Word is Justin Bieber’s upcoming album isn’t dropping until December. So, the preview of Bieber and R&B’s Kehlani’s new song now doing the rounds is very welcome.
A taster of the surprise track ( snippet , to be precise), first surfaced on myriamgonzalez’s Snapchat on Saturday, May 30.
Amid fevered speculation among Bieber and Kehlani fans wondering whether she was the female voice, the 20-year-old Bay Area native confirmed it was her voice in a tweet hours later. She subsequently deleted it.
yes, that’s my voice.
— Lani Tsunami (@kehlanimusic) May 30, 2015
Around the same time, Bieber buddy and “Time For Bed” collaborator, Khalil, posted a few clips of the Canadian superstar’s music onto Snapchat. Two snippets (which quickly made their way onto YouTube) were taken from the Justin Bieber x Kehlani collaboration.
Check out the previews below.
As of now these questions do not have answers 1) When will the full Justin Bieber-Kehlani jam drop? 2) Is it a Bieber or Kehlani feature? 3) Will it appear on Bieber’s upcoming, new album and/or Kehlani’s, and 4) Will it be a single?
Unfamiliar with Kehlani? She is a former dancer who began pursuing a singing career after suffering an injury. When she was just 16, she became a finalist on America’s Got Talent in 2011 as part of a teen pop girl group named Poplyfe. After which, she went solo.
Vice reports her 2014 mixtape — Cloud 19 — was named one of the best albums of 2014 by Complex . It racked up millions of listens on SoundCloud and led to collaborations with G-Eazy, PartyNextDoor, and Chance the Rapper.
Kehlani completed her first national tour last year with her brand of inspirational R&B, and is about to kick off a full tour to support her debut 2015 mixtape You Should Be Here . She often makes Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and started an imprint label “Tsunami Mob” with Atlantic Records. She also came to the attention of Rick Rubin, who apparently told her that her music would “change the world.”
So, how did Justin Bieber and Kehlani come together? It’s speculated that the songstress is a friend of Khalil’s. Rubin might also be a connection. The super producer and Def Jam Records founder is currently producing Bieber’s anticipated, new album with Kanye West.
And what of the two singers’ new song? It’s an R&B midtempo, which seems to be about love or love lost. Kehlani and the Biebs’ voices blend well, and it sounds like the heartthrob also raps on the track.
News of Kehlani and Bieber’s new song is now blowing up her profile, which might slightly take the edge off the recent theft of her backpack, laptop containing music and more from the backstage area of a concert.
Meanwhile, the Biebs is likely on his way back to the States after spending the weekend in Canada celebrating his sister Jazmyn’s seventh birthday. The hot chart success of “Where Are Ü Now,” his collaboration with Jack Ü’s Skrillex and Diplo continues. The single moved into Billboard’s Hot 100 Top 20 earlier this week.
As soon as more is known about the Biebs-Kehlani collaboration, the Inquisitr will update.
[Images via Getty Images]