Kehlani Quotes

Powerful Kehlani for Daily Growth

About Kehlani

Kehlani Ashley Parrish, professionally known as Kehlani, is an accomplished American singer-songwriter, dancer, and record producer, who has made a significant impact on the R&B and pop music scenes since her debut in 2014. Born on April 24, 1995, in Oakland, California, Kehlani showed early promise as a performer, participating in dance competitions before focusing on her musical career. Her interest in music was sparked by a diverse range of influences, including Destiny's Child, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Lauryn Hill. However, it was the death of Aaliyah that truly inspired Kehlani to pursue a career in music. At just 18 years old, Kehlani joined the girl group Poplyfe, who were eventual finalists on America's Got Talent in 2011. Following their disbandment, she began to focus on her solo career, releasing the mixtape Cloud 19 in 2014. The project showcased Kehlani's powerful vocals and introspective lyricism, earning her widespread critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase. In 2015, she signed with Atlantic Records and released her second mixtape, You Should Be Here. The project peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard 200 chart and featured hit singles like "CRZY" and "Undercover." In 2017, Kehlani's debut studio album, SweetSexySavage, was released to further critical and commercial success. The album spawned popular tracks such as "Distraction," "Gangsta" featuring Ty Dolla Sign, and her collaboration with Zayn Malik, "Literally." Throughout her career, Kehlani has been open about her struggles with mental health, sexuality, and identity, using her platform to inspire and empower others. She is also a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, often using her music to address important social issues. In 2017, she won two American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Collaboration of the Year (with Zayn Malik). Today, Kehlani continues to push boundaries with her unique sound and unapologetic authenticity, solidifying her status as a trailblazing artist in the R&B and pop genres.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'm learning that sometimes you have to go through the rain before you can get to the sunshine."

This quote suggests that personal growth and happiness often require overcoming challenges or hardships, symbolized by going through the "rain". The "sunshine" represents the reward or positive outcome that comes after enduring those difficulties. In essence, Kehlani is emphasizing that pain, struggle, and adversity are inevitable parts of life but are necessary steps toward personal growth and achieving brighter days ahead.


"I don't care if I'm a star, all I wanna be is happy."

This quote by Kehlani suggests that fame or success, as symbolized by being a "star," is not the ultimate goal for her. Instead, she values attaining true happiness above all else. It emphasizes that personal fulfillment, rather than external validation, is what truly matters in life.


"My heart and my mind are two different places."

The quote emphasizes that our emotions (heart) and thoughts (mind) can sometimes operate independently. This can lead to internal conflicts, as one might feel a certain way (heart), yet think or rationalize differently (mind). It underscores the complexity of human feelings and decision-making processes.


"The most beautiful people I've known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, born of their own experience."

This quote by Kehlani suggests that true beauty lies not in a lack of hardship, but in the resilience and strength demonstrated through adversity. Those who have endured struggles, learned from defeats, and persevered despite suffering are often the most beautiful, as they possess characteristics such as courage, wisdom, and empathy that come from their lived experiences. In essence, it's the journey of overcoming challenges that shapes one's character and imbues them with a unique kind of beauty.


"I'm not perfect but I'm learning to be me."

This quote reflects a journey towards self-acceptance and personal growth. The speaker acknowledges that they are not flawless, yet embraces the process of discovering and expressing their true identity. It signifies an individual taking steps to understand themselves better, learning to appreciate their unique qualities, and developing the confidence to be authentic. It's a reminder that we all have room for improvement but can use our imperfections as opportunities for self-discovery and self-love.


I went from broke and homeless sleeping on couches. Couldn't even figure out what I was doing in Los Angeles. Now, I'm paying my own bills. I'm about to move my mama in with me at 19. I'm on tour now, and this is all off of one mixtape.

- Kehlani

Doing, Own, About, My Own

If I was to have a reality show, it wouldn't be a show based on my personal life. I'd want it to showcase me and my girls on tour, like living life as a young artist, not exposing what goes on in my family situations.

- Kehlani

Artist, Young, Show, Exposing

I just remember falling in love with the old Chris Brown music, where it was, like, that real R&B, and I love the radio smashes he's put out since then, but I go back to his older music for that R&B.

- Kehlani

Love, Back, Put, Brown

When you look at me, you can't really tell what I am, but I'm black, white, Native, Spanish, and a little bit of Filipino.

- Kehlani

Black, Tell, Spanish, Native

I write most of my songs to beats. I play around on guitar, but not enough to where I can compose my own stuff or play solos. I can accompany myself 'cause most songs are, like, four chords.

- Kehlani

Play, Own, I Write, Accompany

I think most people don't know that I really write everything myself. No help. There's nobody in the studio except for me and the engineer. A lot of people don't think I'm a singer. They think I'm a rapper.

