Kehlani

Biography

Kehlani Ashley Parrish ( kay-LAH-nee; born April 24, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. They initially started as a member of the teen pop group PopLyfe in 2011 as a contestant on America's Got Talent. After leaving the group, Parrish self-released the mixtapes Cloud 19 (2014) and You Should Be Here (2015), both of which were critically acclaimed and received gold certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), while the latter marked their first entry on the US Billboard 200 and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards.
Kehlani signed with Atlantic Records to release their debut studio album, SweetSexySavage×SweetSexySavage27 January 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Intro1:002Keep On3:383Distraction3:564Piece of Mind4:195Undercover3:036CRZY3:127Personal3:478Not Used to It3:569Everything Is Yours3:3210Advice3:2311Do U Dirty3:2612Escape3:2213Too Much3:4914Get Like2:5515In My Feelings3:4716Hold Me by the Heart3:4517Thank You3:4918I Wanna Be3:3219Gangsta2:58 (2017), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, while their second, It Was Good Until It Wasn't (2020), peaked at number two. Their third album, Blue Water Road×blue water road29 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1little story3:182any given sunday2:453shooter interlude1:594wish i never3:035up at night3:026get me started2:497everything interlude0:358more than i should3:209altar4:0410melt3:3111tangerine2:5912everything3:2713wondering/wandering2:55 (2022), peaked at number 13 on the chart and was met with critical acclaim, while their fourth, Crash (2024), peaked at number 25. Their 2025 single, "Folded×Folded12 June 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Folded3:58", from their eponymous fifth album, Kehlani (2026), peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

Early life

Kehlani Ashley Parrish was born on April 24, 1995, in Oakland, California. They were adopted and raised by their aunt when their mother, who had a drug addiction, served time in jail. Kehlani's father, who also had a drug addiction, died when they were a toddler. During their teenage years, they attended the Oakland School for the Arts, where they initially practiced dance, particularly ballet and modern dance.
Early in their life, Kehlani aspired to train as a dancer at the Juilliard School, but they had a knee injury in junior high, which led them to turn their attention towards singing. While living with their aunt, Kehlani was exposed almost exclusively to R&B and neo soul artists, such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, whom today they describe as some of their early musical influences. When they were 14, Kehlani was recruited to join a local pop cover band, PopLyfe.

2009–2013: Beginnings with PopLyfe

Kehlani's singing career effectively began when they started out as a member and lead vocalist for the group called PopLyfe. The band's music was produced by former Tony! Toni! Tone! member D'Wayne Wiggins. Within two years, the group performed throughout the Bay Area and other cities. In 2011, they auditioned for the sixth season of America's Got Talent, and eventually finished in fourth place. During their final appearance, judge Piers Morgan told Kehlani, "You've got real talent, but I don't think you need the group."
After the end of America's Got Talent, Kehlani left PopLyfe, because of several managerial and contractual disputes. Over six months, they avoided doing anything music related to avoid being sued by the group's management. In 2012 and 2013, Kehlani was effectively homeless, moving from house to house and often sleeping on couches. During their senior year of high school, they moved to Los Angeles, California, with no legal guardian. In 2013, Nick Cannon, who had been the host of America's Got Talent during PopLyfe's run, called Kehlani to ask about being in a rap group. They agreed at first and went to Los Angeles, but, ultimately didn't like the direction of the group and moved back to Oakland. To help with money and food, they decided to begin stealing iPhones to sell, and items from grocery stores for a short time. Months later, Kehlani released their first solo track on SoundCloud, called "ANTISUMMERLUV". Cannon called back after hearing the song and he bought them an apartment in LA, along with studio time.

