10 Kehlani Songs for Fans of "Folded" and "Out the Window"

Damn, who knew Kehlani would capture 2000s R&B nostalgia with modern authenticity twice in one year? Real ones knew.

The sophisticated yearning of “Folded” disarmed listeners worldwide, and “Out the Window” follows by turning the volume up on vulnerability, and framing accountability as devotion. While a downtempo era of R&B era thrived on vibes for the past few years, the genre’s essence has always been vivid melodies, emotional hooks that beg you to sing along, and voices so good you can’t. That’s why “Folded” is widely hailed as Kehlani’s best song yet—and we’d argue one of the best songs this year, period. But let’s not act brand new: Kehlani has been delivering for a decade straight.

We crowned Kehlani "R&B's ever-evolving truthteller" earlier this summer for a reason. From the SoundCloud rawness of Cloud 19 to the defiant experimentation of Crash, their commitment to shedding emotional layers and bending sonic expectations keeps them an essential voice within R&B. So yes, “Folded” and “Out the Window” are instant classics, deserving their bouquets in the form of remixes, covers, and chart achievements. But today, we’re spotlighting ten more Kehlani cuts that deserve flowers of their own—songs that flew under the radar, you might’ve forgotten, or never heard at all.

10. “First Life”

While We Wait and While We Wait 2 serve as appetizers in Kehlani’s discography between full-course eras, but the music inside offers more than a midnight snack. Both tapes are sumptuous, soulful affairs boasting some of their best work. “First Life” is a slice of retro soul: Kehlani reckons with the “skeletons” in their dating history haunting them into exploring intimacy without labels. Nuance guides the song as Kehlani balances introspection and desire with maturity.

9. “Back Together”

Kehlani’s carefree vocal glows on this radiant post-breakup anthem. DJ and producer Amorphous is a musical alchemist. Together, Kehlani and Amorphous  recapture the summery blend of soul and sunshine that made his “Kiss It Better/Never Too Much” mashup go viral. Closure has never sounded so celebratory.

8. “Footsteps” ft. Musiq Soulchild

“Footsteps” interpolates Omarion’s 2006 hit “Icebox,” dissolving that song’s frigid tension into an emotionallly rich undercurrent. Kehlani is bittersweet as they confess, “When I walked away / I left footsteps in the mud so you could follow me.”

Neo-soul is foundational to Kehlani’s artistry, which makes Musiq Soulchild’s presence here even more special. When their voices weave through the final chorus together, it becomes a spiritual, cathartic release.

7. “Ballin’”

On the Camper-assisted “Ballin’,” Kehlani spins a secret situationship into a playful basketball metaphor. It’s effortless, sexy, and the laid-back production mirrors the casual vibes that often defines modern dating.

6. “Raw & True”

“Raw & True” is an early promise that “Folded” was always in Kehlani’s destiny. The sonic DNA—gorgeous strings, strummed guitar, timeless production—traces back to a song they released before being signed. While Kehlani is seen as a frontrunner in R&B’s renaissance, this moment feels like a return to their own foundation.

5. “everything”

blue water road’s depth lies in its duality: both a real stretch of Malibu coastline where the album was recorded and a metaphysical soundscape Kehlani created to cleanse the residue of It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. The serene reset is anchored by “everything,” a definitive jewel in their catalogue.

Cinematic in scope, it captures a romance that defies tidy explanation: “Your love’s too original / You are anything but conventional.”

The brilliance lies in how Kehlani, Happy Perez, and Pop Wansel transform “it’s the everything for me”—a phrase originating in Black LGBTQ+ spaces—into a declaration of beauty and awe.

4. “Down For You” ft. BJ the Chicago Kid

A compelling element of Kehlani’s current era is how “Folded” and “Out the Window” evoke the classics without samples. But when Kehlani does sample, the choice is intentional. “Down for You” embraces the beloved narrative of Musiq Soulchild’s “Just Friends (Sunny)” and expands it. In Jahaan Sweet’s mid-tempo epilogue, the original’s brightness becomes something deeper and more contemplative. While Musiq approached a friend with curiosity, Kehlani and BJ the Chicago Kid sit in the aftermath of crossing that line.

3. “Next 2 U”

Crash is divisive. Kehlani themself moved on quickly, pivoting back to more straightforward R&B on While We Wait 2. But the album’s experimentation is too often mislabeled an outlier when it’s rooted in Black musical lineages — from the country and rock built on the same foundations as early R&B to the psychedelic funk and trap that later grew from it — all reimagined through Kehlani’s lens.

“Next 2 U” opens with a battle-cry—“You know I'll be down, down, down…”—before morphing mid-song: “You’re more than the sun / You’re why the sun beams.” It’s a daring emotional shift that mirrors the chaos of defending a love under fire. Brandy’s influence lingers in the vocal layering, a reminder that Beyoncé isn’t the only traditionally R&B artist who deserves room to explore.

2. “Too Deep”

Before Kehlani belted their heart out on “Out the Window,” there was “Too Deep.” Nestled on While We Wait, it’s an early glimpse of that same emotional power. Produced by Young Fyre, the track’s dreamy 808s and warped string plucks mask a descent into something heavier—too tangled to label, too toxic to survive.

As Kehlani tries to outrun the contradictions—“You just wanna talk, I don’t wanna listen / Now I wanna talk, you don’t wanna listen…”—the ache finally breaks through their vocal. In hindsight, “Too Deep” is the blueprint for the full-throated vulnerability that defines “Out the Window.”

1. “Antisummerluv”

A confessional realness defines Kehlani’s creative highs, and their first solo statement showcases the relatable-yet-singular storytelling that would only sharpen in the years ahead. Lush and enchanting, the Derek “D.O.A.” Allen-helmed throwback channels Stevie Wonder warmth, but the perspective is distinctly Kehlani’s.

At 18, they resist a summer fling in favor of emotional depth. And just like that, a generational voice in modern R&B announced itself.