SweetSexySavage

SweetSexySavage
Studio album by Kehlani
Released January 27, 2017
Recorded 2015–2016
Studio
Genre R&B[1]
Length 58:29
Label
Producer
Kehlani chronology
You Should Be Here
(2015)You Should Be Here2015		 SweetSexySavage
(2017)
Singles from SweetSexySavage
  1. "Crzy"
    Released: July 15, 2016
  2. "Distraction"
    Released: July 23, 2016
  3. "Keep On"
    Released: January 27, 2017[2]

SweetSexySavage is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Kehlani. The album was released on January 27, 2017 by Atlantic Records.[3] Kehlani started work on the album shortly after the release of her mixtape You Should Be Here, with work proceeding into 2016. Kehlani described the album as having three elements; Sweet, Sexy and Savage,[4] which are intended to be reflected in the album's lyrical content and production.

Kehlani was the lead writer on all tracks aside from "Intro", which was written by Reyna Biddy. Production on the project was handled by Pop & Oak, Jahaan Sweet, Charlie Heat, among others, who worked to incorporate a variety of different sounds on the album.[5]

The album received mainly positive reviews from critics, generating a Metacritic score of 76, which ranks as Kehlani's second-highest score after her mixtape You Should Be Here from 2015. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, moving 58,000 album-equivalent units in its first tracking week.[6] The record was promoted with three official singles, "Crzy", "Distraction", and "Undercover"; the former two both peaked at number eighty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and were certified gold by the RIAA. To further promote the album, Kehlani embarked on the SweetSexySavage Tour.

Background and production

After wrapping up the North American leg of the You Should Be Here Tour, new recording sessions for the album started in Philadelphia around Halloween 2015.[7] The album was announced to be arriving "soon" in mid 2016 by Kehlani on Twitter. Work continued into 2016 where Kehlani finished and since has passed it onto her label.

The bulk of the album's production was handled by Pop & Oak,[8] with Kehlani also working with many others, including her musical director and producer Jahaan Sweet, who she worked with on her mixtapes.

The album was inspired by TLC's album, CrazySexyCool.[9] Kehlani also cited Natasha Bedingfield, Colbie Caillat, Gwen Stefani, and Pink as the biggest inspirations for the album.[10] She stated that it was "more fun and aggressive" than her earlier work.[11]

Singles

"Crzy" was released as the lead single from SweetSexySavage on July 15, 2016,[12] and peaked at number eighty-five on the US Billboard Hot 100. Kehlani performed the single on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote the album's release. The second single, "Distraction", was released on July 23, 2016, and also peaked at number eighty-five on the Hot 100. The song impacted rhythmic radios in mid-January and has peaked in the top 40 of the rhythmic radio charts. Its accompanying music video received over 2 million views in one day on YouTube.[13] The third single, "Keep On", was released on January 27, 2017.

Promotional singles

The first promotional single from the album, "Advice",[14] was premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show on December 1, 2016.[15] Kehlani premiered the album's second promotional single "Undercover" on January 5, 2017 during Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show.

Release and promotion

Kehlani teased the album using the acronym 'SSS'[16] before finally announcing the album's title on November 27, 2016 via Twitter.[17]

Kehlani revealed the album's cover on November 30, 2016 along with a message to fans: "Thank you to the fans for believing in me... for receiving me... for growing with me and giving me the confidence to keep going and get this album done. I hope you enjoy my journey, my growth, and my stories. SSS season."[18] The album was made available to pre-order on iTunes on December 1, 2016 along with the promotional single "Advice". SweetSexySavage features 19 tracks on the deluxe version.

"Do U Dirty" was released on January 12, 2017 as the album's first and only promotional single.

