Photo: David Camarena
With so many celebrities in attendance at KOKO on Monday night you’d have been forgiven for thinking that Beyoncé, Kanye West or Adele were who was due to take the stage, but it wasn’t. Instead pint-sized tattooed Bay Area beauty Kehlani, who for a second night in a row sold out the popular Camden venue, was who was topping the bill, and boy did she come with it.
While the likes of Jess Glynne, Krept & Konan, Donaeo and many more looked and listened on with open eyes and eager ears, the singer had everyone, not only flawed by her pitch perfect vocals, but thoroughly entertained with her on-point choreography and various costume changes.
Busy promoting her debut album, SweetSexySavage, of course there was going to be some newer tracks performed. With a dedicated fanbase who hang from her every word, it was no surprise that those in attendance knew the lyrics to the likes of ‘Keep On’, ‘Undercover’ and ‘Escape’, even though they - along with the album - have only been out for just over six weeks.
Having what felt like an endless catalogue of music - which for someone with just two mixtapes and a single studio album is pretty impressive - only added to the night's triumphant outcome. Whether it was her Suicide Squad soundtrack song ‘Gangsta’, ‘The Way’ from her You Should Be Here mixtape, Cloud 19’s ‘Get Away’ or newer singles ‘CRZY’ and ‘Distraction’; the audience were privy to them all. They were in sync with Kehlani mimicking her every move, even if things were a little packed on the main floor of KOKO.
Peppered throughout the set were a couple of interludes that were filled with performances by hometown favourites AJ Traceym and Kojo Funds (who was joined by Abra Cadabra), but they weren’t the only special guests in the building.
Keeping one trick up her sleeve until the very end, Kehlani introduced Stormzy to an ecstatic crowd. They were treated to not only the first live performance of the pair’s collaborative effort ‘Cigarettes & Cush’ (taken from Stormzy’s number one album Gang Signs & Prayer) but the rapper's mammoth new single ‘Big For Your Boots’.
Taking a moment to celebrate the LGBT community, and explain that at a Kehlani show there is no hate of any sort, whether racial, sexual, or any other kind, there was no denying the size of Kehlani’s heart. As big as they come, there was one thing it wasn’t as big as... her voice.
Stereotypically, when one of today’s newer generation artists both sings and raps, the singing element of their repertoire is average/slightly above average at best. But Kehlani has pipes for days. Better live than she is on record, she was note perfect from start to finish with a range that could rival that of Ariana Grande’s.
If you were sitting on the fence about Kehlani, her music or her voice going into the show, after leaving it you were way on the other side of the fence in the neighbour’s yard posted up drinking a cold one before heading off to your local tattoo parlour to get a Lauryn Hill tattoo.
