,” lighting up their perception of their lover, wanting to meet them “at the altar.” Probably the highlight of the track are their diminishing harmonies at the end, that favour those glittering memories of love and affection that we all long to experience again.

Lyrical Content: 9/10

Production: 9/10

Delivery: 10/10

any given sunday (feat. Blxst)

Teaming up with fellow R&B canary Blxst, Kehlani continues the album’s motif of a fresh, healthy relationship with the second track, but this time it’s complimented with subtle material flexes and an air of invigorating domination. The lyrics are simple and to the point, Kehlani’s “touched down in Miami” with nothing on their mind but spending quality time with their beau. Kehlani yearns for the chance to synchronize schedules with their person, airing out all the wonders of the world open to them only if work doesn’t get in the way. A relateable song for many who are navigating the tangible obstacles that come with a new, but exciting love voyage.

Lyrical Content: 7/10

Production: 8/10

Delivery: 7/10

shooter interlude

Although on first listen the lyrics of the third song on BWR are conflicting and out of context, a recent interview saw Kehlani explaining that the many questions, demands and statements that she received after gaining stardom and by extension, wealth, were their muses for the track. She takes a break from the previous ruminations of love to do nothing but talk their talk, albeit in the same harmonic, charming manner we know them for. The first verse of the song sees Kehlani quoting the many questions they got bombarded with upon blowing up, to the end of the track substituting those question marks for the imperative form – moral of the story, she doesn’t owe anyone anything.

Lyrical Content: 9/10

Production: 8/10

Delivery: 9/10

wish i never

A song worthy of getting played at a club, the guitar-heavy sounds of the first three tracks dissipate into the groovy snare-infused wish I never. It’s almost oxymoronic, a funky uptempo track that sees Kehlani’s voice mostly entering a higher key, but the lyrics are drenched in regret and embarrassment at letting themselves fall so deep. They remind themselves that they are a pimp, fitting for a song sampling Slick Rick, but corrode at the remembrance of this mask-like demeanour slipping away so easily at the behest of one person. “Mistakes” in the bathroom, to the kitchen, to the lambo, Kehlani airs out their least proud moments as stylishly as possible.

Lyrical Content: 8/10

Production: 9/10

Delivery: 8/10

up at night (feat. Justin Bieber)

A beautiful transition from wish I never, Kehlani continues with the groovy beats and conflicting emotions with up at night. She recruits lover boy Justin Bieber to paint a picture of after-dark loneliness, accompanied by nothing but semi-intrusive thoughts of their lover. The song consists of Kehlani affirming to themselves and their lover of the many reasons they fell so deep, including a lack of pressure and fate tying them together, making it hard for them and JB to focus or operate when their presence is no longer near. The lyrics are straightforward and catchy, superimposed on bouncy pop production, making for a song with high chart potential and party replays.

Lyrical Content: 7/10

Production: 9/10

Delivery: 8//10

get me started (feat. Syd)

The next addition to BWR is the token slow, sexy alternative R&B jam that’s all so reminiscent of early Kehlani and Syd’s 2017 album fin. The beat’s low tempo and pokes of digital synths make for an alluring flavour that their consistent whispering timbre compliments tastefully. “ain’t gotta do too much,” indeed, the song doesn’t overdo anything but isn’t underwhelming either.

Lyrical Content: 7/10

Production: 9.5/10

Delivery: 9/10

everything interlude

A 35 second intermission of nothing but angelic strings layered on top of each other, signifying a subtle tonal shift in the direction of the album. Only problem with this track is its length, and perhaps that it doesn’t transition straight into its couple song, everything.

Lyrical Content: N/A

Production: 10/10

Delivery: N/A

more than i should (feat. Jessie Reyez)

Kehlani has always had their fair share of feature tracks, where they team up with an artist to create a harmonious vibe, and Jessie Reyez’’s adlibs add another appreciated collaboration to BWR’s feature resume. The funky beat and Reyez’s slightly deeper vocal tone meshed on top of and parallel to Kehlani’s adds dimension to this more generic pop song.

