After getting stuck in traffic, Sydney Sweeney made her Met Gala debut this week. “What a dream night! honestly the most fun on a carpet I’ve ever had. thank you @toryburch for my first met and this incredible dress! still can’t believe this entire night was real,” the Euphoria actress wrote on Instagram. But while walking the red carpet, it appears that Sweeney was catcalled by “a male photographer or reporter.”
Sweeney was asked to “show us those boobs” by someone off camera, as pointed out in a viral TikTok (via Newsweek). “It’s just crazy to think that you can be at the height of your career and like the most respectable events in fashion, like the Met Gala, what an honor to be there — and you’re still gonna get sexually harassed on the red carpet in front of all of your peers and in front of tons of cameras,” TikTok user @saboomafu said.
It’s possible that the guy yelling may have been saying “show us those moves,” but BuzzFeed Newsreached out to the Met, which released a statement about the incident. “This was just brought to our attention — and we are neither clear if the allegation is accurate nor who the reporter may have been — yet surely we would not condone any of our guests being treated in this unprofessional manner,” it reads.
Despite its wholesome storylines, it seems like the hit 90’s sitcom Family Matters had a lot of behind-the-scenes drama. As evident in a recent episode of E! True Hollywood Story, there was a lot of tension on set once the breakout character of Steve Urkel became a hit star. Now, the leading lady from the series, Jo Marie Payton, is saying that the drama was a bit more intense than it seemed.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the sitcom star, who played the loveable but stern Harriette Winslow (Urkel’s neighbor), revealed that breakout actor Jaleel White became a bit of a diva once he was upgraded to a main castmember. “There was one time he actually wanted to physically fight me,” Payton explained, recalling an episode from the later seasons.
“[There was a scene where] I said we can’t do that, standards and practices will not let that pass, it’s not gonna happen. He wanted to do it anyway… He was so mad, he started kicking and screaming and stuff.” Maybe that SNL parody wasn’t that far off?
It didn’t stop there– White then allegedly asked to “melee.” “I said, ‘What’s a melee?’ He said, ‘a fight.’ I turned around — if he wanna fight, I would,” Payton continued. “Darius [McCrary] grabbed me. I was gonna whip his behind.”
Despite the drama, Payton admits that the actor was young and naive, saying he was “just a kid” at the time. White would have been around 21 during this altercation.
She also says she has nothing but love for the rest of her cast. “I did love all of my Family Matters crew,” she added. “I’ve kept in touch with a lot of them, I see them on other shows… I love them all. We had incredible writers, I love them, and they know who my issue was with. It wasn’t with the entirety of them.”
Compassion comes in many forms. Sometimes it looks like stopping to jumpstart a stranger’s car. Other times it’s volunteering time or donating. For Jacqueline Norvell, compassion looks like a delicious prepared lunch served in a brown paper bag.
Since 2014, Jacqueline, aka “The Brown Bag Lady”, has arrived on the first Sunday of every month to hand out food and supplies to the homeless communities of Skid Row. Without fail.
Yes, even with the pandemic, she and her team have never missed a Sunday. During the first few months of COVID-19, everyone showed up in hazmat suits in order to serve.
The idea for “Brown Bag Lady” sparked after leaving a basketball game in Downtown Los Angeles. Jacqueline took a wrong turn, putting her on Skid Row–one of LA’s biggest “tent cities” with a population estimated at 8,000 people.
This was around Christmas time, in the dead of winter. Los Angeles might be known for never ending sunshine, but its winter nights are not forgiving. People were huddled together just trying to keep warm. Jacqueline, compelled to help after what she saw, used the holiday bonus from her corporate job, made seventy meals, and came back. The food was gone in five minutes.
What started out as a random act of kindness during the holiday season became a year round cause. As an official nonprofit organization, Brown Bag Lady has helped feed over 75,000, partnered with major brands like Vans and Lay’s, and has garnered the attention of Kelly Clarkson and Ellen Degeneres.
They even have a fully decked out camo mini van with a mission statement painted along its sides: “feeding the body….nourishing the soul.”
