{
  "id": 2198551,
  "title": "Kehlani Shuts Down Narrative That ‘R&B Is Dead’: ‘People Are Just a Little Lazy in Looking Up New Artists’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/kehlani-shuts-down-narrative-that-r-b-is-dead-people-are-just-a",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-20T18:22:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kehlani-shuts-down-rb-dead-idea-billboard-cover-story-1236321002/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kehlani, a leading voice in keeping R&B relevant in 2026, has firmly rejected claims that the genre is on its way out. The R&B artist graces the cover of Billboard's 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue, where she speaks candidly with Leon Thomas. Hailing from Oakland, Kehlani believes that the misconception of R&B fading is simply due to fans being too lazy to explore the vast array of new releases in the genre. \"There's so much R&B and so many different routes. You can pick who you want to be a fan of and what cross-genre mixes you want to experience,\" she tells Thomas. Kehlani emphasizes that R&B has never truly disappeared and encourages people to actively seek out new artists rather than dismissing the entire genre. Despite the ease of breaking through in the music industry through platforms like TikTok and social media, Kehlani acknowledges that maintaining a long-lasting career poses its own set of challenges. The accessibility of music has made it harder to sustain attention and build a robust fan base, as not everyone can tour or reach the same heights. Kehlani's career took a significant leap in 2026, with her song \"Folded\" securing a top 10 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and leading to her first Grammy Awards win for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Solo Performance. Reflecting on her achievements, Kehlani remains humble, understanding that her purpose and God's plan for her are already confirmed. Her self-titled album, released in April, reached No. 1 on the Top R&B Albums chart and debuted in the top five of the Billboard 200. Kehlani kicked off her world tour on August 21, gracing the stage at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.",
  "summary": "The R&B artist is the cover star of Billboard 's 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}