Jai’Len Josey (above) during her One Music Fest performance on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2025. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
The landscape of R&B music is constantly changing, from the singing-in-the-rain type yearning to self-assured women owning their femininity. There’s a debate on whether real R&B is dead and gone, but as long as there is love, the genre will never cease to exist, even if it sounds a little different. R&B is in good hands, and the women at Saturday’s One Musicfest showcased that.
The day started with UK girl group FLO, who, as a trio, have been bringing back the essence and power of girl groups. Renée, Jorja, and Stella can easily be compared to girl groups of the past, such as Destiny’s Child, and the influences are certainly there, but the girls have blended their own form of fun and sensual music. They commanded the stage with silky, cohesive harmonies and a synergy only seen from a group that had been friends first. They ran through hits from their EPs and debut studio album, such as “Immature,” Fly Girl,” “Walk Like This,” and their breakout debut single “Cardboard Box.”
British girl group FLO (above) during day one of One Music Fest 2025. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
Atlanta native Jai’Len Josey has been steadily building a name for herself in the city she calls home, and it’s not hard with a voice as soulful as hers. With a unique texture and grit to her voice, she serenades whether it’s an intimate crowd like her set at OMF’s Toyota Stage or a concert venue. Josey opened up with a cover of “Need U Bad” by Jazmine Sullivan, her inflections mirroring those of the powerhouse songstress. Backed by Vibe Ktrl, Poetry on Peter’s resident band, she moved into her own songs, “Southern Delicacy,” “New Girl,” and “Willie’s Interlude,” the latter a dedication to her late grandfather.
Kehlani rounded out the new age R&B acts for the night. Her confident persona on stage was a testament to her longevity in the music industry, with over a decade of hits complemented by smooth vocals, effortless dance breaks, and a boldness that can’t be taught. Kehlani’s set was one filled with gratitude. The singer-songwriter acknowledged how, even a decade later, her career continues to grow in ways she never imagined, evident by her latest song “Folded,” which has taken over the charts and snared the hearts of listeners and R&B legends such as Brandy, Toni Braxton, and Tank. She began her set with a teaser of the song before moving into hits such as “The Way” featuring Chance the Rapper, “I Hate the Club,” “Can I,” “Nights Like This,” and “After Hours.” She ended the set with “Folded,” but it was more of a collaborative effort. The audience swayed, hugged, and waved their hands as they sang along to every word.
Now y’all know the music game is changing fast — but this right here got the industry shook and the girls speaking out. A new “artist”just made a major move that has folks questioning what the future of music really looks like… and let’s just say, Kehlani is not here for it.
Real Talent Or Artificial Fame? Kehlani Enters The Chat
The future is here — and not everybody is clapping for it. R&B star Kehlani is making her stance crystal clear after news broke that Xania Monet, an AI-generated artist, just signed a three-million-dollar recording deal with Hallwood Media and even landed a spot on the Billboard charts. She made her debut at No. 25 on the Emerging Talents chart, while her song currently holds the No. 21 spot on the Hot Gospel Songs chart.
Yup, not a real person — but a digital creation designed by poet and designer Talisha Jones, who used AI platform Suno to transform her poetry into full-blown music. While some praised the innovation, Kehlani stepped into the conversation to voice her very real frustration with the industry giving shine — and serious money — to artificial talent while countless real artists struggle to break through.
Kehlani Checks The Industry Over AI Hype
Kehlani didn’t sugarcoat it. She continued to call out the imbalance in opportunity, pointing out how hard actual human artists grind to be seen and heard, only to be potentially replaced by code. “This is so beyond out of our control. Nothing and no one on Earth will ever be able to justify AI to me,” she said in response to the news. Fans quickly backed her up, flooding the comments with concerns about authenticity, job security in the music space, and what this means for the future of artistry. As the industry keeps racing toward AI integration, artists like Kehlani are reminding everyone — there’s still something irreplaceable about soul.
The Timeline Had Thoughts, Chile
The Shade Room comment section was cutting up, and the TL definitely had thoughts! Some folks were here for the tech innovation and said AI might just be the future of music. Others were confused, asking how an AI artist is supposed to spend a million-dollar deal, while the rest were begging for real music and real artists to make a comeback.
