Kehlani’s career may have begun on America’s Got Talent, but the tattooed, gamine Californian is more intriguing than your average R&B wannabe. If her name has resonated for all the wrong reasons – last year’s hospitalisation after her love life got complicated – the singer’s debut album proper proves she has the tunes and personality to back up the notoriety. A generous helping of SSS has been out already, with the video for the nagging Distraction amply fulfilling the “sexy” third of the album title triptych. Tracks like the even-more-nagging CRZY, meanwhile, tout attitude. As well as modern R&B postures, the musicality of Kehlani’s vocal melodies hark back to previous eras – Keep On is a particularly sweet bagatelle.
