Kehlani has announced the forthcoming arrival of her fourth studio album, Crash.
Set to hit streaming services on June 21, the Bay Area singer revealed the cover art as she announced its release date in an Instagram post on Wednesday (May 15).
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The artwork features Kehlani sitting on top of a shattered and crushed car while donning a metallic dress and boots.
The first single, “After Hours,” arrived earlier this month.
Crash follows 2022’s Blue Water Road, which featured appearances from Blxst, Justin Bieber, Syd, Jessie Reyez, Ambré and Thundercat. The album debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200, earning 22,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
Before that, Kehlani hinted at doing a collaborative album with Russ.
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In footage shared by HipHop-N-More in 2021, the two were spotted at a club making plans for a possible LP.
“I just told Russ I would make an album with him in the club,” Lani said in the clip. “Listen, hold her accountable, because I doubt it,” Russ responds.
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After HHNM shared the clip, it surfaced on X (formerly known as Twitter). Russ responded to the tweet in a since-deleted post writing, “Russ x Kehlani project” followed by pair of eyes emojis.
And while nothing came of it, it wasn’t the first time a project from the pair was floated around.
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Back in 2020, Russ had already pondered a potential joint effort with Kehlani but it featured more players than her on the project. After releasing his CHOMP EP in November 2020, he spoke with Ebro Darden on Beats 1 and detailed why an R&B follow-up would be the right move after strictly rapping on CHOMP.
“I might have to come with five songs and it’s me and Keyshia Cole, and Kehlani, and Ari Lennox, and there’s not an ounce of rap on it,” Russ told Ebro. “And you put that right next to CHOMP and it’s like, enjoy.”
News of this new album is a welcome salvo for fans of the singer, who was reportedly sexually assaulted while performing in England in December 2022.
Following her performances, Kehlani reportedly posted a message on their Instagram Stories alleging they had been inappropriately touched while being escorted through the crowd after one of the shows.
“I’ve made video after video after video and deleted it because i don’t want any video of me as angry, triggered, crying upset as i am anywhere,” she wrote in the post, which has since been deleted. “i don’t care how sexual you deem my music, my performances, my fun with my friends dancing at clubs, or ME….
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“that does not give any of you the right to cross a boundary like sticking your hands up my skirt & pulling my underwear to TOUCH MY GENITALS as i am being escorted through a crowd after performing.”
Kehlani added: “this shit made me sick to my stomach. as a victim of sexual assault, i am endlessly triggered and mindblown.”