Kehlani’s biggest interviewer isn’t a journalist, it’s her five-year-old daughter, Adeya Nomi Parrish Young-White, affectionately known as Bear.
In a sweet new Billboard Family chat, Adeya took charge of the conversation, grilling her superstar mom about everything from her hit single “Folded” to her famous friends.
“I was working with my friends. I was in Miami on a work trip and I heard the beat and I loved the beat and so I took it in a room and me and [some collaborators] made the song together,” the “You Know Wassup” singer explained when asked how the song, which climbed to No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 18 on the Hot 100, came to life.
When Adeya wanted to know why the track was chosen as her comeback single, Kehlani didn’t miss a beat.
“I just really thought it was a really cool way to come back into music after I hadn’t put music out for a while,” she said. “I was pretty confident about it. I thought it was a good song.”
Turning interviewer into fan, Adeya gave an enthusiastic yes when asked if she liked the track herself.
Adeya also asked about the viral TikTok challenge that “Folded” inspired and about Brandy’s impromptu version of the song that dropped in September.
Kehlani admitted the moment felt surreal. “It was really crazy,” she said of the R&B legend covering her work. “She’s our absolute favorite vocalist,” Kehlani added, telling Adeya that one day she’ll realize Brandy is her favorite too.
When Adeya asked about her mom’s famous friends, Kehlani lit up while describing Cardi B, with whom she’s collaborated on “Ring” and, more recently, “Safe” from Cardi’s new album Am I the Drama?
“She’s really herself and she knows how to be herself all the time,” Kehlani said. “And she’s not afraid of what the world is going to say about her being herself. And she just makes you want to root for her because she’s really loving and she doesn’t care what anybody thinks and I think we could all use a little bit of that.”
The singer also reflected on her musical inspirations, Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and India. She also told her daughter about the unforgettable moment she first met Janet Jackson, calling it a dream come true.
Before wrapping, Adeya managed to score the kind of exclusive scoop every reporter dreams of, news on Kehlani’s next album.
“You know I have more new music coming because you helped me make it,” Kehlani told her daughter, calling her the unnamed project’s “creative director.”
The two celebrated with a spontaneous “new album dance,” and Kehlani confirmed that the follow-up to her 2024 Crash LP is due in 2026.
Photo Credit: Kehlani Instagram; Billboard YouTube
