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Kehlani Reveals Palestine Advocacy Led Several Artists To “Ghost” Their Feature Requests
Kehlani’s CRASH is expected to be released on June 21, and it appears there’s a reason why the forthcoming album only contains a few features. On Tuesday (June 18), the “Nights Like This” singer revealed that several of the artists they intended to collaborate with “ghosted” them because of their advocacy for Palestine.
“Because of my political stance, I couldn’t get any features, but I guess I’ll save that for an interview ‘cause everybody fronted on me. Every single person was like, ‘Yeah,’ and then they just ghosted me,” Kehlani shared on social media.
On June 12, the musician announced that merchandise for “Next 2 U” raised over $555,000 for Gaza, Sudan, and Congo. They partnered with Nöl Collective for limited-edition T-shirts that were screen-printed in Ramallah.
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“This song is about protection, something that institutions have failed to do for the people of Palestine, Congo, and Sudan. No one got us the way we got each other. Me and my team feel overwhelmed with gratitude for y’all showing out for this fundraiser,” Kehlani said in a statement uploaded to Instagram. “We’re blessed to say we supported artists in the West Bank while raising money for families in Gaza, Sudan, and Congo. We’re blessed to say that we are supported by a community standing on business together.”
They continued, “We’re blessed to play a small part in a growing tide toward the truth about Palestine. We’re invincible together, and I feel ever so inspired by y’all. Thank you for showing out on the streets of D.C., with your dollars, with your labor and [organizing], [and] with your bodies blocking business as usual.”
Kehlani’s upcoming project will also house “After Hours.” The record debuted in April and marked their first of 2024. Omah Lay, Jill Scott, and Young Miko are among those expected to be on the 13-song body of work.
Outside of their solo music, the singer teased a remix of Jordan Adetunji’s viral track “Kehlani.” The accompanying visuals, which dropped on June 10, are nearing 1 million YouTube views at the time of reporting.