One Instagram user @iam_karida shared, “Citas world was the first AI back in the day iykyk we loved Cita like she was a real person“
This Instagram user @darbydarbz_ added, “It’s just ludacris lmaoooo who tf we supposed to go see perform If the artist Ai? 😂”
And, Instagram user @lizzyportorreal wrote, “We should ALL be concerned, this is eventually going to affect us all.“
Meanwhile, Instagram user @jessthebest_brownie said, “I agree and don’t respect it either 😩they tryna get rid of all human beings at this point!“
While Instagram user @mellip commented, “We’re in strange times aka Black Mirror“
Instagram user @waregabbi added, “WTF Ai gone do with multi million of dollars lol, I can’t help but think that she gone buy a mansion clothes etc with virtual money😂”
Lastly, Instagram user @everykiss.begin.withkay shared, “Her songs had me crying and all . This is weird but like it makes sense why there’s 25 songs in a album 😒”
“The gays love Kehlani…the colored ones,” explained one fan as he anxiously waited to get into 713 Music Hall to see the singer-songwriter, whose Crash World Tour brought them and their R&B-infused pop to the Bayou City last night in support of their fourth studio album titled, well, Crash.
Kehlani’s journey took them from a pop cover group to America’s Got Talent and then a solo career that got them onto the Billboard charts and earned them multiple Grammy nominations – the first for their 2015 mixtape You Should Be Here. Since then, Kehlani has cultivated a devoted fanbase, evidenced by the almost fully packed house that awaited them at the music hall.
But first, the openers: Atlanta rapper Anycia kicked off the evening by bringing the raunch (see: “GIRLS GONE WILD”) along with an easy charm and clear skill – whatever that unreleased song was, I’m interested. After a short break, British girl group FLO took that stage, and they definitely give major The Writing’s on the Wall-era Destiny’s Child vibes (not to mention the more overt echoes of Missy Elliot and Timbaland). That’s certainly not a complaint either; that era was God tier.
The lights finally dropped right around 9:30 p.m. for the main event, and with its bombastic opening, the start of Kehlani’s set certainly mimicked a crash landing. Their arrival announced, Kehlani appeared on an elevated platform, backed by a three-piece band, and launched into “Next 2 U,” kicking off a run of three songs off Crash. The other two were the aptly named “GrooveTheory” – the mellow melody of its intro giving way to a contagiously thumping beat and bassline that led us right into the meat of the song, where Kehlani soulfully crooned “I wanna groove, baby” – and “What I Want,” a track unexpectedly built around a sample from a late ‘90s Christina Aguilera song.
“I only got one requirement for tonight,” Kehlani said soon after. “That y’all have a good fuckin’ time.”
Kehlani brings their Crash World Tour to 713 Music Hall.
Photo by Darrin Clifton
Kehlani went on to say that they would play “old shit” and “new shit,” with a quick turn to the old-ish following – a little bit of “Nunya” from their 2019 mixtape While We Wait, followed by “The Way” and “You Should Be Here” from their 2015 mixtape You Should Be Here. For “The Way,” the crowd took over the bridge and chorus and also managed to rap almost two-thirds of Chance the Rapper’s verse before descending into an unintelligible mumble. Still, it was enough for Kehlani to declare, “Something feels really fucking good tonight.”
“Toxic,” the first song from 2020’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t – the album people went crazy over during lockdown – was next, before a pair of songs from Crash, “Sucia” and “8,” took us into a more sexual part of the evening. Jill Scott’s spoken word intro that leads off “Sucia” played over the stage, red-lit and populated with backup dancers seductively moving about. Kehlani’s sultry vocals matched the atmosphere as they implored an imaginary someone to “come with me, come with me.” The thematically similar “8,” “Can I,” and “Water” rounded out this portion of the set.
Following a command to download their latest mixtape, While We Wait 2 (if you haven’t already, that is), Kehlani performed two songs from it: “When He’s Not There,” which inspired a bit of a singalong, as well as a verse from “Clothes Off,” a song they did with kwn.
Next, Kehlani took a moment to tell the crowd, “Oh, y’all all nasty,” after hearing their crowd mic pick up someone in the audience saying so. They added that they believed it, too, “because every bad rapper bitch I know from here is disgusting – in the best fucking way.” With that settled, Kehlani introduced “Hate the Club” by doing their best to put an end to their fandom’s “do we still hate the club” discourse, saying it’s been four years – “Can we all commit to letting it go?”
A song from Kehlani’s 2017 debut album, SweetSexySavage, finally appeared in “Distraction,” which slid right into a verse from “Gangsta,” which you may remember as Suicide Squad’s unofficial Joker-Harley Quinn song. The run-heavy section allowed Kehlani to show off their vocals before going into another set of songs from Crash, “Tears” and “Vegas.”
Kehlani supports their latest album, Crash, at 713 Music Hall.
Photo by Darrin Clifton
A sweet piano melody then led into “everything,” a love that gave way to Kehlani calling out to all “the pretty girls in the room” – adding that the call meant “every single one of you.” It was time for “Honey,” and the fans were thrilled to sing lines like “I like my girls just like I like my honey / sweet / a little selfish” and “I like my women like I like my money / Green / A little jealous.”