2014–2017: SweetSexySavage

In 2014, the studio time culminated in the release of their first mixtape, called Cloud 19×Cloud 1926 August 2014 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1FWU3:232As I Am4:123Get Away3:204Deserve Better2:275How We Do Us3:3961st Position3:117Act a Fool2:568Tell Your Mama2:25. The mixtape features guest appearances from Kyle Dion. Cannon also sent them to New York City to work with record producer Jahaan Sweet. The mixtape ranked at twenty-eighth on Complex's list of the "50 Best Albums of 2014," and was also listed among Pitchfork's "Overlooked Mixtapes 2014." A song they released in late 2014, "Till the Morning" was placed by Billboard as one of the "Emerging Picks of the Week" on November 7, 2014. In 2015, Kehlani opened for American rapper G-Eazy on the second leg of his From the Bay to the Universe tour.
On April 28, 2015, they released their second mixtape You Should Be Here×You Should Be Here27 April 2015 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Intro2:192You Should Be Here2:383How That Taste2:334Jealous3:395Wanted2:116The Way4:237Unconditional2:368The Letter3:529Runnin’ (interlude)2:1810Be Alright2:5511Down for You3:4812Yet2:3013Bright4:1714Alive3:08. Billboard called it the "year's first great R&B album", when it debuted at number five on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The project featured guest appearances from fellow American rapper Chance the Rapper and American singer BJ the Chicago Kid. A week after the release, they announced that they had signed a deal to Atlantic Records. In support of the mixtape, they embarked on the You Should Be Here tour, which sold out every North American date and select European dates. Throughout 2015, they also received individual plaudits: Complex called their one of the "15 Artists to Watch Out for in 2015" and Rolling Stone named them one of the "10 New Artists You Need to Know". You Should Be Here also earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. In March 2016, Kehlani guest featured on English singer Zayn's single "Wrong×wRoNg16 May 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1wRoNg3:32" from his debut solo studio album Mind of Mine. Their song "Gangsta×Gangsta1 August 2016 · Single · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Gangsta2:57" was featured on the soundtrack for the August 2016 hit movie Suicide Squad, which gave them and their music some beneficial recognition, as it reached number 41 on the Hot 100.
On November 26, 2016, Kehlani revealed the title of their debut studio album SweetSexySavage×SweetSexySavage27 January 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 19 tracks1Intro1:002Keep On3:383Distraction3:564Piece of Mind4:195Undercover3:036CRZY3:127Personal3:478Not Used to It3:569Everything Is Yours3:3210Advice3:2311Do U Dirty3:2612Escape3:2213Too Much3:4914Get Like2:5515In My Feelings3:4716Hold Me by the Heart3:4517Thank You3:4918I Wanna Be3:3219Gangsta2:58, which was released on Atlantic Records on January 27, 2017. In December 2017, Kehlani guest featured on American rapper Eminem's single "Nowhere Fast" from his ninth studio album Revival. Kehlani's third annual Tsunami Christmas tour concluded in Santa Ana, California on December 18, 2017.

