Kehlani Poured Every Ounce of Sexy Into Her ‘SweetSexySavage’ L.A. Show

Joseph Baura

Kehlani didn’t always have the confident, sexy swagger that she exudes on stage nightly. From performing in the music group Poplyfe to finding her muse in artists like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, Kehlani’s rise to prominence has been shaped by a lifetime of experience. Hailing from Oakland has always been something that Kehlani holds dear and clearly where she gets her laid-back bay area attitude. While her initial rise to fame came from mixtapes “Cloud 19” and “You Should Be Here,” Kehlani’s true gem comes in the form of debut album “SweetSexySavage,” three words synonymous with Kehlani’s  entire character. Now on a whole new level of notoriety, Kehlani keeps working to make sure the years of hard work pay off.

At her recent Los Angeles appearance at The Novo, Kehlani brought everything for a venue of screaming fans who had been waiting months to see her perform her new music live. From the moment that she stepped on the stage, it was clear that Kehlani considered performing in a city like Los Angeles a blessing, and she enjoyed every moment she shared with the DTLA crowd.

As she made her way to the center of the stage, diehard fans, especially in the front, cheered, screamed, and cried, hoping to get a simple touch from the 25-year-old songstress. With dimples in tow, Kehlani waved and blew kisses to the crowd that almost made the front row melt. When the instrumental of her song “Keep On” kicked in, the energy in the room soared through the ceiling.

While fans truly adore her first two unofficial projects, Kehlani made it clear that the focus for the night would be on “SweetSexySavage,” which didn’t’ bother fans in the slightest. Going right into one of her biggest fan favorites, “Distraction,” fans sang along as Kehlani walked across the stage, winning the singer over with the incredible amount of participation.

Performing in support of her debut, Kehlani made sure to put an emphasis on the word “sexy” as she slowly strutted around the stage, effortlessly belting out song after song. Almost like a burlesque show, Kehlani and her dancers brought out canes and danced a choreographed routine through several of her songs, adding an effect to her songs about love and love making.

After a nearly hour long set, Kehlani closed with easily her most popular single to date, “CTRL.” Although she didn’t provide an encore performance, Fans got more than enough from the Oakland star. With just one album under her belt, it’s clear that Kehlani has the star power to bring more strong performances to LA in years to come.

Kehlani brought her “SweetSexySavage” World Tour to L.A.’s The Novo on June 18.