Jacqueline credits social media as a major contributor to the non-profit’s now enormous presence.
“Through Facebook and Instagram, we have been able to promote what we do by telling our story through pictures and video,” she explained. “We hope that all of our efforts and all of our hard work are relayed with compassion and love. I do not have a professional social media person. Every photo and every video that is posted, I tell the story myself.”
She added that thanks to the two platforms, items are purchased from all over the country and sent to BBL’s headquarters in Los Angeles. Plus many invitations for news appearances have come straight from her DMs. Like she said, no professional needed. Just letting social media work its magic.
Though Brown Bag Lady is becoming a widespread phenomenon throughout California, the personal touch is never lost.
Each brown bag still has a lovely inspirational quote to deliver some hope along with sustenance.
Barbers stand for hours cutting hair for free, offering people that priceless feeling of self esteem.
Underserved schools receive backpacks full of important supplies, personally delivered.
Toiletry bags get filled with soap, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner and distributed along with food. (Considering hygiene is identified as a contributor to mental health for un-housed individuals, this is a big one.)
And don’t let the name fool you- the food is not your typical brown bag lunch with cold PBJ sandwiches. Nothing is ever canned or frozen. There’s a strict rule of “always fresh, always delicious.”
Jacqueline is also not some distant caregiver. “I try to fulfill as many needs as possible,” she told Upworthy. “If someone requests something specific I go buy it, and then I put their photo on the bag so I remember the next time that I see them.”
Below is an example of what her dining room looks like.
Coming to the same street corner year after year has forged actual friendships with those she helps–many even have her cell number. To this day, she still credits this as being the best part of what she and her team does.
The more her organization grows, the bigger Jacqueline’s aspirations get. The ultimate goal, she says, is to own a building with a commercial sized kitchen to allow for weekly meals, in addition to more space so that mental health services can be provided.
But in the meantime, Brown Bag Lady’s latest project is reuniting foster siblings for a one week sleep-away summer camp. And it’s a perfect example of how social media can help bring people together to bring a big vision to life.
By posting photos to the Brown Bag Lady Instagram and Facebook page, over 11K followers were made aware of a special Amazon wish list that includes items like pillows, sleeping bags, and hygiene kits for potential campers. Not only was it more possible to spread the word, but people near and far could be part of the movement virtually. So far the collective efforts have raised close to $30K. Wow.
It seems like no dream is impossible for Jacqueline and the Brown Bag Lady crew. Just like their van promises, the team is serving up some true nourishment for the soul. And it doesn’t look like the kitchen will be closed any time soon.
If you’d like to follow along the Brown Bag Lady journey, you can check out their Facebook/Instagram pages here and here
A lot of people feel uncomfortable starting up conversations with strangers in social settings. It’s not that they don’t want to meet people, they’re just not sure what to say.
There’s an art to small talk and some people are incredibly at ease starting up a conversation and coming up with things to say. They know how to get things moving without being obvious and seem to do this effortlessly.
A Reddit user named Blugged Bunny asked the online forum “What is your go-to ‘small talk’ topic with strangers?” and although the question may not have intentionally been to help introverts, there were a lot of great suggestions for people who are uncomfortable making small talk.
It seems the best ideas are questions and statements that are about the current setting and situation. The truly great small talk artists know that the best way into a conversation is to allow the other person to talk about themselves.
It’s also helpful to bring up topics that everyone can speak to whether that’s family, pets, weather, sports or articles of clothing. I once knew a guy who was single and whenever he went out he wore a “Livestrong” bracelet that he got from Lance Armstrong’s cancer charity. He told me that it “Gives women an easy conversation-starter if they want to talk to me. They’ll ask, ‘Why are you wearing that? Isn’t Lance Armstrong, a cheater?'” That would begin a great debate over whether Armstrong was such a bad guy, after all he’s done for people with cancer.
Here are 14 of the best go-to small talk topics from the Reddit thread.
1.
