A hard-hitting playlist of songs to hype you and your girls before a fun night out.
As a vengeful parting gift to her ex-record label 1501 Certified Entertainment, Megan Thee Stallion mic dropped her new nine-track EP Suga.
With plans to release the album on her late mother’s birthday, May 2, being blocked due to her attempt at renegotiating her contract with the record label. Megan took matters into her own hands by filing a lawsuit against the label demanding that she be removed from the contract. After the Houston-born rapper was granted her request, she took the small window she had to drop her unfinished album on March 6 with no strings attached.
Throughout this album, Megan showcases her versatility as a rap sensation whilst touching base with 90s hip hop and R&B. Megan channels 2Pac in her track “B.I.T.C.H” where she samples his hit song “Rather Be Your N****.” She also uses her talent to incorporate a slow and sensual R&B vibe to the album in her track “What I Need.” The artist carries herself as an influential figure in female empowerment as she embraces her sexuality, diversity and her overall love for contemporary rap.
The fan-favourite “Savage” tackles her self-reflection as she repeats, “Classy, bougie, ratchet/sassy, moody, nasty,” delivering the track with force and intent whilst allowing her audience to exude their true identity and fully accept who they are.
As always, Megan Thee Stallion never fails to deliver. The 24-minute EP is well balanced, incorporating Gunna and Kehlani as key features. The album is yet to be finished so this EP can be considered as an entree to her soon-to-come main dish.
Kehlani stuns with her vocals and tuned harmonies in her new mixtape While We Wait. Cheers to this woman, who while pregnant with her first child, created a bubbly yet, musical R&B gem. With appearances from Musiq Soulchild, Dom Kennedy, 6LACK, and Ty Dolla $ign, the Oakland native continues to impress with her bouncy choreographic-worthy melodies. Tracks like “RPG,” “Nunya”, and “Too Deep” lyrically express the abruption of desire in a digital atmosphere. While the queer artist prolongs her soulful sound into 2019 with her fourth project, she hesitates lyrically on tracks like “Feels” and “Morning Glory.” Overall though, she does not lack in vocal and melodic range. Kehlani, despite her well-earned fame, still carries a humble approach to her music.
Star Bar:
“And when I walked away
I left footsteps in the mud so you could follow me
You’re so bad at holding water, slips right through your fingers
We’d both end up drowning, it would hit the ground
R&B singer performs her new hit album at Club Soda alongside Jahkoy and Ella Mai
With the success of Kehlani’s SweetSexySavage album, the R&B singer and rapper kick-started her SSS tour with her first show in Montreal this week. Kehlani’s music is a beautiful blend of R&B, motown and neo soul. Lyrically, she often speaks up about heartfelt issues in all honesty. A multitude of loving fans gathered for her sold-out show at Club Soda on Feb. 21. Opening the show was Canadian R&B singer and rapper Jahkoy, R&B singer Ella Mai from London and R&B DJ Noodles.
Jahkoy was the first to take the mic. His soulful R&B voice was a great opener for the show. He heated up the audience with his track “California Heaven,” a song that will get you hooked after the first listen and make you want to book the very next flight to Los Angeles. Jahkoy is definitely a young rising star in the world of R&B. Ella Mai was next, taking centre stage to perform tracks from her albums, Time and CHANGE. She also performed her new hit single, “Anymore,” which was released only a few days before the show. Ella Mai revealed such a sweet allure on stage. Her songs are easy to vibe along with because of her classic R&B soft-spoken voice. Both Jahkoy and Ella Mai complemented each other as opening acts for Kehlani’s show.
Jahkoy on the mic, opening for Kehlani. Photo by Kirubel Mehari
The crowd was youthful and vibrant, cheering for the young rising artists. It was inspiring and motivating to be a part of the hype. As DJ Noodles energized the crowd with a mix of old-school hip-hop and R&B tracks, you could feel the anticipation of the fans for Kehlani to take centre stage.
Loud screams, tears of joy on fans’ faces and pure excitement filled the venue as soon as Kehlani stepped on stage alongside her two backup dancers. Kehlani and her dancers gave a killer performance throughout the show with high-energy choreographies. Kehlani’s confidence shined through on stage all night long.In between songs she would talk to the crowd in such a friendly, down-to-earth manner. Through her performances and speeches, it was clear that, in that moment, there was no place she would rather be. She seemed genuinely happy and thankful to be performing on stage.
Fans cheer in admiration when Kehlani take centre stage. Photo by Kirubel Mehari
There was a lot of bonding between the crowd and the R&B star as she shared her feelings. “I’m 21 years old, the same age of most of y’all,” she said. “I’m going to let you know that nothing is too big for you to conquer. Everything in the world can go against you, but give it a few years, months and days. Then you’ll say, ‘I was tripping, let me calm down.’”
She also raised the importance of self-love. She took a moment to have the whole crowd say “I love me” out loud. “One more time everyone, say it, ‘I love me.’ I need y’all to do that every single day,” said Kehlani. Before performing the next song, “Undercover,” Kehlani made it clear that this show was a free, loving space welcome for people of all sexual orientations to openly love each other.
Fans get emotional when Kehlani reaches out to the crowd. Photo by Kirubel Mehari
She sang every song from her new album and also performed a few songs off her 2015 mixtape, You Should Be Here. It’s her bona fide persona on stage and authenticity that makes her music resonate in the depths of her fans’ hearts.
Kehlani is from Oakland, Calif., known as the “Bay Area.” She asked the audience if there were any fans who had come all the way from the Bay Area to see her first show. She was delighted to see the hands of a few hardcore fans rise up in the audience. Before closing the show, Kehlani took the time to thank her fans for reasons beyond just listening to her album. “You guys send support and love every single day. It’s much bigger than listening to the album—you guys ask how my mom is doing, how my cats are doing. You guys have reached out to every single one of my team members,” she said. “This is deeper than a fan base. We’ve been through things together, we are growing up together. So, from the bottom of me, my entire team, my family, everyone who loves me, including your hearts, I wanna say thank you and please, praise God every single day for everything that we have.”
She closed the show with her track “CRZY,” and the whole audience sang along. This first show brought a lot of love and appreciation from both the audience and the artists who performed that night.
Kehlani giving it her all on stage. Photo by Kirubel Mehari
Kehlani opens the album with a powerful superwoman speech, where she speaks from the depths of her soul, expressing herself about womanhood. “I’m afraid you’re under the impression that I was made to please you. I was under the impression you understood me better. The truth is, I’m superwoman.” The title SweetSexySavage defines the album perfectly. Kehlani’s confidence shines through in every track with her sultry R&B voice. Her sexyness and sweetness are apparent, and her sassy, raw attitude is reflected in the lyrics. “Keep On” is that feel-good R&B track where she sings in all honesty of how she hasn’t been the best in a relationship. A common theme throughout the album is personal relationships, with catchy R&B and pop ballads to groove to. In “Piece of Mind,” she sings about taking a step back from her strong emotions. Her style is somewhat reminiscent of singer Jhené Aiko. It’s Kehlani’s beautiful, soft voice and sassiness that make this album a joy to listen to.
