California singer-songwriter Kehlani Parrish released the music video for “everything,” the single from her latest album, “blue water road” on April 29. The video was released on YouTube.
“Success to me is only two things: happiness and stability.” Kehlani said on Twitter.
Kehlani Ashley Parrish, better known as Kehlani, was born April 24, 1995 in Oakland California. Kehlani first appeared in the spotlight when she appeared as a vocalist in “Poplyfe,” a teen pop band with five boys, on America’s Got Talent, finishing fourth in the show’s sixth season. Despite the loss, she continued touring with her band, often traveling up and down California in a van and coming back to highschool still in her show clothes. Kehlani parted ways with the group after resisting the manager’s expectations, dissatisfied with her music journey being put on halt.
“I decided, like, I kind of have to step out on a limb here, and I’m willing to risk not being financially stable and not being able to provide for myself, but I have to go out and chase my dream in some type of way,” Kehlani said in a Cosmopolitan interview.
This energy and desire took her into the next step of her career as her manager and her had just both moved to LA. Six months later, her life was changed as she dropped her first studio-released mixtape, “SweetSexySavage.” From there, Kehlani has only grown as an artist. Her growth is completely reflected in her sixth studio album, “blue water road.” With Kehlani’s R&B, soulful vocals cover feelings of serenity and her soliloquy of finding her higher, more spiritual version of herself, this album is regarded as her most creative and well-received work. The album still features more sensual and relational songs like “any given sunday” or “up at night,” but “everything” remains the album’s focal point.
Kehlani’s approach to “everything” makes it unique compared to what she has put out before. There is a soft, euphoric sound that melts perfectly with the strings of the violin and cello, making “everything” a somewhat classical soul song. Meshing the creativity of music and dance, the dancer shows syncopation.
The videography also stands out in the music video. The non-narrative concept of the video often follows Kehlani in a wide angle across different settings that symbolize mundane activities.
In the opening, she sings “I could blame it on the physical / I could blame it on your lips, your touch, your kiss / You know, real traditional / But your love’s too original” as a bird’s-eye-view camera slowly reaches her while four men collect stolen money among themselves.
She also depicts hanging with a group of friends outside in the city, dancing at a house party, running through a convenience store and watching television. Despite being around a lot of people, she still sings, “baby, it’s the everything for me.”
Whatever her romantic partner does or has to offer, Kehlani loves them for the entirety of who they are. Reflecting this, Kehlani called the song’s music video in an Instagram story “a rap video for a ballad.”
As Kehlani has been publicly open with her queer sexuality, the lyrics come together with the relatable desire to love somebody without judgement, highlighting how attentive and energetically matched Kehlani and her lover are.
Along with the lyrical dynamics in the song, the aesthetic of the video provides the perfect backdrop for Kehlani’s calming character. The outfits and atmosphere reference a 90s nostalgia where R&B and hip-hop were prominent as the golden age for musicians. To accentuate this, Kehlani wears a white tee, black pants, a puffy black vest, paired with gold hoops. Groups of people also dressed in a baggy style surround Kehlani as she continues to immerse herself in the song.
Overall, there has been nothing but good feedback towards Kehlani’s new album. In sharing a more sensitive, vulnerable side of herself in “everything,” Kehlani’s maturity blooms for listeners. Visually, the music video takes the viewer inside a time machine to a nostalgic era that pays videographic tribute to artists like Ice Cube, Tupac, and Dr. Dre.
Kehlani adds her own spin on this timeline with her soothing vocals, placing her into the genre of humanistic music: the genre of herself.
Moorea Pike is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the spring 2022 quarter. She can be reached at mepike@uci.edu.