“Make an observation. Literally anything. It helps if it’s something about them like an article of clothing that catches your eye, something they’re doing, anything that you can relate to or are interested in but it doesn’t have to be. It can be something in the environment that is drawing both of your attention. People bullshit about the weather all the time. Once you’ve got something to work with, the key is to ask. … Let them do the talking. People love talking about themselves. You learn some light-hearted things about the stranger, they feel more comfortable, and you can add bits and bobs of your own experiences in response so they get to know you too. It works in literally any situation. From an elevator ride to a first date. It’s so easy to personalize small talk and it makes it so much less uncomfortable.” — arrocknroll.
2.
“Have you ever tried Ayahuasca?” — KarmicBreath
This comment kicked off a funny response from Sinsaraly:
“Love this. My friend once spent a few hours in a car with poet Allen Ginsberg. The very first thing he said to her was “what drugs do you do?”
3.
“The weather is a good one. everyone shares it. I’m a guy and i do not give one shit about professional sports or cars and it’s like a social disability.” — Mr_Mojo_Risin
4.
Hobbies. “Pretty much everyone has something they’re either super passionate about or really rather good at, so a conversation about hobbies pretty much always moves from ‘small talk’ to ‘genuine interest’ pretty damn fast.” — Trashpanda692
5.
“Something in our environment that we can both relate to. You have to make it easy for them to give a response. Mild humour usually works as it is light-hearted and unthreatening.” — ScallywagsTV2
6.
“Usually people love to talk about themselves, so a few questions about them and some follow up questions to their answers usually does it.” — I_Can_See_The_Music
7.
“I try to think of random things. Like a favorite animal or star, talking about something in the room. Usually is stupid dad jokes.” — UncreativeGlory
8.
“I try to come up with questions regarding the situations we are in. Like, ‘Hey you know any good place around here to get a decent meal?”‘ — Chromerix
9.
“Food. People typically love food. I mention I’m new/newer to an area. And ask them what they like, where they eat out. Usually works and people have their choices validated and I always know where to find good local snacks.” — TheProfWife
10.
“If it’s a woman, I’d compliment them on something I like (bag/shoes/makeup/a book they’re reading) and then try to find common ground for there. For men, I’d try something neutral so it doesn’t seem like I’m trying to hit on them. Perhaps weekend plans, work etc.” — llovejoy1234
11.
“Biggest animal you think you could take in a fight.” — RizziJoy
12.
”I usually bring up home renovations. Especially if the small talk confined us to a space for quite some time. Like a wedding, business conference etc. I can always find people who are not only working on different parts of their homes, but enjoy talking about them. Learned a thing or two along the line as well!” — Calm-Ad
13.
“Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?” — HowToDoNot
14.
“F.O.R.D. Family/Occupation/Recreation/Dreams
Family: Do they have kids? If so, people love to talk about their kids. How many, what ages, what grades are they in in school? If they are older (High School/College) what are they studying? Do they play sports/music? If family is not a comfortable subject (you don’t feel like asking about spouse and kids and such) then move on to Occupation Occupation: What do they do for a living? How long? Do they like it? Did they go to school for it? How did they get into it? Recreation: What do they like to do in their free time? Hobbies? What sports do they like to watch? Do they play any sports? Do they do anything active? Do they do anything artistic or musical?
Dreams: What are they currently looking forward to in life? Is there a big vacation coming up? Are the kids graduating from School? Are they training for a major athletic event (marathon or some other competition)?
This is usually my go-to when making small talk and it’s usually enough to get me to some sort of common ground that our conversation can build off organically.” — khamylion
LOS ANGELES – It took just 2:17 for Angel City FC’s first-ever home match at Banc of California Stadium to turn into an all-out party. Vanessa Gilles was on the other end of a cross from Jun Endo and buried a header, prompting a bevy of pink smoke from the supporters section. The sold-out crowd of 22,000 came for a show and got one, with ACFC ultimately winning 2-1 over NC Courage.
