Kehlani finds herself back in familiar Billboard territory thanks to the top 10 debut of her latest album.
Kehlani’s ‘Kehlani’
First-Week Sales (SPS): 69,000 units
Billboard 200 Debut: #4
Besting industry analyst predictions by 2,000 units, Kehlani’s ‘Kehlani‘ opened at #4 on the updated Billboard 200 to total first-week sales of 69,000.
Released by Atlantic Records on April 24, the star-studded project – which boasts Cardi B, Brandy, Usher, Lil Wayne, and Missy Elliott among its high-profile features – is home to singles ‘Back and Forth,’ ‘Out the Window,’ and the Hot 100 top 10 megahit ‘Folded.’
Her first top 10 hit on the Billboard 200 since 2020’s ‘It Was Good Until It Wasn’t’ soared in at #2, ‘Kehlani’ comes as the diva’s fourth overall career visit to the chart region.
The most notable win, however, comes courtesy of reports the LP boasts the biggest first-week sales and opening Billboard 200 placement of any female-led R&B project of the year yet.
Click here to stream the critically acclaimed project in full.
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Kehlani——-> Normani
THIS YEAR…and yet last year finally over it outsold this dogshît of a album
She will never outsell Summer Walker or SZA. Even with that trash áss song. LMAO.
SZA and summer walker seriously run r&b.. they miles ahead.. she got this low of numbers with folded??? A song with half a billion streams. She’s the only one that released an album this year. No competition.
A self-titled album usually means “this is THE one” , 69K for a self-titled is honestly a wake-up call, not a flex. Her album sounds like a bunch of early 2000’s r&b shǐtty remakes. This dirty mexican, non-black ho will never outsell summer walker or sza. She is not the face of r&b.
She bites Aaliyah so much it is infuriating. I want her to stop. She will never, ever have the touch Aaliyah did.
It’s wild because she really just started doing it so heavily and blatantly since Folded’s success. And the places that she takes inspo on Babygirl from, she applies it to her own work in the ODDEST places. I don’t see this wave lasting long for her because her branding makes no sense. It’ll be a Victoria Monet/Muni Long situation where she has this hit and just kinda goes stagnant after the year is over.
F**** this industry hôe.
meh…I only like rhythm & blues from blk women/girls only. I can’t get into kehlani’s nasally áss. Call Me Back sounds like “Buy You a Drank” Sweet nuthin’s sounds like “I’m A Flirt”.
Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and Janet Jackson aren’t necessarily known for powerhouse vocals, but they deliver soulful, emotive, and gritty vocals that genuinely connect with the Black American audience and most importantly have created timeless music for us.
Kehlani is part of the whispery/watered-down alt “r&b” crowd. The industry is pushing her due to her looks, it was never the vocal ability. Lets be real.
I am against racist music industry executives who perpetuate colorism and work to erase Black women’s contributions to R&B and soul music. Meanwhile, they push racially ambiguous artists who are clearly watering down the sound.
Black people have always been the backbone of both mainstream and underground music, PERIOD. Erasing us means stripping away the grit, pain, healing. We embody soul. It’s no coincidence that many music lovers are online discussing how R&B has declined in vocals, production, and lyricism. When Black voices are erased, the heart of the genre suffers.