Key Takeaways:
- Kehlani’s next project marks a major shift in sound and will “probably” include her most features yet.
- Confirmed collaborations include Usher and Brandy, with other potential contributions from Ne-Yo, Tank and Jermaine Dupri.
- The album, executive produced by Khris Riddick-Tynes, is expected to drop this spring.
As if anticipation wasn’t already sky-high for Kehlani’s next album, the Oakland singer (who uses she/they pronouns) shared that the project will feature more collaborations than she’s “probably ever had.” On Wednesday (Jan. 7), during an interview with Inked, the artist gave fans another hint at what to expect when the LP arrives this spring.
“I have way more collaborations than I’ve probably ever had, and they’re all people that I really, really respect,” Kehlani told the publication. “And I think the coolest thing about it is, there’s no features that feel like, ‘Oh, a label threw this together,’ or ‘Two people were popping right now, so we just threw it together.’ It was all super organic.”
“Everybody’s just loving the music that’s being made,” they added. “I have people that I adore and look up to on this, so I’m really excited about it.” Although Kehlani didn’t share any further clues about the LP’s guests, Usher and Brandy are two of the confirmed collaborations.
Just last month, the “Out The Window” singer told Rolling Stone that she’s also been in the studio with Tank, Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox — though we’ll have to wait and see if their contributions make the final cut. And, of course, “Folded” producer Khris Riddick-Tynes is executive producing the full-length effort.
The good news is Kehlani told Inked that the album is “almost finished,” so the wait for a tracklist and artwork reveal may not be long.
Next month, “Folded” will vie for two categories at the 2026 Grammy Awards. In Best R&B Song, it’ll go up against Summer Walker’s “Heart Of A Woman,” Chris Brown’s “It Depends,” Durand Bernarr’s “Overqualified,” and Leon Thomas’ “YES IT IS.”
For Best R&B Performance, Kehlani will compete against Walker and Brown again, along with Justin Bieber’s “YUKON” and Thomas’ “MUTT (Live From NPR’s Tiny Desk).” Winners will be announced on Feb. 1 when the ceremony airs live on CBS from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.