[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Billboard-Cover-Story-RnB-1920×1080-Names.jpg?w=1024″]<\/p>\n
\n\tLeon Thomas sits down with Kehlani for a Billboard Cover Interview to reflect on a friendship that goes back to their teen years \u2014 and the creative chemistry that\u2019s kept them connected ever since. Kehlani opens up about the practices that keep her grounded, from the gym and yoga to getting outside, praying and building a relationship with God, and how routine helps her stay balanced while navigating life and work. The two revisit Kehlani\u2019s early days \u2014 skateboarding, art school and a teen band \u2014 plus the neo-soul and R&B voices that shaped her taste (from Stevie Wonder to Brandy, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and more). Kehlani also gets candid about what it\u2019s like growing up in the public eye, how her relationship to privacy has changed over time, and why she believes the \u201cR&B is dead\u201d narrative is simply untrue. Kehlani also shares memories from Grammy night, talks protecting her voice and body on tour (including recovering from sinus surgery), and highlights the artists she\u2019s excited about right now.<\/p>\n
\n\tKehlani
But like I have to do those things. Mm. I have to go to the gym. It is not an option. I have to do yoga. I have to take walks. I have to spend time in nature. I have to build a relationship with God.<\/p>\n
\n\tLeon Thomas
So first and foremost, how you feeling today?<\/p>\n
\n\tKehlani
I\u2019m good. It\u2019s hot.<\/p>\n
\n\tLeon Thomas \n\tKehlani \n\tLeon Thomas \n\tKehlani \n\tLeon Thomas \n\tKehlani \n\tLeon Thomas \n\tKehlani \n\tLeon Thomas \n\tKehlani \n\tLeon Thomas \n\tKehlani \n\tLeon Thomas \n\tKehlani Watch the full video above! <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [analyse_source url=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/video\/kehlani-leon-thomas-talk-r-and-b-future-wellness-friendship\/”]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Billboard-Cover-Story-RnB-1920×1080-Names.jpg?w=1024″] Leon Thomas sits down with Kehlani for a Billboard Cover Interview to reflect on a friendship that goes back to their teen years \u2014 and the creative chemistry that\u2019s kept them connected ever since. Kehlani opens up about the practices that keep her grounded, from the gym and yoga to getting outside, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[48,226],"class_list":["post-2102673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-billboard-com","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2102673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2102673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2102673\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2102673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2102673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2102673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I know. It\u2019s definitely hot, and I wanna say how- [laughs<\/em>] \u2026 proud of you I am. You\u2019ve had such an amazing, an amazing year.<\/p>\n
Thank you.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019ve been rocking for a long time.<\/p>\n
Yeah.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve known each other since we were\u2026<\/p>\n
-kids. \u2026 Teenagers.<\/p>\n
Teenagers.<\/p>\n
Yeah. [laughs<\/em>] Yeah, yeah. I remember our first studio session. Mm-hmm. I just saw the picture the other day.<\/p>\n
Really? Yeah.<\/p>\n
Yeah.We look crazy. [laughs<\/em>]<\/p>\n
Absolutely, just fried. But [laughs<\/em>] listen, um, I want you to take me back to teenage Kehlani.<\/p>\n
Hmm.<\/p>\n
Who were you back then, and what was on repeat at the house?<\/p>\n
Teenage me, I was skateboarding, in and out of art school, managing, trying to figure out I\u2019m in this teen band. We\u2019re like traveling all over the place, going from doing shows, driving up here, you know, driving down here to Los Angeles in a van, to back to the Bay, into class, into school.<\/p>\n