A pop singer’s debut album is the best chance for artist and management to craft the perfect personality. It’s a product launch, and as such involves the same kind of testing (dropping mixtapes), market research (support slots) and brand adjustments you might expect if you were unveiling a smartphone, or political candidate. If this all goes well, the challenge then switches to maintaining relevance in a topsy turvy outside world.
‘SweetSexySavage’ is presented as Kehlani’s debut but it follows up both the hugely popular single Gangsta, which appeared on the Suicide Squad soundtrack, and the Grammy-nominated mixtape ‘You Should Be Here’, on which she worked closely with producer Jahaan Sweet.
As such, the album represents Kehlani’s first outing as the chief creative force but, with over 30 songwriters and producers credited, the result is a little convoluted. One attempt to offset that confusion, though, is by paying homage to ‘90s R&B.
This is suggested in the TLC-esque title, but more meaningfully on tracks like Too Much, Piece of Mind and Personal. These songs are rich with low-slung melodies and vibrato-free vocal blends, which recall En Vogue and early Destiny’s Child. In Kehlani’s hands, they are shot through with her sweary-yet-confessional vocals, which feel fresh-ish.
Another nice, if inconsistent, touch is the prudent production choice to not over-treat her vocals. This works well on the album’s standout track, Escape, which manages to survive the seemingly relentless dual jackboots of auto-tune and compression. However, songs such as Everything is Yours and Distraction are not so fortunate and otherwise elegant melodies are over-produced into sterility.
Kehlani’s lyrics - not her vocals - are the ace here. The raw charge that emanated from her previous work is particularly noticeable on tracks like Not Used to It, where she muses on emotional inexperience on both sides of the gender divide, and lead single CRZY. Here she confronts the ever-present menace of misogyny with lyrical brio, while alluding to a tough-spirited social conscience: “If I gotta be a bitch, Imma be a bad one […] And it made me more of an assassin/ I kill ‘em, kill ‘em, I kill ‘em with compassion.”
Ultimately, ‘SweetSexySavage’ is an excellent showcase but - maybe because of the recent political situation - it also feels strangely dated. Is it churlish to expect more direct social commentary from someone in their early 20s? It shouldn't be.
The record does exactly what is expected of it, but perhaps the scenery has changed since its conception. A consistent auteur vision would make up for it, but that is lacking here. It sounds like Kehlani and the producers have spent the past 18 months tinkering with their formula, and they haven't looked out the window to see that the sky is on fire.
Kehlani Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue February 28 2017 - DUBLIN Academy
Wed March 01 2017 - GLASGOW O2 ABC Glasgow
Fri March 03 2017 - MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
Sat March 04 2017 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Sun March 05 2017 - LONDON KOKO
Mon March 06 2017 - LONDON KOKO
Wed March 08 2017 - LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
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As such, the album represents Kehlani’s first outing as the chief creative force but, with over 30 songwriters and producers credited, the result is a little convoluted. One attempt to offset that confusion, though, is by paying homage to ‘90s R&B.
