Since last summer, Kehlani’s “Folded” has sent the singer-songwriter into a new stratosphere and ultimately earned her her first Grammy wins. Day-one fans who’d been around since her 2013 loosies — “ANTISUMMERLUV” and “Raw And True” — and her 2014 debut EP, Cloud 19, already knew she’d have an award-winning career. On Thursday night (Sept. 24), everything truly came full circle during the Los Angeles stop of her self-titled world tour.

Held at Ingewood, Calif.’s Intuit Dome, the show began with opening acts: Palestinian DJ Waseel, “big brother” DIXSON, blossoming star TheARTI$T, and the incomparable Durand Bernarr. Surprise guest appearances happened early in the concert, with the latter welcoming BJ The Chicago Kid and Vic Mensa to the stage. When Kehlani finally began her set, she revealed she’d been “experiencing more technical difficulties than I could count” for the first time of her tour. She quipped that the rocky start meant that the show would be a “really f**king good one,” and she didn’t disappoint as she powered through.

The Oakland native glided between her recent jams like “Anotha Luva” and “Out The Window” and classic hits like “Toxic” and “Piece Of Mind.” She paid homage to her musical influences as she blended Aaliyah’s “Rock The Boat” with her Missy Elliott-assisted record, “Back and Forth,” 112’s “U Already Know” with “Lights On” sans Big Sean, Mýa’s “Fallen” with “No Such Thing,” Ne-Yo’s “So Sick” with “Serial Lover,” Brandy’s “Full Moon” with “Hate The Club,” Michael Jackson’s chant from “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” with “After Hours,” Goapele’s “Closer” with “The Way,” and even Omarion’s “Ice Box” with “Footsteps.” Somehow, it worked. Arguably, a crowd-favorite moment came when she fully embodied Janet Jackson, interpolating Jackson’s “I Get Lonely” choreography with her 2017 single, “Distraction.”

Seeing Kehlani revert to a giddy teenager was another tender highlight of the night. “Can I do something that I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little girl? Can I share the stage with the person who inspired me the most?” she asked the audience as they erupted with praise and anticipation of Brandy’s special appearance. “I’m not gonna talk too much because I might get emotional, because I can’t believe this is happening to me right now. I just need a very, very Earth-shattering applause for the one and only Brandy.”

Kehlani’s self-proclaimed musical mother and “The Vocal Bible” first sang “Full Moon” before performing their duet “I Need You” for the first time. Before Brandy graciously left the stage, she cupped Kehlani’s chin and told her to “take it home, girl.” It felt like a baton pass.

The “tenderism” continued when Usher made a surprise appearance and performed their collab song, “Shoulda Never.” Later, he serenaded Kehlani during his performance of “Superstar.” Kehlani joked that his performance was a freestyle because nothing had been rehearsed, but it merged in so perfectly with the rest of the show.

Diehard fans may not have heard Kehlani’s 2014 song “Get Away” on the setlist, but Kehlani made up for it with a sultry, erotic red-light special moment featuring “Oooh.”

Much like Brandy and Usher, Kehlani delivered certified co-signs to fellow R&B artists and openers DIXSON, TheARTI$T, and Durand. Together, the four of them gave new life to her gut-wrenching ballad, “Unlearn,” then gave each of them their flowers and thanked them for all they’ve done to make The Kehlani World Tour a historic masterpiece.

The show ended with “Folded” featuring Kehlani’s favorite person: her daughter Adeya. Despite some internet trolls being upset about her child singing the song, Kehlani respectfully addressed them onstage and told them to “f**k off,” adding that she’ll always say yes when her 7-year-old asks to come on stage. Shortly after, the adorable mother-daughter duo killed their duet before Kehlani ran it back solo.

The Kehlani World Tour is her best one to date. The choreographed dancing was amped up to a level that’d make ‘93 and ‘97 Janet proud— all that was missing was a strapped fan receiving a lap dance. The energy was electric, and like the album’s Apple Music descriptor, this tour was a “joyous return.” She’s come a long way from her 2014 Cloud 19 mixtape and has made every past version of herself so proud, too.

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