Oakland-Born R&B Star Announced as Guest on Hilarious UK YouTube Series

Kehlani, the singer-songwriter-dancer, R&B icon and Oakland native, will appear on an episode of the British web series Chicken Shop Date this Friday, an Instagram post from early Wednesday revealed. 

Created and hosted by the deadpan Amelia Dimoldenberg, the show sits various rappers and pop stars down in mom-and-pop fried chicken joints in London for YouTube interviews that range from charmingly intimate to utter cringe. Wrinkling her nose and brandishing a french fry, Dimoldenberg recently got Phoebe Bridgers to agree that her songs are “quite forgetful” and all sound the same. She also asked 2022 Outside Lands performer Jack Harlow if he knows how to read.

Most interview subjects fall on the late millennial-Gen Z cusp, and the 27-year-old Kehlani is known for their forthrightness—as well as for their tattoos and for the nearly half-billion streams that “Nights Like This” has racked up since its release on 2019’s album While We Wait. An outspoken performer who once flamed San Francisco Pride for cutting their headline performance short when it breached the event’s curfew, Kehlani seldom keeps their opinions to themself. 

If nothing else, the Grammy-nominated Kehlani is pop royalty. They’ve worked with Ty Dolla Sign, Justin Bieber and Cardi B, toured with Demi Lovato and Halsey, and been romantically involved with NBA player Kyrie Irving and rapper YG.

What should be interesting is that Dimoldenberg and her guests typically eat fried chicken and other greasy fast food throughout the six-minute shorts—yet Kehlani is vegan.