It Was Good Until It Wasn't / Kehlani / May 8, 2020
- Joshua Yoo
- May 9, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 13, 2020
After dealing with an emotionally brutal and public breakup, Kehlani pours all of her brooding and pent-up emotions into “It Was Good Until It Wasn’t,” her second commercial album that has quite a different mood and tone from any of her previous albums. And yet while the themes she touches on are more serious and sensual, unfortunately the album doesn’t live up to the importance it tries to convey. Production wise, Kehlani again falls to many repetitive tendencies in her music, resulting in moments of uninspired songwriting (“Bad News”) and monotonous vocal delivery (“Can I”). The pacing and energy through the progression of the album is slow, at times hurting its appeal to listeners, with track after track sustaining the same slow bedroom tempo and dark mood. There are also occasional moments of heavy vocal layering and riffing, which often distract from the melody. The features on the album reflect the same sense of high potential with subpar results, as R&B forefront artists such as Jhene Aiko and Tory Lanez phone-in unimaginative and forgettable guest verses. It’s frustrating because Kehlani has an amazing voice and, at times, a knack for creating captivating R&B melodies, both evidenced in the standout tracks on the project. Songs such as the smooth, acoustic ballad “Everybody Business” or the bitter breakup self-reflection “Toxic” showcase Kehlani’s songwriting strengths, channeling her emotions through memorable verses. Without a doubt this is Kehlani’s most personal and emotionally raw album, covering all aspects of her state of mind post-breakup and mid-quarantine. It becomes then slightly disappointing that the music she creates to convey these feelings lacks the certain edge and creativity to do them justice.
Best Track(s): Open (Passionate), Can You Blame Me, Toxic, Everybody Business Lowlight(s): Bad News, Water
SCORE: 5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itABoZFAdGk
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