- Kehlani

Think, I Think, Studio, Rapper

I used to think that love was giving up everything of yourself and giving it to the other person. Now, I've realized that love is when you have somebody that doesn't make you give up half of yourself.

- Kehlani

Love, Think, Give, Love Is

I'm a healthy eater, but I don't consider Chick-fil-A fast food.

- Kehlani

Healthy, Fast, Consider, Eater

There's girls that grew up like me and even worse, and they need to know that there is someone out there that can give them hope with my music. It's about inspiring people and helping people.

- Kehlani

Give, Like, Even Worse, Helping People

Sex is biological, but gender is mental.

- Kehlani

Gender, Sex, Mental, Biological

My pops passed when I was little. I didn't have a dad around to tell me certain things. I didn't have my biological mother.

- Kehlani

Tell, Certain Things, Dad, Biological

Me being so open just helps other people. People feel like they know me so much that they can talk to me all of the time about really personal things. Sometimes it's really nice and comforting. It depends on the person, whether they're creepy or not.

- Kehlani

Comforting, Sometimes, Other, Personal Things

You start singing by singing what you hear. So everyone, when they first start singing, they naturally are singing like whatever they're hearing, because that's the only way you learned how to sing. So when I was growing up on Lauryn Hill, when I started singing her songs, I literally trained my voice to be able to do runs.

- Kehlani

Voice, Trained, Naturally, Runs

I was in art school, and we had all these random classes. We'd listen to a lot of Bollywood. I'd listen to Spanish music - and I don't even speak Spanish, but Hector Lavoe is amazing - we listened to French music like Edith Piaf. She's tight. I like cool vocal inflections; I like cool sounds. I pretty much listen to anything I think is good.

- Kehlani

I Think, Vocal, Classes, Bollywood

Success to me is only two things: happiness and stability.

- Kehlani

Success, Happiness, Me, Stability

I think, as musicians, our music should be who we are. Sometimes it's not - it's someone else's. All heartfelt music and all honest music, it's who we are. Of course, our upbringing has everything to do with it.

- Kehlani

Think, Sometimes, I Think, Heartfelt

When I started singing, I was covering Lauryn Hill, Brandy, and all the girl groups of the '90s. It's just what I would listen to and what I was singing when anybody asked me to sing for them.

- Kehlani

Singing, Anybody, Covering, Brandy

It's funny: I don't listen to too much rap. I don't listen to too much older hip-hop. If I do, it's Ja Rule.

- Kehlani

Too Much, Rule, Rap, Hip-Hop

If my eyebrows are cool, if my eyeliner is popping, if I'm moisturized, then I can pretty much wear whatever I want. I think if your hair and your face are together, I think it's pretty much polished!

- Kehlani

I Think, Wear, Popping, Eyebrows

I think my main two songs are 'FWU' and 'Get Away.' 'FWU' made a cool point because it came out right after Chris Brown's 'Loyal' came out. I combated it with 'FWU,' a song that basically says, 'These women are loyal.'

- Kehlani

Away, I Think, Main, Women Are

I hang out with the right people, my friends that I've had since the beginning. We go to the beach, take walks, paint, see our family - just normal things that people who become famous lose sight of.

- Kehlani

Beginning, Paint, Hang, Right People

As far as creation goes, you just really have to not overthink and just create and be confident. If you think it's tight, then the world is going to think it's tight.

- Kehlani

Think, Goes, Going, As Far As

My biggest role model right now is Beyonce, just 'cause she is a very, very strong, powerful woman, and that's obviously the number one reason to be inspired by her. She is just killing every game there is to kill.

- Kehlani

Strong, Reason, Very, Beyonce

Stardom is a crazy thought. If that's what my path is, then that's where I'm excited to be headed towards.

- Kehlani

Thought, Excited, Then, Stardom

I think writing and singing go together, but I treat them as two separate careers because I write for others. If I'm writing for myself, I prefer to be with the producer. And then we can vibe out and throw ideas back and forth, and I'll basically let the producer play me a bunch of beats until I vibe with one.

- Kehlani

Treat, Play, Vibe, Producer

I feel like I don't really care about impressing other people. I thoroughly enjoy impressing myself.

- Kehlani

Other, Like, Thoroughly, Care

My brain kind of works in steps. I have to go through things and then process them and then write about them. I have to understand them first.

- Kehlani

Process, Through, Works, Steps

I want babies before I'm 25. I want to bring my babies on the road and bring them to concerts and raise them in the studio.

- Kehlani

Want, Studio, Before, Raise

I was out of the house at 16 by my own doing. It forced me to really grow up and take care of myself, and I learned a lot of things that your parents usually teach you, on my own.

- Kehlani

Doing, Own, Forced, Grow Up

I've always been a very young person with a very old soul.

- Kehlani

Always, Been, Very, Young Person

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