Lyrical Content: 8/10

Production: 8/10

Delivery: 8/10

altar

If the first song of BWR, little story, set in motion the first chapter of the epic narrative, altar acts as the paragon of its themes, the emblematic acclaimed edition within every good franchise. The single was released well ahead of the album’s release, allowing for listeners to get a sneak peek at Kehlani’s new era and journey. Altar is another pop-infused classic love song, where they describe picaresque scenes that romanticize and glorify their lover. It’s a drum-heavy genre-traversing number that compares love to a sunny day, in a recent interview Kehlani opened up about wanting the scope of their music to be boundless and not boxed into R&B, with this track being BWR’s sample of this ideology. Essentially, it’s a stunning melting pot of renaissance idealisation, euphoria and yearning that lays Kehlani’s emotions out bare.

Lyrical Content: 9/10

Production: 8/10

Delivery: 9.5/10

melt

If altar was the epitome of summer from the position of Kehlani’s thoughts, melt intensifies those positive emotions to the point of bordering on obsession. Easily one of the standout tracks in terms of pen alone, melding together lines like “wonder when they see just one do they see us two?” and painting a picture of a somewhat insecure lover probably with separation anxiety, Kehlani truly does melt into the song gracefully. The song is highlighted by its toned-down production that favours accentuating Kehlani’s lyrics and stellar vocals, the muffled background vocals that bless the later portions of the song further glisten the ambiance. It’s clear that the track is dedicated to those lovers who adore their person to the point of wanting to diffuse into their skin, “If I move too quick past you, I would think it’s my reflection” being the third line really puts that intention into perspective.

Lyrical Content: 10/10

Production: 7/10

Delivery: 8/10

tangerine

The first thought I had when listening to tangerine was that it has to be the follow-up to Kehlani’s hit single Honey from 2017. They go by the book with this one, using metaphors of fruits and sweet condiments to describe their lover in the most idealistic way possible. They even zoomorphise themselves to bees at one point, “pollinate my love with yours” and “nectar on my face again” could either be innocently cheesy declarations of adoration or cleverly concealed hints at something foxier. Either way, tangerine is a satisfying amuse-bouche to the final two songs of BWR, which I advocate to be the real showstoppers.

Lyrical Content: 7/10

Production: 7/10

Delivery: 7/10

everything

Kehlani somehow manages to increase the reading on the romance meter with the penultimate track of BWR. They get as candid as possible here, singing to the top of their lungs that not only do they wish to become one with the paragon of their affections, but that literally everything about them stimulates their passion. It’s melt’s only contender in the battle of pen game, but both share the mutual likeness of a life in Shangri-la, an image aided by a soft acoustic guitar, pastel string euphonies and shedding of drums. Contrastingly, the accompanying visuals for everything consist of Kehlani vibing with their friends, all decked out in black bomber jackets and hoodies; if my phone was muted I’d be surprised at what utopic sounds were coupled with the video. It sounds like what the highest peaks of a beautiful relationship feel like, easy to envision it being played at a few weddings.

Lyrical Content: 10/10

Production: 9/10

Delivery: 10/10

wondering/wandering (feat. Ambre and Thundercat)

We get to the final song of BWR with a conclusion on the story Kehlani has painted. They air out all the lessons they’ve learned and questions they’ve answered while on this journey to self-acceptance and actualisation, the young wanderer from previous projects has slowly blossomed through experience: “I had to learn to trust and fall, receive it all, surrender.” All in all, the song erects a pillar of affirmation that we learn from our mistakes, and the future only gets better when those lessons are taken into account. We’re finally greeted with a cameo from Kehlani’s daughter, whose adorable murmurs of “blue water” make it easy to understand the primary inspiration for their metamorphosis.

Lyrical Content: 10/10

Production: 9/10

Delivery: 9/10