Album Review: Kehlani - It Was Good Until It Wasn’t

While We Wait, Kehlani’s aptly titled EP released early last year, couldn’t have been a better tease for her sophomore album. She’s taken each track from the EP and given them each a part two here, with a handful of guest stars thrown in for good measure. Taking a break for her health and to become a parent might’ve been the best thing to happen for her creative process. 

Opener Toxic might suggest Kehlani’s musical style to be heading in a more downtempo direction a la PartyNextDoor, but fans only need to listen to Zedd collaboration Good Thing to know she really can do it all. Change Your Life combines two of R&B’s hottest artists right now, and fresh off the success of Chilombo, Jhené Aiko and Kehlani are a match made in musical heaven. Nobody is more in tune to the current state and direction of R&B than Kehlani, as she not only adds rising stars to the set like Masego, Megan Thee Stallion and Lucky Daye, but also calls out the pitfalls of being a woman in the industry with Everybody Business. She addresses her relationship with YG both on Open (Passionate) and single Valentine’s Day (Shameful). Never lacking inspiration, she also launched Honey Shot Productions during lockdown which can be credited with the videos for Toxic, Everybody Business, and F&MU. Fan favourite Serial Lover has 90’s influences, and the album closes out with a verse from Kehlani’s close friend and collaborator, the late Lexii Alijai (see Jealous from Kehlani’s 2015 mixtape You Should Be Here). 

It’s been a long time coming but It Was Good Until It Wasn’t is Parrish’s victory lap. It’s difficult not to relate to slow jams like Bad News and Water and feel every emotion she’s put into creating this record. In spite of the current situation of the world, it seems Kehlani’s creative juices are overflowing and the world is more than ready for her new sound.

Reviewed by: Grayson Harris-Paul