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It Was Good Until It Wasn't

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It Was Good Until It Wasn't
Studio album by
Kehlani
ReleasedMay 8, 2020
GenreR&B
Length39:30
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Kehlani chronology
While We Wait
(2019) 		It Was Good Until It Wasn't
(2020)
Singles from It Was Good Until It Wasn't
  1. "Can I"
    Released: June 3, 2020[1]

It Was Good Until It Wasn't is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Kehlani. It was released on May 8, 2020, by Atlantic Records. It is her first project since her 2019 mixtape While We Wait and first studio album since her 2017 debut SweetSexySavage.

Three promotional singles[2] preceded the album's release. "Toxic", "Everybody Business" and "F&MU" were made available on March 12, April 16 and April 30, 2020, respectively. Several of the album's tracks had accompanying music videos that were shot at the singer's home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Background

On her 25th birthday, Kehlani announced the title and release date of her second studio album. She subsequently shared the album's artwork throughout her social media, which finds her peaking over a wall in her garden while holding a water hose.[3] Shortly prior to this, Kehlani signed a worldwide publishing deal with Pulse Music Group which includes her entire music catalog in addition to future works with Pulse's Vice President of A&R citing that, "Her talent both as an artist and songwriter is undeniable and seeing her career skyrocket in such a short time is incredibly impressive. We can't wait to get to work and to be a part of her team in this next stage of her career".[4]

In early 2020, Kehlani had a guest appearance on Justin Bieber's fifth studio album Changes on the song "Get Me".[5] She also featured on Megan Thee Stallion's third extended play, Suga. After much anticipation, Kehlani took to her Twitter to announce her "new album is done" and called it her "best work yet".[6] In addition to the album's release, Kehlani also released a handful of singles, including a collaboration featuring singer Keyshia Cole titled "All Me". A duet with rapper YG, who Kehlani also had a relationship with upon the release of the single,[7] titled "Konclusions" was released on Valentine's Day 2020 along with a music video. Just three days after their collaboration, the singer responded with a song titled "Valentine's Day (Shameful)" on which she confirmed their break up. The song was released on Soundcloud and was released on additional streaming services later on.[8] “You Know Wassup”, which was released in November 2019, detailed some of the struggles during her relationship with YG as well.

Release and promotion

The album was released on May 8, 2020, by Atlantic Records. The album was made available for pre-order on April 30 alongside the song "F&MU". Kehlani was set to embark on the Changes Tour alongside Justin Bieber. The tour was set to begin on May 14 but was postponed due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.[9]

Singles

"Can I" featuring Tory Lanez was released as the album's first official single on June 3, 2020.[10]

Promotional singles

On March 12, 2020, Kehlani released "Toxic", the first promotional single of the project. The song addresses the fraught aspects of a toxic relationship.[11] The song peaked at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.[12] The album's second promotional single, "Everybody Business" was released on April 16. "F&MU" was released on April 30 along with the album's pre-order as the project's third promotional single. All of the songs were accompanied by "Quarantine Style" visuals and music videos.

Other songs

"Open (Passionate)" and "Bad News" received music videos on May 8 and July 9 respectively.[13][14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.3/10[26]
Metacritic77/100[25]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
And It Don't StopA–[16]
Clash9/10[17]
Exclaim!6/10[18]
The Guardian[19]
HipHopDX3.8/5[20]
The Independent[21]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[22]
NME[23]
Pitchfork7.7/10[24]

On Metacritic, It Was Good Until It Wasn't received a score of 77, based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[25] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[26] Album of the Year assessed the critical consensus as a 72 out of 100, based on 13 reviews.[27]