2018–2023: It Was Good Until It Wasn't and Blue Water Road

Kehlani served as an opening act on American singer Demi Lovato's Tell Me You Love Me World Tour in North America, which started on February 26, 2018, and concluded on April 2. They then opened on American singer Halsey's Hopeless Fountain Kingdom World Tour on the Oceania leg during April 2018. In March 2018, Kehlani guest featured on American singer Charlie Puth's single "Done for Me" from his second studio album, Voicenotes. In April 2018, they guest-featured on American rapper Cardi B's single "Ring" from her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy. The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Kehlani's first song to enter the top 40 of the chart.
On February 22, 2019, their third commercial mixtape While We Wait×While We Wait21 February 2019 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Footsteps4:332Too Deep2:473Nunya4:054Morning Glory2:595Feels3:016Nights Like This3:227RPG3:568Butterfly2:449Love Language3:33 was released by Atlantic Records and debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 and sold 34,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. It was supported by the singles "Nights Like This×Nights Like This11 January 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Nights Like This3:22" featuring Ty Dolla Sign, "Nunya" featuring Dom Kennedy, and "Butterfly".
On September 27, 2019, Kehlani and Russian-German DJ Zedd released the collaborative single "Good Thing×Good Thing26 September 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Good Thing3:31." Kehlani and American singer Teyana Taylor's then released the single "Morning×Morning1 November 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Morning4:14" in November of that year.
On January 28, 2020, Kehlani guest-featured on singer Justin Bieber's promotional single "Get Me" from his fifth studio album, Changes. They were also set to be a supporting act alongside American rapper and singer Jaden Smith for Bieber's Changes Tour, which was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour was pushed back to 2022 and renamed the Justice World Tour to support both Changes and its successor, Bieber's sixth studio album, Justice (2021), although Kehlani was dropped as an opening act. Kehlani released their second studio album, It Was Good Until It Wasn't on May 8, 2020. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, based on 83,000 album-equivalent units earned (including 25,000 copies of pure album sales).
In September 2020, Kehlani recorded songs for the deluxe version of It Was Good Until It Wasn't. However, after the session they decided that the songs would fit better on a separate project, and began working on their third studio album, Blue Water Road×blue water road29 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1little story3:182any given sunday2:453shooter interlude1:594wish i never3:035up at night3:026get me started2:497everything interlude0:358more than i should3:209altar4:0410melt3:3111tangerine2:5912everything3:2713wondering/wandering2:55. On September 14, 2021, Kehlani revealed the teaser for Blue Water Road, and announced that the album will be released later that year. The album's lead single "Altar×Altar15 September 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Altar4:03" was released on September 15. The second single, "Little Story", was released on February 24, 2022. On March 30, Kehlani released "Up at Night", featuring Justin Bieber, as the third single from the album, while the album was confirmed for an April 29 release.
To support the album, Kehlani embarked on the Blue Water Road Trip tour in the US and Europe from July to December 2022. The tour had opening acts Rico Nasty and Destin Conrad. In 2023, Kehlani was the headliner for concert performances at the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game and the 2023 MLS All-Star Game.

2024–present: Crash, While We Wait 2 and Kehlani

On April 4, 2024, Kehlani released the lead single "After Hours×After Hours5 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1After Hours3:22" ahead of their next album. Kehlani affirmed their support for Palestine, expressing their stance in their music video "Next 2 U". The video, which premiered on May 31, 2024, began with a poem by Palestinian-American writer Hala Alyan and the demonstration chant "Long Live the Intifada", an allusion to the 1987 uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the music video's outro, Kehlani vocalized a personally penned message dedicated to the Palestinian children who were killed in the Gaza war. Kehlani's fourth album, Crash×CRASH21 June 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1GrooveTheory4:042Next 2 U2:423After Hours3:224What I Want2:515Crash2:31684:097Sucia2:438Better Not2:559Tears3:4710Vegas2:2611Deep3:5512Chapel2:45, was released on June 21, 2024, and featured collaborations with Jill Scott, Omah Lay and Young Miko. Their fourth mixtape, While We Wait 2×While We Wait 228 August 2024 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Love Like2:112When He’s Not There4:313Clothes Off3:524S.I.N.G.L.E.3:585Know Better3:256Border3:167Form of You4:258Let Me Down (San Diego interlude)3:339Around3:3810Ballin’3:0211First Life4:1612Slow Dance5:46138 (remix)2:5314After Hours (remix)3:28, was released on August 28, 2024. It included 14 songs with features from Lucky Daye, kwn, Vince Staples, FLO, Destin Conrad, Lil' Mo, and DIXSON. Kehlani states that the album only took two weeks to record and was done all at home. The cover art nods to the original While We Wait album cover, featuring them staring at themself in the mirror with a floral wallpaper in the background. They also collaborated with GloRilla on a Christmas-themed trap song, which was released on December 13, 2024.
On June 11, 2025, Kehlani released the single "Folded×Folded12 June 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Folded3:58"; the song went on to peak at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, and won Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. On October 24, 2025, they released the "Folded Homage Pack×Folded Homage Pack24 October 2025 · EP · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Folded (remix)3:372Folded (remix)4:193Folded (remix)3:554Folded (remix)4:075Folded (remix)4:346Folded (remix)3:03" digitally, which included remixes featuring singers Brandy, JoJo, Mario, Ne-Yo, Tank, and Toni Braxton. On November 7, 2025, they released the single "Out the Window×Out the Window7 November 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Out the Window4:17", releasing the official music video on November 27, 2025.
On April 10, 2026, Kehlani released the single "Back and Forth×Back and Forth10 April 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Back and Forth3:35", featuring rapper Missy Elliott; the third single from her self-titled fifth album, which was released on April 24, 2026, peaked at number 25 on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. "Shoulda Never" was released on the same day as the album, as the fourth official single.

