Kehlani, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t | Album Review 💿

Well-rounded, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t is an enjoyable contemporary R&B effort that finds Kehlani ‘keeping it 100’ from start to finish. 

It Was Good Until It Wasn’t – love that title. The highly-anticipated sophomore album by Grammy-nominated R&B singer Kehlani, was initially delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Ultimately, the album saw the light of day May 8, 2020, arriving more than a year after While We Wait and three years after her debut album, SweetSexySavage.  Well-rounded, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t is an enjoyable contemporary R&B effort that finds the singer ‘keeping it 100’ from start to finish.

“Toxic” 

“And that damn Don Julio made me a fool for you…” It Was Good Until It Wasn’t commences with ✓ “Toxic” where Kehlani knows this guy is bad news, even as she participates in his ‘toxic’ sexual endeavors.  The lush cut, set in a minor key, is produced by G.ry and K.Beazy.  Keyboard serves as the primary instrument, yielding a moody backdrop which perfectly supports the theme of the record. The focus is matters of the heart, exemplified by the chorus:

“All of this love is toxic
All of this love is toxic
All these kisses and hugs is knock shit
You a damn drug, you’re toxic.”

The verses provide additional details, particularly the second verse, which keeps it 100. “Uh, all the sex on replay / Run it back like a DJ,” she sings, continuing, “Surfin’ on your face while you eat that / Tryna make a bad bitch behave, no…” Adding to the colorful nature of “Toxic” are uncredited vocals by Ty Dolla $ign, during the pre-chorus, bridge, and chorus in certain parts. Ultimately, “Toxic” is enjoyable, featuring a well-rounded vocal performance, sound production, and alluring songwriting.

“Can I” 

✓ “Can I,” featuring Tory Lanez, keeps the momentum going on It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. This is an incredibly sexy joint produced by Jake One, Pop Wansel, and Some Randoms. Kehlani delivers agile melodic lines on the verse, opting for more legato lines on the chorus.  As for Tory Lanez, he ends up being a superb collaborator, providing a pitch-perfect response to her steamy verses.  My favorite lines from his verse:

“You calling me up on a late night
I got you leaking like a brake pipe
Swimming in your sea, just like a diver
I’m in it, just creeping like a great white…”

The pace slackens quite pronouncedly on “Bad News,” which nails it role as a slow jam.  Here, the chorus is quite catchy, in all it’s explicit simplicity: “Make you wanna give all that shit up…” What shit is she going to make him give up? Essentially, his dangerous, and suspect ways.  Kehlani urges, on the second verse of this lush Jahaan Sweet production, “Just be on some cool shit with me.” “Real Hot Girl Skit,” performed by Megan Thee Stallion might seem somewhat pointless or unnecessary while listening to it, but it does perfectly preface “Water.” “Water” exemplifies sex on the track, with ample instances of explicitness and sexual innuendo appearing. It shouldn’t take too much imagination to interpret what water means: “Damn, I ain’t been this wet in years.”

“Change Your Life” 

On “Change Your Life,” we get some girl power on the track. That’s right, Kehlani enlists Jhené Aiko for the assist.  While I don’t automatically envision a collaboration between these two, it’s not far-fetched.  Both are great at establishing a ‘vibe,’ and neither tend to be characterized by gospel histrionics when they sing.  They join forces on the second chorus, but only sing in unison on select lines, otherwise holding down their respective parts.  The premise of the song? They’re gonna change the lives of their men because they are powerful, loving, and loyal women.  “Belong to the Streets Skit” plays a similar role to “Real Hot Girl Skit.” Perhaps it seems somewhat unnecessary, then, its importance is confirmed by the following full-length record. In this case, the follow-up is the terrific ✓ “Everybody Business”.

First and foremost, Kehlani sounds superb vocally, singing expressively and infusing great personality. The production is sweet too; This is a soulful cut yet also sufficiently contemporary.  There’s nothing particularly innovative about the sound, but, it’s a solid. “Everybody Business”  as a song is quite enjoyable; sound and well-rounded.  Thematically, it tackles familiar territory – matters of the heart.  She commences with a bullet: “I ain’t never been a half-ass lover / Rather lay out on the train tracks for ya.” The big takeaway is ignoring the haters. On the pre-chorus, she delivers one of the most memorable lines: “At my big ol’ age, I can’t be fazed / By what you mistake as going insane.” The centerpiece is the chorus:

“I hear every word they talk
Try not to care at all
I know it’s frontin’, don’t know me from nothin’
Still learning to shake it off
I know I can take it all
I know it’s frontin’
You know they frontin’, babe, yeah.”