The game was a culmination of efforts to bring professional women’s soccer back to L.A. Many of the club’s high-profile owners were on the field during pregame, as the ownership group includes everyone from Natalie Portman, Jessica Chastain, and Jennifer Garner to Billie Jean King, Mia Hamm, and Candace Parker. And the team seems committed to backing the players, with teammates earning one percent of all ticket sales as well as the club securing an eight-figure kit sponsorship deal from DoorDash.
ACFC even has its own anthem from Grammy winner and Alabama Shakes lead vocalist Brittany Howard, who teamed up with Inglewood native (and multi-hyphenate) Tia P on “Running With The Angels.” It’s a song Howard hopes Angel City supporters make their own, as she and Tia P used HBCU marching bands as inspiration for the horns-driven, uplifting track. Last Friday’s match was the first time the pair had been able to perform it live, with the song blaring over the PA after Angel City secured the win.
The song was created as part of the First Strides campaign from Johnnie Walker (who is a primary sponsor of ACFC), and Howard hopes it will continue to push the conversation forward for women’s equality and progress — in sports and elsewhere. UPROXX Sports had the chance to chat with Howard and Tia P about the making of the song, what it means to create a team anthem, and more.
Martin Rickman: My first question for you is, how did this all come together? How did you two get connected to create this song?
Brittany Howard: Honestly, it started with my relationship with Johnnie Walker. I love working with Johnnie Walker because they put everything that they’ve earned and put it back into the community. They want to see other people prosper. They want to see other people make strides. So I’m like, “Yeah, let’s do this.” Immediately I knew I wanted the song to be energetic. I knew I wanted to incorporate a marching band. Tia went to an HBCU.
Tia P: Howard!
BH: I loved it. I was in the marching band. I love the HBCUs, I love their energy. I knew I wanted that to be in the song, and then of course all the inspiration came from all the women before us, and making strides, making it better for each other, and then finally getting here with so many doors slammed in our face such as equal pay. I could go on and on. And this is a continuation of generations and generations and generations of hard-working women. They’re trying to make things better for each other. So of course, we are excited to be on the ground floor and we want to promote that with this anthem, to do so. And I met Tia … actually it’s crazy, the universe brought us back together. I was judging a Tiny Desk concert and I saw Tia on there. I was like, “Okay, okay!” You know what I mean? I was going crazy for Tia on there, and time kind of passed, and then next thing we know …
TP: We’re at my studio together.
BH: I heard Tia rapping and I said, “That is exactly the energy that needs to be on this track.”
TP: And we didn’t know until maybe about a week prior. I was like … because I’m a hip-hop baby. A lot of people don’t understand hip-hop. For me, hip-hop is bigger than just a genre. It’s about taking a story and moving that wherever it’s needed or wherever it’s necessary. So I was talking to my manager a week prior to having this opportunity and I wanted to branch out, do I do country or something? And then we get this call. It was just like it was just too perfect.
What was that moment like? Getting that email, that call?
TP: It was just like, “Word?” It took a minute to kind of settle in but once it did, once the, “Oh, wow,” factor kind of chills, it was like, “Okay.” Then you start to get real invigorated and excited, so after Brittany had laid her part, she did all the instrumentation, wrote the horns part, and had the chorus. She sent it to me and I think I did it in three, four hours.
BH: That was it. I couldn’t believe it. And it wasn’t just the rhymes, it was the ad libs. And the unison tracks. It was like, “Whoa, who is this?”
TP: It was easy. She laid the groundwork and that’s kind of just how this whole thing is. We’re standing on the shoulders of giants that have come before us and she laid the groundwork for the song. I just came and gave it whatever I felt I could give, and it just worked out painlessly. Our performance tonight was … It was our first time performing it together.
First time?
BH: Yeah. Very exciting.
TP: It just felt good because we still have stuff in our hearts that this is for. You know what I mean? It goes beyond the music. We’re using our gifts in music to broadcast a wider message of unity and women empowerment. This is here, we’re not going anywhere. Like we said earlier in another interview, if you don’t give us a seat at the table, we’ll build the whole damn house.
BH: Exactly. And that’s what this is, and that’s why we’re so honored and excited to be on the ground floor of this movement. And I’m excited for everyone in LA.
