By the mid-2010s, a number of contemporary R&B women singers had sprung up: there was the psychedelic soul of Jhené Aiko, the moody alternative R&B of Tinashe, and the neo-soul of SZA. Among that class was Kehlani, an artist bridging the gap between classic and modern R&B.
You Should Be Here Kehlani Zip 15
That desire to share her story in hopes that others may resonate with it is central to You Should Be Here. In a 2015 interview with Peter Rosenberg, she opened up about her rough childhood in Oakland, where she was raised by her aunt after her father died, as well as her mom being in and out of jail.
While many artists or labels look to dance or EDM producers for their remix projects, Kehlani stuck to her own brand of futuristic R&B, with minimal electro elements, and sparse ethereal synths, making sure her vocals are still center stage on each track.
Kehlani doesn't waste much time: after a short intro, she delivers the album's first cooed line, "I'm looking right at you, but you're not here," immediately suggesting the unknowability of intimacy. She's addressing a lover, but that line could apply to anyone with whom she is closely connected: siblings, parents or friends -- they're drifting apart, and she doesn't get why.
Many of the songs on You Should Be Here channel the same heady mixture of longing and uncertainty. In "The Letter," Kehlani refuses to name a subject until the last possible moment. "Your words were supposed to get me through my heart ache," Kehlani sings. "Maybe I didn't deserve you. Maybe I just couldn't cure you." This could be about any betrayal or disappointment -- until she suddenly drills down into details more than 2/3 of the way through the song: "every girl needs a mother." "Wanted" describes a newly-made connection, possibly fresh love, but the vocabulary of spiritual uplift in the song comes straight from gospel, as if she's found religion. There's courage here in holding back, a defiant choice to keep things ambiguous.
"Wanted" mixes chirping samples with a harpsichord-like sound: although Kehlani is based in Oakland, she doesn't rely on the production style that defines, unites, and sometimes constrains many of the young artists coming out of the Bay Area. She picks instrumentals that weave twitchy splotches of manipulated vocals around the beat -- part Kanye soul-rap, part the Weeknd -- especially on the martial title track. Young R&B singers often pick a mode they like and stick to it (for better or worse), but here the music never gets get stale: "How That Taste" jolts forward with imperial swagger. A couple tracks later, "N----s" borrows from the '90s for a sweet, wordless opening, and then double backs with a statement of power.
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