“When y’all step into a Kehlani concert, this is a hate-free zone,” declares the 21-year-old Californian singer. Anti-discrimination is just one of the many issues she advocates for during the show, but she needn’t worry- there’s only love in here tonight. Her legions of adoring fans have been inhabiting Camden high street for hours ahead of the show just to secure a place near her feet. And from the moment she steps onstage in a black leotard, flanked by her lascivious dancers, it sparks the kind of hysteria that could only be brought on by a mega pop-star.
The Oakland artist delivers one and a half hours of tireless entertainment. With costume changes, wind machines, dancing interludes and a flawless vocal- she’s achieved a show to rival those of the pop pantheon but with a smaller budget and in a smaller venue. And if her presence alone wasn’t enough, she gives the spotlight to guest star Stefflon Don for a song, claiming “we gotta support people from where we’re from.” The sentiment is later reinforced with the entrance of Little Simz who accompanies Kehlani on their collaboration track ‘Table’.
Championing local, female artists isn’t the only topic Kehlani speaks passionately of; talk of self-care is a gateway into ‘Piece Of Mind’ and an empowering speech on Trans and LGBTQ+ rights precedes ‘Undercover’. She even stops the show twice after she spots fans looking faint in the front row, demanding water be handed out by her staff immediately. Undeniably, it’s this level of respect between her and her fans that have seen the star sell out three shows in London. And as she closes the show with fan-dedicated ‘Thank You’, the lyric “I swear all I’ve ever done was be honest and stay modest,” couldn’t be a truer testament to Kehlani’s rising star.
