Kehlani

Kehlani Ashley Parrish, born on April 24, 1995, is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. They first gained public attention as a contestant on the sixth season of America's Got Talent in 2011 as a member of the teen pop group PopLyfe. After embarking on a solo career, Kehlani released critically acclaimed mixtapes and studio albums that achieved commercial success on the Billboard charts and earned multiple Grammy Award nominations and wins.

Born in Oakland, California, Kehlani was raised by their aunt after their mother served time in jail and their father died during their toddler years. Attending the Oakland School for the Arts, Kehlani originally studied dance, focusing on ballet and modern dance, with early ambitions to train at the Juilliard School. A knee injury during junior high school prompted them to shift their focus toward singing. During their youth, they were exposed to R&B and neo soul music, citing artists such as Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott as early musical influences. At age 14, Kehlani joined the local pop cover band PopLyfe as the lead vocalist.

PopLyfe performed throughout the Bay Area and finished in fourth place on America's Got Talent in 2011. Following the show, Kehlani departed the group due to managerial and contractual disputes. After a period of personal hardship and moving between houses, Kehlani relocated to Los Angeles and released their first solo track, "ANTISUMMERLUV," on SoundCloud. This caught the attention of television host Nick Cannon, who assisted them with studio time and living arrangements. In 2014, Kehlani released their debut mixtape, Cloud 19, which received positive critical recognition.

In 2015, Kehlani released their second mixtape, You Should Be Here, which entered the Billboard 200 chart and earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Shortly after, they signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records. Kehlani released their debut studio album, SweetSexySavage, in January 2017, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200. Their second studio album, It Was Good Until It Wasn't, followed in May 2020 and debuted at number two on the chart.

Kehlani continued releasing music with their third studio album, Blue Water Road, in April 2022, supported by the Blue Water Road Trip tour. In 2024, they released their fourth studio album, Crash, as well as the mixtape While We Wait 2. The following year, Kehlani released the single "Folded," which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. In April 2026, they released their self-titled fifth studio album, Kehlani.

In their personal life, Kehlani gave birth to a daughter in 2019 with guitarist Javaughn Young-White. They later established a home on a small farm in Simi Valley, California. Kehlani practices the African diasporic religion La Regla de Ocha, is vegan, and has publicly discussed living with borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder.