Oakland-raised artist Kehlani is bringing R&B’s roots back to the industry, with a soul-gripping debut album tracklist that will top the charts if its cool intimacy and dark lyrics don’t intimidate the national audience. SweetSexySavage, a nod to TLC’s CrazySexyCool, is easily one of the best debut albums to come out in the past few years, not just in R&B but across all genres. 
Kehlani has a background we’ve all heard before: The struggling artist trying to make it out of the ghetto with drugged-up parents who ditch her at a young age and leave her in poverty. But at only age 20, Kehlani has risen above it all. After a quick semi-successful stint with POPLYFE on America’s Got Talent when she was a teen, she released her first mixtape, Cloud 19, in 2014. Her second mixtape, You Should Be Here, was released in 2015. To understand her music on this new album, one has to understand this history.
SweetSexySavage runs through many themes in Kehlani’s life, like her struggles in the industry, with her mentality, in romantic relationships and commitment in all its forms.
It’s a personal album that isn’t exactly looking for chart-topping hits, but it still demands attention. Obvious album favorites include “CRZY,” an anthem to independent women paving the way in their careers; “Gangsta,” an ode to old ’90s R&B hits about loving the boy on the wrong side of the tracks; and “Distraction,” a proud shoutout to women who are “playas” in the field and aren’t settling for any man. These are the songs that will hit radio stations hard, earn Kehlani praise at the Grammys and top the charts. 
Hidden gems include “Not Used to It”, which dwells on Kehlani’s fear of commitment even at such a young age, and “Piece of Mind,” about struggling with forgetting a past relationship. Of course, there are few minor issues with the album; it’s worth noting the too-long 17 song tracklist. Also, a few tracks feel more like imitations than homages such as “Escape” and “Get Like;” however, Kehlani’s unique voice keeps anything from sounding too much like Rihanna or R&B girl bands of the late ’90s. 
The one-minute “Intro” is also worth a listen, as a recording of a conversation between Kehlani and her grandfather is played. Kehlani explains her heartbreaking struggles to get where she is, saying, “I’ve seen things and I’ve felt more pain than some will in their entire lives / all before the age of even being able to buy a fucking drink at a bar.” It’s a phrase that will still hurt 16 tracks later when you’re listening to silence. And then SweetSexySavage plays again.
Catch Kehlani at WOW Hall in Eugene on April 28. Get your tickets here. Watch the video for “CRZY” below: