Kehlani
23rd August 2017
Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Bridget Herlihy. Photography by Leah Victoria.
Kehlani’s rise to the top is one that legends of the new millennium are made of, having initially been placed in the spotlight as a member of teen pop outfit Poplyfe, who finished in fourth place in the 2011 season of reality-talent show America’s Got Talent. After being told by judge Piers Morgan that she didn’t need the band to find stardom, Kehlani branched out on her own, posting material on Soundcloud before recording her debut mixtape Cloud 19 in 2014, and garnered widespread attention. 2015 saw the release of her second collection, the critically acclaimed You Should Be Here. Fast forward to 2017, and Kehlani released her first full length album SweetSexySavage, which has spawned a number of singles along with solidifying her reputation as a queen of r&b with silky vocals and a fierce, yet authentic, swagger.
Kehlani’s SweetSexySavage Auckland show marked the songstress’ first visit to New Zealand, with the show being moved from the Powerstation to Logan Campbell Centre due to the demand for tickets. And it was immediately evident why these were some of the hottest tickets in town. Anyone would have been forgiven for thinking it was the height of summer with the eclectic mix of skin baring fashion on display in every direction, with some resplendent 90s retro garb thrown into the mix for good measure. Taking into consideration the dress code, unsurprisingly, the crowd was just as colourful as their threads.
With a brief support set from Kehlani’s DJ Noodles, which had the crowd on their feet and singing with frequent shrieks of unbound anticipation, including a duo of girls in close proximity repeatedly squealing in “I’m so excited I’m going to die!” whilst gyrating their hips like there was no tomorrow. Fortunately, they remained upright as Kehlani danced on stage with very little pomp and ceremony and got straight down to business. Clad in an oversized sweatshirt, sunglasses and boots. With two accompanying dancers and ably backed by her DJ, drummer and keyboardist, Kehlani kicked the set off with Keep On, the first musical track of SweetSexySavage, quickly followed by a superb rendition of the irresistible Distraction. Claiming it was the “most heard crowd she had ever heard in her life”, Kehlani thanked the crowd for the energy and love, encouraging to keep it up all night and to “sing along to every word from every fucking song”. And the crowd duefully obliged, singing as loud and proud as they possibly could.
While the set predominantly revolved around tracks from her debut album, there were also throwback to her self-funded Mixtapes, with The Way being gleefully received with even louder screaming. Kehlani’s energy is so sincere and infectious that it is near impossible to stand still while she performs, and it was immediately evident that she was thoroughly enjoying herself, thriving of the seemingly endless energy of the crowd. There were a few quiet moments too, as the backup dancers took a break Kehlani delivered an outstanding rendition of Gangsta from the Suicide Squad soundtrack, which saw her lay on the stage on her back at the end of the track, emulating the track’s video clip. No sooner had she finished writhing about on the stage than she almost seamlessly segued into the upbeat I Wanna Be, which saw Kehlani strutting about the stage in unison with her dancers. The songstress also took several occasions to address the crowd, drawing comparisons between Auckland and Oakland, observing how green New Zealand is. While proclaiming that what she was about to say was in no way original or profound, Kehlani waxed lyrical about refusing to let other invalidate your individual experience of life or love. In a nutshell, remain authentic. And after once again telling the crowd to sing their heart out, she launched into a heartfelt performance of Not Used To It. Once of Kehlani’s most endearing qualities, other than the breadth of her talent, are her honesty, integrity and ability to connect to her audience. And the crowd gathered at her Auckland show dutifully reciprocated, showering her with adoration and indeed singing their hearts out until the very end. It is safe to say that Kehlani has made quite the impression on New Zealand, and vice versa.
Were you there at Logan Campbell Centre for this beautiful R&B Pop performance? Or have you seen Kehlani perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page.