Kehlani closes out the lead-up to her self-titled album with her strongest move yet. “Back and Forth,” featuring Missy Elliott, drops today as the final single before ‘Kehlani’ arrives April 24, her birthday, and the pairing is exactly as electric as it sounds. Kehlani’s soulful vulnerability alongside Missy Elliott’s unmatched charisma produces a track that bridges generations of R&B without making it feel like a history lesson. Listen here.
The collaboration matters beyond the music itself. It signals where Kehlani stands right now, confident enough to share a record with one of hip-hop and R&B’s most untouchable figures, and grounded enough to let the song do the talking. “Back and Forth” sets the emotional and sonic tone for the album, a fearless, intimate body of work built on clarity and creative freedom. A self-titled album is a statement, and this one arrives at exactly the right moment in her career.
That moment has been building fast. Her 2025 single “Folded” surpassed 800 million global streams, peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, held number one at Urban Radio for nine weeks, and topped both Rhythmic and R&B Radio. It inspired the “Folded Homage Pack,” featuring Toni Braxton, Brandy, JoJo, Mario, Ne-Yo, and Tank. Kehlani took home Grammy Awards for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song, adding to seven total nominations across her career, and she’ll receive the Impact Award at the upcoming Billboard Women in Music.
With more than 5 billion career streams, over 20 gold and platinum RIAA certifications, and an album arriving on her birthday, Kehlani is operating at the peak of her powers.