What is that feeling like, to create a team anthem?
BH: I think there’s a base level of it. If you’re going to write an anthem for a team that has any longevity, I feel like you really got to write something that pumps yourself up. Every time you hear it, your ear pumps. That’s it.
TP: Hell yeah. That’s the thing. If you don’t feel it, how is that going to translate to other people? You know what I’m saying? And the way that this is the first time we really got to see an array of people react to it. The team first reacted to it when we did it about a month ago. Just to see that it’s the same for the people. It’s just as exciting as we hoped, as we were just laying it down. It’s just, it makes it feel like we did our job. And not only for us as artists, but for the team, everybody in the sport, and the message that rides with it.
BH: And this is created with so much joy and so much excitement. Not a single part of it was hard. Now I’m so happy it’s out there now. People can just enjoy it. I’m so excited to see what me and Tia have done here, to see it grow, and to see it become something entirely new.
You mentioned the marching band aspect of it, to have that drumming at a game, that visceral feeling you get with that.
TP: Here’s the thing. At the core, we’re both musicians. I play drums. It’s just that musicianship, I feel like it’s at the fore of what we do. Whether we say it or not, it’s going to have that live element like I know you [Brittany] have your live band when you perform, I have my live band. It’s just an entirely different experience. It just elevates it that much more. And that being the original dream and then seeing it come to fruition…
BH: It’s amazing.
TP: It’s a high. It’s a real high.
BH: And the marching band was my first love. I was in marching band, I was a marching drummer, and like Tia said, this is my dream. I can’t believe I wrote for a marching band, and it’s sick!
What do you hope to do to build off of this? Not just for Angel City but for a lot of the elements that you both just said are so critical to utilizing this platform, realizing this dream, and then continuing to push efforts forward?
TP: If you’re not looking toward the future what are you looking at? I feel like we definitely wanted it to be a statement for now, but not just a statement for now, but a statement for whatever else will come our way, any other type of adversity, this is something that will uplift these people. Because it’s so easy to get downtrodden, to get in the sunken place, but you really sometimes need music It’s such a powerful tool. It really gets people in a different headspace. If we can be that voice of change or reason, or just pushing, just go, just do it. Don’t even stop to think about it. Just go for the emotion, and if you can see yourself in that aspect, then we’ve done our jobs as artists.
BH: Exactly. And I’m also wanting to see more brands giving back to the people. I really appreciate someone getting their flowers and then wanting to pass them out to other people. It just really means so much. I know that America wasn’t really based on that principle so much, but I’m glad that we can see a giant brand like Johnnie Walker changing things, and I hope I see other brands following suit.
ASAP Rocky and Rihanna are super official in the video for Rocky’s new single “DMB” (Dat’s My Bitch). The smoothly edited video sees the two stars hanging out in Rocky’s hometown, Harlem, where they sip wine on the fire escape, shop at flea markets, and low-key stunt all over town. The video is shot on grainy, low-res tape, giving the whole thing a warm, home-movie vibe that matches the downmarket, uptown sensibilities of the song — and really, the couple’s whole relationship.
There’s also a scene of RIhana repeatedly meeting up with Rocky as he leaves jail — a scene that finds art imitating life. Rocky was recently arrested by the LAPD as the couple returned from Rihanna’s native Barbados on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He made bail the same dayhttps://uproxx.com/music/asap-rocky-released-jail-posting-bailt/. Police have been investigating claims that the rapper shot at another man in November of 2021, grazing the victim’s hand. Police raided Rocky’s home in a search for the potential weapon, but all the guns they found were legally obtained and registered; none were even the same caliber as shell casings found at the crime scene.
OJ Da Juiceman finds himself at odds with the law once again, as NBC affiliate LEX18 reports he was arrested on Monday (May 2) in Hardin County, Kentucky. The 40-year-old rapper was charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. OJ was detained at the Hardin County Detention Center in Elizabethtown and is now looking ahead to his May 13 court date.
