Kehlani Brings Artistry And Awareness To ‘Tiny Desk’

Kehlani has finally made her Tiny Desk debut, and we’re already calling for a sequel to the 15-minute set.

“It’s been a long time coming. I definitely know I’m overdue for doing this, so thank you for making sure I was able to get here this far along in my process and I’m just grateful. I hope you enjoy,” they teased after finishing their first song, “Nights Like This” sans Ty Dolla $ign from their 2019 mixtape, While We Wait. Later, Kehlani joked that it took so long for them to come on Tiny Desk because they’re “naturally shy.”

Yet, it’s clear that singing is their comfort zone. The Oakland-bred songbird then transitioned into a soothing rendition into “Distraction” from their debut album, SweetSexySavage, and effortlessly created a medley into “The Way” from 2015’s You Should Be Here.

That was followed by a seductive run of “Can I” from 2020’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t before Kehlani brought their activism to centerstage.

“I want to take a second to say: Free Palestine. Free Congo. Free Sudan. Free Yemen. Free Hawaii. Free Guam. Beyond a ceasefire, we need an end to the occupation. It’s deeper than this. I need everybody that’s here right now, everybody that’s watching, to step up, to use their voices. I’m not a public speaker, but any difference that you can make, it’s appreciated […] Send your money where it matters. We all we got, so Ima leave it there,” they expressed.

Keh’s Tiny Desk ended with their latest summertime anthem, “After Hours,” from their newest album, CRASH. This comes ahead of the release of their next mixtape, While We Wait 2, and just one week after they announced their upcoming tour, set to kick off in early September.