On January 27, Kehlani promoted the album's release by performing "Crzy" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[19]

Tour

Kehlani announced that she would be going on a world tour in support of the album on December 2, 2016. Tickets went on sale on December 14, 2016 with concert dates in North America and Europe. The tour began on February 21, 2017 in Montreal, Quebec at Club Soda, and is scheduled to conclude on November 19, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico at the Corona Capital Festival. A portion of the European leg was cancelled due to Kehlani having surgery on her stomach. The tour visited cities across North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[20]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[21]
Clash7/10[22]
Entertainment WeeklyB[23]
Exclaim!8/10[24]
The Guardian[25]
Idolator[26]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[27]
The New York Times(favorable)[28]
NME[29]
Pitchfork7.0/10[30]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76 out of 100 based on 17 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[20]

Shahzaib Hussain of Clash gave the album a 7 out of 10 and said, "The production can at times become repetitive, yet it's Kehlani's versatility as a songstress that elevates the more cookie cutter numbers."[22] Nick Levine of NME gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and commented that "the album is cohesive without feeling too samey."[29]

Ryan B. Patrick of Exclaim! gave the album an 8 out of 10 and said, "by getting intensely personal, Kehlani adds a human side to the recordings that's multilayered and unapologetically self-determined."[24] Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, commenting that "The lows and highs, grief and pleasure, and insecurity and pride are all put on vivid display, and Kehlani pours herself into all of it without overselling a thought."[21]

Katherine St. Asaph of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.0 out of 10 and stated that "Refreshingly, SweetSexySavage is at its best when it's most exuberant, giddy in the face of haters and common sense alike."[30] Barry Walters of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a grade of B, saying, "haunting highlights like 'Piece of Mind' and 'Everything Is Yours' prove that beneath SSS's padding, there's a succinct, sassy, and sincere album waiting to be slimmed down to Kehlani's own soul-searching essence."[23]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2017
47
Rolling Stone 20 Best R&B Albums of 2017
9

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"Reyna Biddy[33] 0:59
2."Keep On"
  • Jahaan Sweet
  • Rigo
3:38
3."Distraction"
3:55
4."Piece of Mind"
  • Parrish
  • Autoro Whitfield
  • Wansel
  • Felder
  • Pop & Oak
  • Toro
  • Klein[a]
4:18
5."Undercover"
Charlie Heat3:03
6."Crzy"
  • Parrish
  • Denisia "Blu June" Andrews
  • Brittany Chi Coney
Novawav3:11
7."Personal"
  • Jahaan Sweet
3:47
8."Not Used to It"
  • Pop & Oak
  • Campfield
  • Klein
3:55
9."Everything Is Yours"
  • Parrish
  • Wansel
  • Felder
  • Trevor Brown
  • Zaire Koalo
  • Pop & Oak
  • Koalo
  • Brown
3:31
10."Advice"
  • Parrish
  • Wansel
  • Felder
  • Campfield
  • Klein
  • Pop & Oak
  • Campfield
  • Klein
3:22
11."Do U Dirty"
The Featherstones3:26
12."Escape"
  • Parrish
  • Whitfield
  • Wansel
  • Felder
  • Brown
  • Koalo
  • Pop & Oak
  • Koalo
  • Brown
  • Toro
3:21
13."Too Much"
Picard Brothers3:49
14."Get Like"
  • Sevn Thomas
  • Rex Kudo
2:54
15."In My Feelings"
  • Pop & Oak
  • Koalo
3:46
16."Hold Me by the Heart"
  • Parrish
  • Whitfield
  • Wansel
  • Felder
  • Pop & Oak
  • Toro
3:45
17."Thank You"
  • Parrish
  • Whitfield
  • Wansel
  • Felder
  • Klein
  • Campfield
  • Pop & Oak
  • Klein
  • Campfield
  • Toro
3:49
Total length:58:28

Notes

Sample credits

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[54] Gold 500,000double-dagger

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Various January 27, 2017 Atlantic

