Key Takeaways

• Kehlani’s tribute to Brandy included a live performance and heartfelt praise during an interview.
• The two artists shared a moment on stage during “The Boy Is Mine Tour” in Los Angeles.
• The “Folded Homage Pack” remix EP features Brandy and other R&B legends in a cross-generational celebration.

Kehlani has never been shy about naming their influences, but when it comes to Brandy, the respect runs deeper than R&B admiration. During a recent appearance on “Big Boy’s Neighborhood,” the Oakland singer made it clear that Brandy is one of the artists who shaped their entire approach to singing — not someone they would ever consider a peer.

“I don’t think I would ever call my greats my peers,” they said. “Would never call her a peer. We’ll always call her a mother. Would always call her in my Mount Rushmore of R&B. I think every R&B singer that you ask if you’re talking about vocal GOATs, they’re gonna say Brandy. I would never, respectfully, get into an argument about Brandy Norwood. I would never be explaining Brandy Norwood to anyone.”

That love showed up in real time earlier this month when Kehlani joined Brandy on stage as a surprise guest during the Los Angeles stop of “The Boy Is Mine Tour.” The crowd erupted as they performed their hit single “Folded,” then turned directly to Brandy with a bouquet of flowers and told her, “My queen, my queen, my queen. The greatest of all time… There’s no me without you.”

During the interview, Kehlani explained how grateful they were to honor someone who changed their life. “I’m just glad I got to give her her flowers,” they said. “Even if they had only brought me out to give her her flowers and say what I got to say, that would’ve been just as good as being able to sing my song. I also was really grateful to be there in Monica’s presence as well, and give her her flowers privately.”

Brandy and Monica’s co-headlining tour continues through Detroit, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Miami, and more. Kehlani, meanwhile, is gearing up for their anticipated spring album and still riding high off the massive success of “Folded,” which hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Kehlani unites R&B legends with “Folded” remix releases

As previously reported by REVOLT, the success of “Folded” triggered an avalanche of celebrity remixes — so much so that Kehlani turned the moment into the Folded Homage Pack, a remix EP featuring Brandy, Toni Braxton, Mario, Tank, Ne-Yo, and JoJo. The project turned a viral ballad into a cross-generational R&B celebration, with Brandy calling her own version “adding some Brandy sauce to the mix” and referring to Kehlani as her “lil sis.”