Kehlani is too busy calling out bad relationships to get stuck in one herself. At least that’s where the R&B star wants to draw the line moving forward with “Toxic”, her new single.
Unfortunately, Kehlani has plenty of experience with deceitful exes. A few days after releasing a Valentine’s Day collaboration with her then-boyfriend California rapper YG, she release a new song of her own called “Valentine’s Day (Shameful)”. The latter spared no expense in outlining the ways in which he broke her heart, including cheating on her and showing a general lack of respect.
On “Toxic”, she lets her guard down to reflect on every part of a breakup: the anger over broken trust, a sense of relief about ending something bad, recognizing its lasting negative influence, and even accepting that you may miss the relationship despite all of those bad things. It’s essentially a clearheaded look at ending a sour bond, and allowing yourself to be sad about its dissolution all the same. Stream it below.
There’s a refreshing minimalism and candor to “Toxic” that, while present in Kehlani’s work usually, feels particularly stirring this time around. “I get real accountable when I’m alone,” she said over Twitter, as if explaining that mood. “I freestyled most of it!”
Kehlani is gearing up for a summer tour in support of her 2019 mixtape While We Wait and her recent collaboration with Justin Bieber. One of those stops is a live performance at Summerfest in Wisconsin. Grab tickets to all of her upcoming concerts here.
Kehlani Calls Out “Toxic” Relationships in New Single: Stream
Nina Corcoran