Personal life

In January 2016, it was confirmed that Kehlani was in a relationship with star NBA point guard Kyrie Irving. In March 2016, Canadian singer PartyNextDoor posted a picture of Kehlani's hand on Instagram, insinuating that they were in bed together. This caused a media controversy across Twitter, in which abuse was tweeted against Kehlani in hundreds of thousands of posts. Kehlani attempted suicide shortly thereafter. Irving later stated on Twitter that the pair had broken up before the incident. Kehlani took to social media to explain that they did not cheat on Irving in a public statement to acknowledge their attempted suicide in the wake of the media attention. In 2018, Irving penned an apology to Kehlani via an Instagram post, expressing appreciation towards the singer, and they responded wishing him well.
On September 6, 2019, it was confirmed that Kehlani was dating American rapper YG, but after three months of dating, Kehlani and YG broke up. However, the two released a collaborative single for Valentine's Day, "Konclusions×Konclusions14 February 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Konclusions2:51", on February 14, 2020. In May 2020, during an interview with The Breakfast Club, Kehlani said that they discovered that YG was cheating on them after seeing his phone. YG apologized by filling their lawn with roses. Kehlani added that they do not speak, but remain cordial.
Kehlani announced that they were pregnant with their first child, a girl, on Instagram on October 12, 2018, with the father being Javaughn Young-White, who plays guitar for Kehlani. They opened up in December 2018 about prenatal depression and how their pregnancy is harder than it might look. In 2019, Kehlani gave birth to a daughter at home.
Between their second and third studio albums, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t×It Was Good Until It Wasn’t8 May 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Toxic2:482Can I3:003Bad News3:064Real Hot Girl Skit0:165Water2:036Change Your Life3:117Belong to the Streets Skit0:278Everybody Business2:459Hate the Club4:3910Serial Lover2:2611F&MU2:1512Can You Blame Me3:0313Grieving3:5114Open (Passionate)4:0615Lexii’s Outro1:44 and Blue Water Road×blue water road29 April 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1little story3:182any given sunday2:453shooter interlude1:594wish i never3:035up at night3:026get me started2:497everything interlude0:358more than i should3:209altar4:0410melt3:3111tangerine2:5912everything3:2713wondering/wandering2:55, they stated they went through a spiritual detox in order to get out of a toxic cycle with themself. After their breakup with YG and near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they stripped themself down emotionally and began writing Blue Water Road to process this change. In the summer of 2020, Kehlani bought a small farm in Simi Valley, California, where they live with their daughter. They were in a relationship with the 070 collective member, Danielle Balbuena, better known as 070 Shake. In 2020, Kehlani started practicing the African diasporic religion La Regla de Ocha.
In 2024, Kehlani was briefly married to A&R and music executive Mariel Gomerez, before Gomerez filed for a marriage annulment three months later citing fraud and infidelity. In October 2025, Kehlani confirmed that they were in a relationship with British singer and rapper Kwn.
Kehlani is a vegan. They have spoken about their past experiences being a survivor of sexual assault and rape.
Kehlani has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and bipolar disorder.

