Who is Kehlani

She likes her girls just like she likes her honey. Yep, that’s Kehlani. Besides being openly queer (and a vegan), the former PopLyfe vocalist is now a trending solo artist, songwriter and dancer.

The diva was born Kehlani Ashley Parrish on April 24, 1995. She originated from Oakland, California, where her career would also begin. Kehlani joined the teen group PopLyfe at 14, and performed in different cities as their vocalist.

They auditioned to be in America’s Got Talent Season 6 and lasted throughout the season to finish fourth. Kehlani stood out among the group, according to Piers Morgan, and he made a point of saying so during their final performance.

Nevertheless, she left the group after the show. She struggled getting by for over a year, until her release on Soundcloud, “ANTISUMMERLUV”. Nick Cannon, impressed by the track, had provided for her an apartment and access to a studio, which allowed her to release mixtapes that helped her gain publicity. Her second mixtape, “You Should Be Here”, debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

This led to her signing a record deal with Atlantic Records, and getting nominated for a Grammy award for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Early 2017, she released her debut studio album, “SweetSexySavage”.

Since then, she has collaborated with numerous artists of different genres including fellow LQBTQ Hayley Kiyoko, rapper Cardi B, and EDM producer Zedd. Her latest work is an album released in May 2020 called, “It Was Good Until It Wasn’t”, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200.