Kehlani

Biography

Kehlani Ashley Parrish is an American singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. Kehlani is originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen group Poplyfe in 2011.

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.

In 2014, Kehlani released their first commercial mixtape, Cloud 19. The mixtape was listed as one of the Complex’s “50 Best Albums of 2014.” Their second commercial mixtape, You Should Be Here (2015), debuted at number 5 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart. In 2016, they were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album for You Should Be Here. Kehlani released their debut studio album, SweetSexySavage, in 2017. They released their second studio album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t in 2020. They released their third studio album Blue Water Road on April 29, 2022.

During a live stream in early 2021, Kehlani announced that they identify as a lesbian, after having publicly identified as queer and pansexual in the past. They are polyamorous. In April 2018, they clarified 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”. They have stated that it is important for them to include female pronouns in their music.