“Hate the Club” 

The ultra-slow “Hate the Club,” featuring Masegoo, ends up being the lengthiest song from It Was Good Until It Wasn’t.  No worries though – it’s no drag. The slow tempo perfectly captures the mood as Kehlani, who dislikes clubs, puts herself out there to see someone she’s been involved with, yet, fails to approach them. “Maybe if I drank enough,” she sings on the chorus, “I’ll make my way over to ya.” Masegoo lends his saxophone skills – decadent ear candy.

On ✓ “Serial Lover,” Kehlani expresses her commitment issues. “Lord knows / My intentions are pure and my heart full of gold, oh,” she sings on the pre-chorus, later amending the lyrics to say, “My intentions are pure, but my habits are cold.” The chorus and post-chorus that follow are excellent, with standout lines like “Love hard, fuck harder,” and “I got bodies I’ma take to the grave.”

“F&MU” 

“We both know it’s never really goodbye / I swear it’s like we do this all the time, yeah / That shit be turnin’ me on, I cannot lie, lie…” ✓ “F&MU” is characterized by its brevity. Even so, there’s ample time for Kehlani to be potent about love, SEX, and relationships.  As the aforementioned lyrics suggests, the relationship has its fair share of issues, but ultimately, makeup sex atones.  If you didn’t figure out what the meaning of the title, well, it’s clear AF on the chorus:

“We fuck and make up like it’s Maybelline
We do petty things
Then mess up the sheets, yeah
You be runnin’ back once we let it go
I already know
Did it time before (Oh).”

Sure, it’s an oversimplification to suggest that good sex fixes things, but, in the case of “F&MU,” it’s quite entertaining to hear such an assertion be made.  The second verse has its fair share of colorful lyrics, whether it’s the opening “Damn, it’s good, I might have to piss you off,” or “Why I gotta fuck you up to make you fuck like that.”

“Can You Blame Me”

A pair of intriguing duets follow the brief “F&MU.”  The first is “Can You Blame Me” featuring Grammy-nominated R&B artist, Lucky Daye.  Another production by Pop Wansel, Sam Wish, and Some Randoms, it’s quite lush.  The relationship narrativized is dysfunctional, imperfect and perhaps even tumultuous, but Kehlani “would rather ague than me sleep alone / Rather call you out than no one call my phone.”

As strong as “Can You Blame Me” is, you could make the argument that the more distinct duet comes by way of “Grieving” featuring James Blake.  There is no shortage of talent on the production things either, with a team that includes Boi1da, Jahann Sweet, The Rascals, and YogiTheProducer.  Kehlani handles the majority of the record, with Blake providing contrast on the bridge section and contributing to the final chorus.  Keeping it love-centric, “Grieving” explores the end of the relationship.

Penultimate cut “Open (Passionate)” is a two-parter, running past the four-minute mark.   Like everything else that graces It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, it’s quite sleek, idiomatic of modern R&B, and radiantly performed.  “Open” runs the majority of the duration, with the contrasting “Passion” taking the final minute-and-a-half of song.  It Was Good Until It Wasn’t concludes with “Lexii’s Outro” a posthumous feature by rapper Lexii Alijai, who was a friend of Kehlani’s.

Final Thoughts 

As aforementioned, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t is an enjoyable, well-rounded contemporary R&B effort.  For the most part, the material is strong, fueled primarily by matters of the heart.  Kehlani delivers excellent vocal performances throughout characterized equally by musical skill as well as the personality showcased.  While calling It Was Good Until It Wasn’t a masterpiece would be an overstatement, this is a strong R&B effort.

✓ Gems: “Toxic,” “Can I,” “Bad News,” “Everybody Business,” “Serial Lover” & “F&MU”

Kehlani • It Was Good Until It Wasn’t • Atlantic • Release: 5.8.20

Photo Credit: Atlantic