Blue Water Road

by Kehlani

Overview

Recording tracks for a prospective deluxe edition of 2020's It Was Good Until It Wasn't, Kehlani determined that the material had the makings of a separate release, scrapped the original plan, and kept rolling until they had an all-new album. The resulting Blue Water Road is undeniably lighter and less fraught than the singer's previous LP -- and not without grief and tension -- and also has a continuity justifying the decision to stay on a forward course. "Altar," the bittersweet lead single, is addressed to a deceased loved one, but it's wholly affectionate, a daydream filled with reminiscence, gratitude, celebration, and clever if natural references to all five senses. The altar's purpose is flipped at the top of the album in the enchanted "Little Story," where Kehlani uses the object to signify their romantic intent before revealing they're "Workin' on bein' softer." Going by much of what follows, there's little struggle in Kehlani's effort to write unguardedly. Their vocals and productions have a gentler quality to match. In the rippling ballad "Melt," Kehlani can't bear any physical distance between them and their lover, their voice floating over a flickering acoustic guitar and curlicue strings. "Everything" is a master class in the creation and release of tension, cresting when Kehlani dives into commitment with "Now you can be wild with me/Run that mile with me." The songs with swagger are no less effective. Kehlani's at their strutting best on the chiming/booming "Any Given Sunday," setting the scene with "The baddest bitch in the mirror wants to love somebody's daughter tonight." While Blxst's verse on that track is superfluous, the album's other additional voices are more suited to the songs. Kehlani and Syd, reuniting for the stimulating trap-soul duet "Get Me Started," are unable to resist each other despite breakup talk. Just ahead of that is "Up at Night," one of the few uptempo cuts, another unresolved duet, this one with Justin Bieber dropping in with one of his most harmonious featured appearances. Blue Water Road was executive produced by longtime Kehlani collaborator Pop Wansel, who also co-produced every track, joined most frequently by either Happy Perez or Roget Chahayed. Wansel's sensitive, nostalgic touch is in effect, neatly incorporating hip-hop and R&B classics from the late '80s and '90s without overdoing it. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	10/28/2022
Label:	Atlantic
UPC:	0075678639685

Tracks

1. Little Story
2. Any Given Sunday
3. Shooter Interlude
4. Wish I Never
5. Up at Night
6. Get Me Started
7. Everything Interlude
8. More Than I Should
9. Altar
10. Melt
11. Tangerine
12. Everything
13. Wondering/Wandering

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kehlani   Primary Artist,Vocals
Larry Gold   Strings
Happy Perez   Guitar,Keyboards
Justin Bieber   Vocals,Featured Artist
Thundercat   Vocals,Featured Artist
Peter Lee Johnson   Strings
Roget Chahayed   Keyboards
Grades   Keyboards
Ambre Perkins   Vocals,Featured Artist
Kehlani Parrish   Vocals
Ravyn Lenae   Vocals (Background)
Jessie Reyez   Vocals,Featured Artist
Syd   Vocals,Featured Artist
Gabe Miller   Strings
Pop Wansel   Guitar,Keyboards
Wesley Singerman   Keyboards
Daoud Anthony   Guitar,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Ambre   Vocals,Featured Artist
Blxst   Vocals,Featured Artist
Some Randoms   Keyboards
Mike Wavvs   Keyboards
CJ Branch   Strings

Technical Credits

Damien Lewis   Engineer
Chris Gehringer   Mastering
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mixing
Richard Walter   Composer,Lyricist
Kuk Harrell   Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer
Stephen Bruner   Composer
Michael Freeman   Engineer,Mixing Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Nathan Perez   Composer,Producer
Josh Gudwin   Vocal Producer
Lanre Gaba   A&R
Daniel Traynor   Composer
Happy Perez   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Richard Walters   Composer,Lyricist
Justin Bieber   Composer,Lyricist
Andrew Wansel   Composer,Producer
Sam Wishkoski   Composer
Stevie Mackey   Vocal Producer
Daniel Klein   Composer
S Wish   Composer
Rosemarie Windross   Composer
Geoff Swan   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Roget Chahayed   Composer,Producer
Jean Deaux   Composer,Lyricist
Grades   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Matthew Burdette   Composer,Lyricist
Jelli Dorman   Vocal Engineer
Jacob Collier   Composer
Prince Graham   Composer
Kehlani Parrish   Composer,Lyricist
Ravyn Lenae   Composer,Lyricist
Zoi Harris   Composer
Prince-Phabian Graham   Composer
Jessie Reyez   Composer,Lyricist
Syd   Composer,Lyricist
Matthew Campfield   Composer
Daniella Cabargas   A&R
Nija Aisha-Alayja Charles   Composer,Lyricist
Pop Wansel   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation,Executive Producer
Wesley Singerman   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Nija Charles   Composer
India Perkins   Composer,Lyricist
Sydney Bennett   Composer
Ant Clemons   Composer,Lyricist
DaedaePivot   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Dylan Christopher Frank   Composer
Jessica Reyez   Composer
Daoud Anthony   Composer,Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Destin Conrad   Composer,Lyricist
Antonio Tucci, Jr.   Engineer,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer
Nili Harary   A&R
Some Randoms   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Astrid Torres   Project Manager
Jack Lomastro   Composer,Producer,Associate Producer
Michael Washington Jr.   Composer
Mike Wavvs   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Sam Wish   Composer,Producer,Associate Producer
Daniella Cabaragas   A&R
Nelli Hooper   Composer
Prince Phabian Iman Alexander   Composer,Lyricist
Shadeh Smith   Creative Producer
Trevor Romeo   Composer
Dylan Frank   Composer