In politics

Kehlani expressed solidarity with Palestine during the Gaza war. In Instagram posts, they voiced disapproval for celebrities who have chosen to remain silent on the matter, implying that those celebrities prioritize their personal business endeavors over addressing a pressing humanitarian crisis. They were a principal signer of the October 2023 open letter, Artists Against Apartheid.
In November 2023, Kehlani signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. On May 27, 2024, Kehlani voiced their criticism on Instagram, this time directed specifically at fellow musicians for remaining silent about the Gaza–Israel conflict in Palestine. They further demonstrated their support for Gaza in the “Next 2 U” music video, which opens up with a poem by a Palestinian American writer and has a Palestinian flag in the background of the entire video.
In April 2025, Kehlani's scheduled performance at Cornell University's annual Slope Day was canceled by university president Michael Kotlikoff over their support for Palestine. Kotlikoff claimed that Kehlani had "espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos, and on social media." In response, they responded on Instagram saying, "I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I am anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women—that’s what I’m anti."
In May 2025, another scheduled Kehlani concert in New York was canceled after pressure from New York City mayor Eric Adams citing "security concerns." The free concert had been scheduled to take place on June 26 at SummerStage as part of Pride events taking place in the city, but was canceled after first deputy mayor Randy Mastro sent a letter to event organizers threatening to revoke their license and refer the matter to police to investigate if the event was a "risk to public safety." The event was canceled in the midst of ongoing backlash against Kehlani's pro-Palestine views.

Sexuality and gender identity

In April 2018, they spoke about their sexuality on Twitter, stating, "I'm queer. Not bi, not straight. I'm attracted to women, men, REALLY attracted to queer men, non-binary people, intersex people, trans people. lil poly pansexual". After that, during a livestream in early 2021, Kehlani announced that they are a lesbian, after having publicly identified as queer and pansexual in the past. They prefer polyamorous relationships. They have stated that it is important for them to include female pronouns in their music.
In an April 2019 interview with Diva, Kehlani stated they are "definitely on the non-binary scale" despite preferring "she" pronouns. In December 2020, Kehlani updated their pronouns on Twitter to "she/they". In an interview with Byrdie Magazine in 2021, they stated their preference for "they" over "she", because "something feels really affirming when people say they", and that "it feels like you really see me".

Tattoos

Kehlani got their first tattoo when they were 16. Some of their tattoos include Coraline, Regina "Reggie" Rocket, Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega dancing, Lauryn Hill, Frida Kahlo, a sleeve of roses, a sunflower, and face tattoos of a paper plane and four dots.
In an interview with Power 106, Kehlani discusses their attempted suicide was due to the negative media response as well as their first major heartbreak. They state that their album was therapeutic through their difficult time. During their recovery, they got a tattoo that says "perdida y encontrada" which in English translates to "lost and found".
On their travels to Australia during August 2017, Kehlani received a "Kirituhi", a Māori tattoo from a New Zealand artist, whom they flew from New Zealand to Sydney, Australia to complete. On Kehlani's Instagram post, they captioned the photo: "[T]he piece representing my whānau/family, 6 koru representing my 4 siblings here on earth and the 2 that have transferred into the next life. 2 mangopare/hammerhead sharks representing guidance and strength through adversity and tribulation."
On January 5, 2018, Kehlani posted a photo to Instagram showing that their hand tattoo of the word "woke" had been covered up with a lotus flower; they stated that they felt that their "hand would speak for [them] before [they] even got a chance to open [their] mouth".

Entrepreneurship in activism

In tandem with the release of their single "Next 2 U" in 2024, they unveiled merchandise created by Palestinian Nöl Collective creative director and founder Yasmeen Mjalli. The entirety of the proceeds from the sales of the merchandise went towards aiding Palestinian, Congolese and Sudanese families in collaboration with Operation Olive Branch.