Shakeena Johnson of Clash wrote that "The album's arrangement of serenading beats and jazzy undertones has genuinely proven that Kehlani is a force to be reckoned with." Johnson also called the album Kehlani's "best project to date."[17] The Guardian's reviewer Alexis Petridis opined that "It Was Good Until It Wasn't is an album so concise and focused that songs regularly clock in just a shade over two minutes, and which offers a succession of 21st-century reboots of the old-fashioned R&B slow jam." While Petridis noted that "everything proceeds at pretty much the same pace – languorous crawl to the bedroom", he praised the album for its variety and for not sounding monotonous.[19] Writing for The Independent, Roisin O'Connor stated that the album's "15 tracks waft in as though carried by a summer breeze; Kehlani's crystalline vocals shine through arrangements of sedate beats, jazz piano motifs, and luxurious twangs of Spanish guitar." O'Connor further noted that Kehlani demonstrates her "profound emotional intelligence" on the album and he also praised the features on the record.[21] Pitchfork's reviewer Stephen Kearse noted the album's production as more moody than previous releases by Kehlani, writing that it replaces "the sunny, poppy swells of SweetSexySavage with cloudy grooves that rock and sway rather than ascend and drop." Kearse called the record a bit diffuse at times, referring to the lack of distinct characters in Kehlani's storytelling. However, he praised her for showcasing her development as an artist, stating that she's "becoming an increasingly agile performer, rapping, singing, and everything in between."[24]

Some reviews were more mixed. Hannah Mylrea of NME stated that the problem with the record is that "it loses sight of the sheer brilliance Kehlani has demonstrated on previous releases. The dark and sexy new songs shine their brightest when coated with a layer of her previous sparkle; which makes the artist's second album a fine but frustrating release."[23] Ben Devlin of musicOMH stated that the album contains some filler songs, while noting the tracks "Can I" and "Lexii's Outro" as highlights. Devlin also directed praise towards Kehlani's songwriting and vocal performances.[28] Exclaim!'s reviewer Veracia Ankrah opined that the album's drawback is the lack of cohesiveness within its storytelling. However, Ankrah noted the songs "Bad News", "Everybody Business" and "Open (Passionate)" as highlights on the record, stating that those tracks are "showcasing elements of Kehlani's strongest contributions to music thus far, and highlighting her ability to make vulnerability a strength."[18]

Accolades

Accolades for It Was Good Until It Wasn't
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard Billboard's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year —
[29]
Spin Spin's 30 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year —
[30]
Stereogum Stereogum's 50 Best Albums of 2020 – Mid-Year
49
[31]

Commercial performance

It Was Good Until It Wasn't debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 83,000 album-equivalent units (including 25,000 copies of pure album sales) in its first week.[32] This became Kehlani's second album to reach the US top five.[32] The album also accumulated a total of 74.68 million on-demand streams of the album’s songs during the tracking week.[32]

Track listing

Credits adapted from Tidal.[33]

It Was Good Until It Wasn't
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Toxic"
  • KBeazy
  • G. Ry
2:48
2."Can I" (featuring Tory Lanez)
3:00
3."Bad News"
  • Parrish
  • Jahaan Sweet
Jahaan Sweet3:06
4."Real Hot Girl Skit"Megan Pete 0:16
5."Water"
  • Parrish
  • India Perkins
  • Alex Ben-Abdallah
  • Dan Foster
  • Louise Lastic
  • Destin Conrad
  • Dan Foster
  • Louie Lastic
2:03
6."Change Your Life" (featuring Jhené Aiko)
3:11
7."Belong to the Streets Skit"
  • Albert Watts
  • Anthony Creer
  • Gibran Garcia
  • Jassmyn Fowlkes
  • Serak Mehari
 0:27
8."Everybody Business"
  • Go Grizzly
  • LosHendrix
2:25
9."Hate the Club" (featuring Masego)
  • Sweet
  • Dayes
4:39
10."Serial Lover"
  • Boi-1da
  • Sweet
  • Smplgtwy
  • Vianey
  • YogiTheProducer
2:26
11."F&MU"
Sweet2:15
12."Can You Blame Me" (featuring Lucky Daye)
  • Parrish
  • David Brown
  • Dustin Bowie
  • Michael MacGregor
  • Charles
  • Wansel
  • Klein
  • Campfield
  • Samuel Wishkoski
  • Wansel
  • Sam Wish
  • Some Randoms
3:03
13."Grieving" (featuring James Blake)
3:51
14."Open (Passionate)"
4:06
15."Lexii's Outro"
Cyht1:44
Total length:39:40