Kehlani introduced the next song, “Border,” by speaking about the stigma associated with mental illness, telling the audience that “real actual psychiatric care saved my life on numerous occasions, and I want that for you if you feel like you need it.” The message was met with approval, as was “Border,” followed by “Open (Passionate)” and two more songs from Crash – the titular track and “Chapel,” which was cutely coupled with a cover of the Bruno Mars song “Marry You.”
Then a thing happened.
While it was a great night for Kehlani and their fans overall, it wasn’t a great night for physical health and consciousness. Right before launching into “Lose My Wife,” Kehlani halted the show to point out someone was on the ground. And earlier, during FLO’s set, they abruptly cut a song short after seeing a fan in distress in the crowd. Though I couldn’t tell if/how that was resolved, about 15 minutes after their set (and about five minutes before Kehlani’s), I watched an unconscious fan get carried off the floor by two staff members. I don’t know what the heck was going on in GA tonight.
But back to the show on stage.
“Deep,” another song from Crash with an attention-grabbing, “Hard Knock Life”-type bridge, came after “Lose My Wife.” Kehlani then took a moment to note that the set had “a little bit of everything,” going on to exclaim, “These are my rock star dreams!” After correcting the pronunciation of their name (it’s kay-lani, not kuh-lani), the singer cleverly and briefly forayed into Jordan Adetunji’s “KEHLANI REMIX.”
One more bit of patter, this time with Kehlani saying that their favorite part of the tour has been connecting with local artists and surprising the crowd by bringing Houston’s own KenTheMan on stage to perform “Not My N*gga.” Again, Kehlani stressed that it was our responsibility to support our own, before “Ring” began to play. The Cardi B song, which Kehlani featured on, easily got the biggest pop of the night, with dancehall-ready closer “After Hours,” particularly the “Cater 2 U” remix part, coming in second.
Note #1: When exactly did the Arsenio Hall “woof, woof, woof” thing come back into fashion?
Note #2: Kehlani donned cowboy boots but never dropped a yeehaw that I heard, so A-plus for that.
Setlist
Next 2 U GrooveTheory
What I Want Nunya
The Way
You Should Be Here
Toxic
Sucia
8
Can I
Water
When He’s Not There
Clothes Off
Hate the Club
Distraction
Gangsta
Tears
Vegas
everything
Honey
Border
Open (Passionate)
Crash
Chapel
Marry You
Lose My Wife
Deep
KEHLANI REMIX
Not My N*gga (Performed by KenTheMan)
Ring
Nights Like This
After Hours (Cater 2 U Mix) / After Hours
Kehlani is putting her money where her mouth is after supporting Palestine in her music video for “Next 2 U.” The performer raised over $555,000 in aid for Gaza, Sudan, and Congo with merch from the new single. “This song is about protection, something that institutions have failed to do for the people of Palestine, Congo, and Sudan,” she wrote on Instagram. “No one got us the way we got each other. Me & my team feel overwhelmed with gratitude for yall showing out for this fundraiser.” Kehlani sold T-shirts that were made in Bethlehem and screen-printed in Ramallah, both on the West Bank. Along with benefitting Palestinian families amid the Israel-Hamas war, the proceeds also go to families in Sudan, which is experiencing a civil war, and Congo, which is facing attacks by armed rebel groups. “We’re blessed to play a small part in a growing tide towards the truth about Palestine,” Kehlani continued. “We’re invincible together and I feel so inspired by y’all.”
THP + Kehlani = true ‘Honey’ love 🐝❤️. There is no denying that our summers are usually spent soaking in the sun and listening to Kehlani’s all hits and no misses discography. As summer 2024 approaches, we’ve been eager for new music from the ‘Nights Like This’ singer, and thankfully, she delivered right on time.
We’re staying up all night and ‘After Hours’ watching these 10 steamy Kehlani music videos.
Naturally, we have to highlight the biggest song out right now. ‘After Hours’ is everything we didn’t know we needed from Kehlani this year. It’s the perfect song to get us out of the house, and onto the streets with our girls, this summer. When the club closes at 2am, it’s the perfect time for the real night to begin…
We are so glad Kehlani decided to go with a Vegas theme for this video! 🎲 These vibes are right up her alley and even though we loved every moment of the Blue Water Road era, it’s finally time for flirty Kehlani to come back with a vengeance! What was your favorite moment from the music video? We can confidently say…every single second.
When this song came out, we think something in the universe shifted. If you don’t stay up all night thinking about Kehlani, then we can’t relate! Also, whoever had the idea to feature Justin Bieber on this song knew exactly what they were doing. The two singers’ voices blend so beautifully. 😍
We wish we could take Kehlani to the altar. 👰 Is marrying our one true love really too much to ask? We hope not, because we’ve already got the ring picked out.
If you’re a true Kehlani stan we know that you haven’t forgotten about this video. And you certainly remember when this music video dropped during quarantine and saved us from boredom. This song stays a constant bop in our playlists 🎶 and now that summer is approaching, it’s definitely making it’s way into our Hot Girl playlists!