References

  1. ↑ Sargent, Jordan (February 1, 2017). "Kehlani's SweetSexySavage Argues That There's More to Modern R&B Than Sadboy Jerkoffs". Spin. Retrieved December 13, 2017. is a distinctly contemporary album that is in conversation with trendy, critically acclaimed R&B.[...] SweetSexySavage is a lovable and very human album that, if only briefly, does its part to pull R&B back to place where songs matter, first and foremost.
  2. ↑ "Kehlani Admits Her Faults With "Keep On"". hiphopdx.com. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. ↑ "SweetSexySavage by Kehlani on Apple Music". Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Kehlani Updates on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Kehlani's 'SweetSexySavage': EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Barry Walters. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ Caulfield, Keith. "Migos earn first No. 1 Album on the Billboard 200 Chart with 'Culture'". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Kehlani Updates on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Carl Chery on Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  9. ↑ Flowers, Shaunee (January 28, 2017). "Kehlani's 'SweetSexySavage' Album: Highly Anticipated Major Label Debut Is A Nod To 90s R&B". Inquisitr. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (January 26, 2017). "Kehlani Talks Pressure-Free, Pop-Friendly Road to 'SweetSexySavage'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  11. ↑ Hyman, Dan (January 27, 2017). "Kehlani: "All the Most Successful People Have Gone Through Some Sh*t"". Elle. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Home". Kehlani. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  13. ↑ kehlani parrish (November 22, 2016). "Kehlani - Distraction [Official Video]". Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  14. ↑ "kehlani on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ "New Music: Kehlani – "Advice"". spin.com. December 1, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Kehlani Opens Up About Her Debut Album 'SSS'". rap-up.com. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  17. ↑ "kehlani on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Kehlani debuts album artwork for "SweetSexySavage"". REVOLT TV. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Momoa, Music from Kehlani Watch Full Episode - 01/26/2017". go.com. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  20. 1 2 "SweetSexySavage by Kehlani". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  21. 1 2 Kellman, Andy (January 27, 2017). "SweetSexySavage - Kehlani". AllMusic. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  22. 1 2 Hussain, Shahzaib (January 31, 2017). "Kehlani - SweetSexySavage". Clash. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  23. 1 2 Walters, Barry (January 25, 2017). "Kehlani's SweetSexySavage: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  24. 1 2 Patrick, Ryan B. (January 25, 2017). "Kehlani - SweetSexySavage". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  25. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (January 26, 2017). "Kehlani: SweetSexySavage review – music to do your tax return to". The Guardian. Retrieved January 27, 2017.
  26. ↑ Gracie, Bianca (January 27, 2017). "Kehlani's 'SweetSexySavage': Review". Idolator. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  27. ↑ Williamson, Jason (January 25, 2017). "Kehlani's optimism shines through on an impressive debut". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  28. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (January 27, 2017). "Kehlani's SweetSexySavage Gives Love an R&B Workout". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  29. 1 2 Levine, Nick (February 1, 2017). "Kehlani - 'SweetSexySavage' Review". NME. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  30. 1 2 Asaph, Katherine St. (January 30, 2017). "Kehlani: SweetSexySavage". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  31. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017". Pitchfork. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  32. ↑ "20 Best R&B Albums of 2017 – 9. Kehlani, 'SweetSexySavage'". Rolling Stone. December 20, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Meet Reyna Biddy, the Poet Who Kicks Off Kehlani's 'SweetSexySavage'". BET.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  34. ↑ "Kehlani – Undercover". Genius.com. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  35. ↑ "SweetSexySavage Deluxe CD". warnermusic.com. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  36. ↑ "Sweetsexysavage Kehlani CD Album". Japan. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  37. ↑ "Kehlani Interpolates An Akon Classic On "Undercover"". genius.com. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  38. ↑ Tanzer, Myles (January 31, 2017). "Kehlani's SweetSexySavage Knows Its Roots". The Fader. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  41. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  42. ↑ "Kehlani Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  43. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes - SNEP (Week 5, 2017)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  45. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Kehlani". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  47. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  48. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  49. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
  50. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  51. ↑ "Kehlani Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  52. ↑ "Kehlani Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  53. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  54. ↑ "American album certifications – Kehlani – SweetSexySavage". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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