Kehlani opened up in a new interview on Tuesday (Nov. 30) about why it’s validating when others use their preferred she/they pronouns.
“I don’t mind when people say ‘she’ at all, but something feels really affirming when people say ‘they,’ the singer mused in a sit-down with Byrdie. “It feels like…you really see me.”
Of course, this is far from the first time Kehlani has expounded on their non-binary identity — in an April interview with The Advocate, they established their use of she/they pronouns and reflected on the privilege they experienced compared to other queer artists. (“A lot of it is very [much] in how they present … It’s tougher for trans artists. It’s tougher for Black gay men. It’s tougher for Black masculine gay women,” they said at the time.)
During the chat with Byrdie, the Grammy-nominated R&B star also looked back on their public coming out as a lesbian earlier this year, saying, “I wish it was more of a journey discovering how I love and what I need versus putting the emphasis on having to ‘come out’ with my sexual identity.”
Back in September, Kehlani unveiled “Altar,” the lead single for their upcoming third studio set Blue Water Road. While an official release date has yet to be confirmed, the album is due out “this winter” according to the artist. It serves as the highly anticipated follow-up to 2020’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t.
Check out Kehlani’s full interview with Byrdie — including the singer’s response to the rumors she’s dating SZA and a play-by-play of their experience attending this year’s Met Gala — here.
