The Singles Jukebox

the “kehlani” version with kehlani

[Video]
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Ian Mathers: You can easily hear Adetunji sing parts of this song in his actual voice, and it sounds great, which just makes it an even weirder and greater move that he shot his shot so effectively that Kehlani actually shows up — with production that makes him sound about 13 years old. The affect doesn’t particularly go with the production or Kehlani’s performance (both great), but somehow it still works. Not hoping this starts any kind of trend, but on its own? Hugely fun.
[8]

Alfred Soto: If you’re going to appear on an eponymous track functioning as a valentine, then giving the audience these parched star poses won’t do.
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Harlan Talib Ockey: “Kehlani” (song) drags a lot for only three minutes. The beat is basically static, and the only major change in the production throughout the entire song is how much you can hear the Summer Walker sample. Because of this, the chorus feels ridiculously long; the verses use most of the same melodic phrases as the chorus, mixing everything further into mush. But if you only have 30 seconds to spend on this song, it’s fine. Adding Kehlani (singer) was a net positive, since their verse has easily the best lines (see: “step out like my wife but bust me down like she my enemy”). 
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Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: Post-Weekndian R&B struggles with the disease of the eternal pre-chorus — songs that build and build toward nowhere, their languid melodies always slouching toward something greater that never arrives. The original “Kehlani” exemplified this tendency, its moderately catchy melody hammering into you and each additional R&B singer Adetunji listed like an entry in the Domesday Book. The remix — and Kehlani themself — breaks the monotony. They sound like they’re bemused at the very concept of a song that pays tribute to them, not because they don’t think they deserve it but because the praise feels fitting. 
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Taylor Alatorre: There’s nothing necessarily wrong about making a Zoomer brainrot edition of Ne-Yo’s “Miss Independent,” but you’d think that an adopter of the Woman Respecter persona would show a bit more humility in this situation. Geeked off his social media triumph, Adetunji slots in Kehlani’s perfectly serviceable contribution then refuses to trim any of his own parts to accommodate it, resulting in a final minute of deflationary pointlessness. I don’t think Kehlani was intending to insult Adetunji by stressing their name’s correct pronunciation in their verse, but I admire the pettiness.
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Mark Sinker: ppl shd be nice abt each other more often
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Jonathan Bradley: It’s almost ambient, a composition of slow dark textures splintered by distant snare taps. Adetunji raps, I suppose, but his tumbling melodic syllables are so choppy, so resistant to legibility, that I imagine them as shards of light filtering at dawn through the gaps of an abandoned building. Does a track still count as hauntological if its remix summons the apparition it invokes?
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Nortey Dowuona: can’t be objective, furious it’s not me. even angrier that jordan is credited as the recording, mixing and mastering engineer. and he seems like a cool ass dude. jpegmafia could have a pop hit with kehlani too. haha this sucks man.
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Katherine St. Asaph: Kehlani owns this song, and thus proves its point.
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