If by chance you haven’t listened to any of Kehlani’s songs, we promise they will ‘Change Your Life.’ She never misses and always provides fans with the best visuals! The ‘All Me / Change Your Life’ video is the only proof we need to show you. 👇
Love the ‘After Hours’ music video? Have a different favorite? Let us know in the comments below or by buzzing with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook 🐝
New York — Art can be inspired by even the most mundane experiences, and for iconic singer-songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the idea for his latest creation, “Girls Night Out,” was sparked while running an errand at the drugstore.
“I went to Walgreens and as I was in there, this younger girl says, ‘Are you Babyface?” recalled the 11-time Grammy winner. She went on to tell him, “I didn’t listen to you before, but I watched Verzuz and I really liked a lot of the things. And so, I’m a fan now.’”
That 2020 Verzuz event with New Jack Swing pioneer Teddy Riley — with much of the country in pandemic lockdown — introduced him to a younger generation of R&B lovers not familiar with his legendary catalog. The interest from younger fans spurred him to begin conceptualizing what would become “Girls Night Out,” released last week. It’s his first project since 2015’s “Return of the Tender Lover.”
“I kind of had slowed down in … putting things out,” revealed the crooner. “I wasn’t feeling inspired.”
The 13-track album features collaborations with some of R&B’s hottest female talent, including Ella Mai, Kehlani and Ari Lennox, as well as rising stars like Muni Long and Queen Naija. Face weaves his musical expertise into today’s sonic climate, far from his hit songs that now play on late-night Quiet Storm formats — and that’s not a bad thing.
The structure of “Girls Night Out” is reminiscent of the “Waiting to Exhale” soundtrack, widely regarded as one of the most popular film compilations of all-time. That 1995 soundtrack was written and produced entirely by Babyface, as he crafted songs for superstars like Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Toni Braxton and Aretha Franklin. But this time around, “Girls Night Out” was intentionally collaborative.
“On ‘Exhale,’ I just wrote all the music and said, ‘Here, you sing this,’” explained the 2017 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee. “I love co-writing because there’s so much to learn from it. We get stuck in our ways as a writer or even just what you’re used to: the age difference, the words that I’m not used to saying…I didn’t want to do an album that sounded like yesterday. I wanted one to sound fresh and sound like today.”
“Girls Night Out” began to take form after working with Ella Mai on “Keeps on Fallin’,” a flip of Tevin Campbell’s beloved “Can We Talk” record written by Face. “Keeps on Fallin’” hit No. 2 on Billboard’s adult R&B airplay chart.
“Once we finished that, we felt like, ‘All right, I think we might have something special here,’” said Babyface, who has writing credits on every song and production credits on all but one.
Standout tracks include “The Recipe” with “Muni Long which features a sample of Babyface’s 1989 classic, “Soon as I Get Home,” as well as “Whatever” with Tink which samples his hit “Whip Appeal.” There’s also “Liquor,” in which Ari Lennox sultrily sings of desiring her man in his authentic, raw form: “No rocks, no blend, straight up, just you/…I need one hundred from my man, he can’t be eighty proof.”
“They’re far more invested in their voice in terms of what they say and how they say it, and even in the writing aspect of it…that wasn’t so much of the late ’80s and ‘90s. All the artists weren’t necessarily into that,” said Babyface of this new generation of female talent. “They got to make sure it’s an honest thing from them.”
Possessing a credit list far too lengthy to print, Babyface began making his mark in music in the late ’80s before finding massive success in the ’90s through early 2000s writing and producing for megastars like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Madonna, Boyz II Men, Usher, Celine Dion and frequent musical collaborator Toni Braxton, who refers to herself as Babyface’s “muse.” He also built a very successful solo career with major hits like, “And Our Feelings,” “Never Keeping Secrets,” “When Can I See You” and “Every Time I Close My Eyes.”
While his legendary status has long been solidified during his three-decade career, the “What If” artist hesitates to accept the acknowledgement. Fortunately, his music made the case long ago.
“I’ve always looked at myself as a producer and songwriter first — not necessarily as a celebrity or a singer,” explained Babyface. “It’s not to downplay what I’ve done, but I just know that the things that I have done at this particular point, I’m very happy and I’m very blessed to have done it.…if I get labeled ‘G.O.A.T.’ or legend in the process, well, that’s wonderful but that’s not why I do it. I do it because I love doing this job.”
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Gary Gerard Hamilton is an entertainment journalist for The Associated Press. His favorite Babyface songs are “What If” and “Reason for Breathing.” He loves the Babyface-written “Sittin’ Up in My Room” by Brandy and prefers “I’m Ready” by Tevin Campbell over “Can We Talk.” Follow Gary at: @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
