Kehlani

Album: A Jaguar's Dream (2024)
Charted: 8 24
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Originally hailing from London, Jordan Adetunji is a Northern Irish alternative hip-hop artist based in Belfast.

    In this song, a confident and independent woman captivates Adetunji. He admires her looks, her self-assurance, and her ability to achieve her goals on her own. In the chorus, he likens her beauty and confidence to that of singer Kehlani, using fire and water metaphors to convey the intensity of his feelings.
  • Adetunji wrote "Kehlani" himself, with production by Prodbyli and VillaBeatz. The track incorporates a sample from Summer Walker's 2019 track "Potential."
  • Released as a single on May 19, 2024, Adetunji teased the track on TikTok four days earlier, posting a snippet with the caption, "Bro wrote a whole song about Kehlani, but why it kinda go hard," accompanied by a flurry of popular hashtags.

    On May 23, Kehlani herself posted a pair of TikToks where she vibes and lip-syncs to the track, giving it her personal endorsement.
  • It was a chance encounter with a Logan Paul's IMPAULSIVE podcast featuring Kehlani in 2023 that sparked this song. Inspired by the California singer's powerful image as a successful, independent woman, Adetunji found the perfect muse for his breakthrough single.

    "I was watching an interview on IMPAULSIVE podcast. It was in my living room, and I remember saying to my brother, 'Damn. [Kehlani] looks great,'" Adetunji recalled to Billboard. "But it wasn't just that... It was how much she's done over the years, and still been able to be such an uplifting person and a boss in her own way. I have always wanted to write a song about a woman who is a boss, creative in her way, and leads in her strides. For me, it just made sense. She was the picture of that. That's why I put her name in there."
  • Adetunji was hesitant about releasing a song referencing Kehlani, but his adventurous spirit prevailed. "At the start, I was feeling like, "Ooh. Should I do that? How is it gonna go? This can go wrong," but I'm a risk-taker. I don't care," he told Billboard. "I'm gonna post this. It is what it is today. That's why I'm happy I took that risk. Writing a song about someone, they might not mess with it, but she was a good sport. She's really been supportive this whole process. Shout out to her for that, for real."
  • Jordan Adetunji released a remix of "Kehlani" featuring the song's namesake on August 2, 2024. "Working with Kehlani has been a great experience because I've been able to see her process, and how she sings, how she places things, and how she says her words," he said.
  • Adetunji always wanted Kehlani to guest on the track but was too shy to ask her himself. "She hit me up and said, 'So am I gonna get the open verse?' and I was like, 'That's crazy!'" he explained to NME. "She was in the studio, and I needed to send her the file, so I was in the middle of the club trying to search for the right file; I'd named it something so dumb! I managed to get it to her, and she locked in on that one. The remix came out fire."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Boy Bands

Boy BandsFact or Fiction

From NKOTB to 1D, how well do you know your boy bands?

Brandi Carlile

Brandi CarlileSongwriter Interviews

As a 5-year-old, Brandi was writing lyrics to instrumental versions lullabies. She still puts her heart into her songs, including the one Elton John sings on.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?