The 32 Entertainment founder‘s first legal wrinkle came in 2015 in Tennessee as he was arrested for intent to distribute, gun possession, and unlawful crime with possession of a firearm. The police found guns, marijuana, and 300 rounds of ammunition in his car as he was on his way to perform in North Carolina.
The Atlanta rapper first broke through in the late 2000s, collaborating with Gucci Mane, Jadakiss, Swizz Beats, and more. He was recognized by XXL in the 2010 iteration of their Freshman List alongside J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Nipsey Hussle, Big Sean, Jay Rock, and Freddie Gibbs. While he has not been the biggest selling artist in the game or from Atlanta, he did burst onto the Billboard 200’s Top 20 chart with his debut album The Otha Side Of The Trap.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
While discussing the recent attack on Dave Chappelle during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl, which has dragged the Will Smith and Chris Rock slap back into the headlines, comedian Jim Jefferies has revealed that he was getting smacked on stage way before any of that. Jefferies opened up about the incident during a recent episode of Howie Mandel Does Stuff. However, unlike Mandel, Jeffries didn’t seem particularly concerned with a growing threat on comedians. In fact, Jefferies still finds his own onstage assault to be pretty funny.
“It was quite famous at the time,” Jefferies said via Mediaite. “I did not heckle. I did not speak to this guy, he was upset by a joke earlier on. We don’t know which joke. So there was no interaction with the audience member, he just walked up and hit me.”
According to Jeffries, he and his team later figured out that the young man, who was pulled off of the comedian by the audience, was on a date that wasn’t going so well. “Allegedly the girl that he was with wasn’t enjoying the show, it was a joke that happened earlier on, allegedly,” Jefferies said. “Once he finished his drink he thought ‘I’ll take care of this’ and he ran on the stage.”
The incident occurred all the way back in 2007, and Jefferies knew back then that you can’t buy this kind of publicity. “I put this on the internet right away,” he told Mandel with a laugh. “My tour started selling out!”
Five Supreme Court justices and the far-right believe that women should be barred from abortions, and to add to that awful look, Brian Kilmeade dropped his own take on pregnant women holding down jobs. Never mind that women must work to support their unwanted pregnancies after being forced to carry them to term, but that’s perhaps beside the Fox and Friends point.
Brian Kilmeade, the Chris Columbus enthusiast who recently sparred with co-host Steve Doocy over boosters, decided to go off on Biden’s new “disinformation czar.” There’s plenty to be said about the strangeness of that position, but Kilmeade wasn’t talking substance while questioning why Nina Jankowicz is on the scene. Rather, Kilmeade decided to draw attention to an issue that was grinding his gears: Jankowicz entered the job while already pregnant, and Kilmeade can’t see why “a job,” let alone an “important” job, should even go to a pregnant woman. Via Media Matters:
“For the last few months, we have had a disinformation czar and a unit within the Homeland Security Department…. Then, we find out who is in charge of it, and this woman that’s in charge of it, Nina Jankowicz, who’s about eight-and-a-half-months pregnant, so I’m not sure how you get a job and then you just – you can’t do a job for three months. I’m not faulting her, but I don’t know why you would give someone a job that you think is so important.”
This, naturally, didn’t sit too well with Kilmeade’s co-host, Ainsley Earhardt, who quizzed him on how long Jankowicz has been on the job, which appears to be “about two months.” From there, Earhardt leveled with Kilmeade: “Well, I’ll defend her on that one, Brian. She has the right to have a baby and have maternity leave.” There’s no telling why Kilmeade even went to this subject, but there you have it: awkwardness on Fox and Friends made for an interesting morning.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
Kehlani’s sophomore album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, focused on absorbing the destruction that failures in love and life caused against her while disallowing it from throwing her off her journey. This theme of navigating through the presence of an unwanted being was fitting at the time as the world was forced under the glass dome of a global pandemic. For Kehlani, everything else was good until it wasn’t, and for the rest of us, by that same token, the once-normal world that we previously took for granted was good until it was deemed otherwise. With that, it leaves us with two options: wait for things to work themselves out or acknowledge the circumstances as a sign to make changes in your life. With her third album Blue Water Road, Kehlani opts for the latter.
