Cop a gander of Kehlani on the cover of NME!
The soulful singer-songwriter has poured out her new album ‘Blue Water Road’ and is swimming across the promotional trail in support of the LP.
As well as shining in the stylish shoot, the star seizes the feature to open up about her sexuality, coming out, the “manufactured” vs “real musician” debate, her new material, and much more.
Head below for pics and quotes…
On how their music has evolved since their last album:
“I [was] definitely stuck in this toxic, very dark, hypersexual pocket of songwriting, which was cool for the time that I was in. That’s really where I was at, but I think my music is always going to be deeply affected by whatever mindset change I’m going through.”
On coming out:
“I was like, ‘Damn, there was a whole fiasco about me being bisexual and then I said pansexual and there’s a whole fiasco about that’. I didn’t even feel like I wanted to go through it again. I wanted people to talk about my music and all the different mediums of art I was exploring. But I also felt there would be a weight lifted off of me if I just shared what I came to terms with and I knew it would be the final time that I did it.”
It’s hard when people are asking you what you are and you fall into that pressure to share it. Then it’s confirmed and people are referring to you as one thing but you might feel a different way next week. But I’m glad that so many people do speak about these things and do come to terms with these identities so that we all can study each other and really help each other out.
Not understanding my sexuality had created inner turmoil and a bad dynamic with my emotions. It’s like a war going on internally with yourself that sometimes you cannot place because you don’t have the verbiage or understanding yet.”
On Noel Gallagher accusing Harry Styles of not being a “real musician” for appearing on The X Factor:
“[Noel Gallagher] – whoever that is – can kiss my ass. [Harry] worked his ass off to make people fall in love with him on national TV and be lumped in with a group of boys and still had to stand out from an entire group of people. That’s as authentic as it gets!
I’m a Harry Styles fan, clearly, but watching the transformation that he’s taken to find his own songs and his own voice, own persona, own fluidity and image – I think he’s been brave and epic. He’s f*cking tight.”