Notes

Charts

Chart performance for It Was Good Until It Wasn't
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[34] 17
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[35] 38
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[36] 117
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[37] 4
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[38] 28
French Albums (SNEP)[39] 78
Irish Albums (IRMA)[40] 66
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[41] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] 51
UK Albums (OCC)[43] 10
US Billboard 200[44] 2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[45] 2

References

  1. ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Crossover Radio Music News, Charts, Top Songs, Stations". AllAccess. Archived from the original on June 11, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  2. ^ https://twitter.com/Kehlani/status/1261492705768509441?s=20
  3. ^ "Kehlani Announces New Album". Rap-Up. April 24, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  4. ^ Mercuri, Monica (February 27, 2020). "Kehlani Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal With Pulse Music Group". Forbes. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  5. ^ https://www.insider.com/justin-bieber-changes-album-review-first-listen-2020-2
  6. ^ "Kehlani Says New Album Is Done". Rap-Up. March 3, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  7. ^ https://www.rap-up.com/2020/05/09/kehlani-opens-up-about-yg-breakup/
  8. ^ "Kehlani Addresses Split With YG on Valentine's Day (Shameful)". Rap-Up. February 18, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  9. ^ Shirley, Halperin (April 1, 2020). "Justin Bieber Postpones All 2020 Tour Dates Due to Coronavirus Crisis". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Crossover Radio Music News, Charts, Top Songs, Stations | AllAccess.com". 2020-06-11. Archived from the original on 2020-06-11. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  11. ^ Shaffer, Claire (March 12, 2020). "Kehlani Examines Fraught Relationship on New Single 'Toxic'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  12. ^ "Chart History: Kehlani". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  13. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/B_70V79JBs9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  14. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbdlKFps1m/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
  15. ^ Kellman, Andy (May 28, 2020). "Kehlani It Was Good Until It Wasn't". AllMusic. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  16. ^ Christgau, Robert (August 12, 2020). "Consumer Guide: August, 2020". And It Don't Stop. Substack. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Johnson, Shakeena (May 7, 2020). "Kehlani- It Was Good Until It Wasn't". Clash. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Ankrah, Veracia (May 13, 2020). "Kehlani's Melancholy Is Muddled on 'It Was Good Until It Wasn't'". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  19. ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (May 7, 2020). "Kehlani: It Was Good Until It Wasn't review – talent shines in pansexual soap opera". The Guardian. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  20. ^ Jefferson, Devon (May 22, 2020). "Review: Kehlani's 'It Was Good Until It Wasn't' Proves Her Worth But Never Dazzles". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  21. ^ a b O'Connor, Roisin (May 7, 2020). "Kehlani review, It Was Good Until It Wasn't – R&B singer's new album demonstrates a profound emotional intelligence". The Independent. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  22. ^ Mahalingam, Udit (May 8, 2020). "It Was Good Until It Wasn't is a candid representation of Kehlani's heart and soul". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  23. ^ a b Mylrea, Hannah (May 7, 2020). "Kehlani – 'It Was Good Until It Wasn't' review: a newly brooding sound takes the shine from her sparkling R&B". NME. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  24. ^ a b Kearse, Stephen (May 11, 2020). "Kehlani It Was Good Until It Wasn't". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 11, 2020.
  25. ^ a b "It Was Good Until It Wasn't by Kehlani". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Kehlani It Was Good Until It Wasn't". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  27. ^ a b "Kehlani It Was Good Until It Wasn't". Album of the Year. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  28. ^ Devlin, Ben (May 8, 2020). "Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn't". musicOMH. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  29. ^ Billboard Staff (June 9, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  30. ^ Spin Staff (May 21, 2020). "The 30 Best Albums of 2020 (So Far)". Spin. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  31. ^ "Best Albums of 2020 So Far". Stereogum. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  32. ^ a b c Keith Caulfield (May 17, 2020). "NAV's 'Good Intentions' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "Credits / It Was Good Until It Wasn't / Kehlani". Tidal. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  34. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn't". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  35. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn't" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  36. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn't" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  37. ^ "Kehlani Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  38. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn't" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  39. ^ "Lescharts.com – Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn't". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  40. ^ "IRMA Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  41. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  42. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kehlani – It Was Good Until It Wasn't". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  43. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  44. ^ "Kehlani Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  45. ^ "Kehlani Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
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