Recreating happiness is what Kehlani strives for on Blue Water Road. In its best form, it’s as pure and euphoric as the ocean waters that sat across from the Malibu stretch of road that her third album is named after. Luckily for Kehlani, happiness is not uncharted territory for her. The singer’s 2015 debut album SweetSexySavage is probably the giddiest and most spirited we’ve heard her be so far. But it came with a heavy dose of naivety and overflowing charisma that, together, asked “what could go wrong?” Well, a lot did and that’s what brought us to It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. However, time heals and it did for Kehlani as it placed her on an upward trek that returned her to her better days. Kehlani succeeds at recreating happiness on Blue Water Road while her old naivety is replaced with the gratitude to be here again. It also comes with the understanding that she’s not only experienced the worst, but a permanent residency at the top of the world goes unguaranteed.
By the end of Blue Water Road, Kehlani’s lifelong search for serenity is complete, and it’s quite fulfilling. In an Apple Music interview, she revealed that her initial intention on Blue Water Road was to make music for a deluxe release of It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. What Kehlani didn’t know at first is that the growth she needed was already in progress, and thus the music that came out of those sessions was no longer connected to her sophomore album. We waste no time learning about these changes as Kehlani yearns to “throw a paper tantrum” at a strip club for a dancer she’s grown very fond of. Just two years ago, she forced herself to be in the middle of loud music and erratically flashing lights while noting, “Damn, you know I hate the club.” Where It Was Good Until It Wasn’t begins with a chilling anecdote about a “Toxic” love, Blue Water Road sets off with accountability and the recognition of her faults in love through “Little Story.”
Kehlani progress on this journey comes with its missteps and unsuccessful moments. It’d be wrong to assume that the ever-growing 27-year-old singer suddenly figured out how to perfectly and flawlessly approach life. She enters a new relationship only to leave with regrets on the Slick Rick-sampling “Wish I Never,” she’s gaslit on “Get Me Started” with Syd, and she attempts in a very Issa Rae way to justify her infidelity on “More Than I Should” with Jessie Reyez. It’s all honest and relatable and it’s what makes Kehlani’s music so indulgent. She never approaches it from a holier than thou perspective, and she never throws stones from her glasshouse. We understand Kehlani cause we’ve been there before and we all aim to fit life’s complicated puzzle pieces together to solve some problem that we have.
With that, Kehlani successfully achieves serenity through her ability to establish it within her. You can’t fall in love without knowing and accepting what you love, and you will never find peace without dealing with the chaos that lies within. A perfect example of that comes on “Altar,” where Kehlani grapples with grief and achieves the initially impossible feat of accepting that a loved one is no longer physically present. “Soon, I’ll see your face,” she sings with undeterred optimism. “Don’t know why I ever thought you were far away / I shoulda known better.”
So what does serenity look like for Kehlani? It could be finding a love so perfect and united that she confuses her hair, reflection, and her skin for her lover’s on “Melt.” It could also be enjoying the fruits of her labor towards a healthy love on the nearly-NSFW “Tangerine” where she sings, “So don’t tell nobody what’s done in the garden / The fruits you can harvest, they grow where you water.” However, it’s best captured on “Everything” as the arrival of a new lover who checks off her physical, verbal, and compatibility boxes leaves her to praise the heavens for this gift she’s waited so long for. As a result, her excitement for it can’t be bottled. “That was before me, it’s childish, you done with your wildin,’” she sings. “Now you can be wild with me, run that mile with me / Catch some flights out with me.”
Simply put: Kehlani won. She found new love and accepted her natural identity – both sexual and physical – all while managing to keep the thunderous clouds and unsettling fires that shook her world on It Was Good Until It Wasn’t out of her present-day life. Nowadays, things are better than good, they’re great, and it’s all thanks to Blue Water Road.
Blue Water Road is out now via TSNMI/Atlantic. You can stream it here.
Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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