Kehlani Shuts Down Narrative That ‘R&B Is Dead’: ‘People Are Just a Little Lazy in Looking Up New Artists’

The R&B artist is the cover star of Billboard's 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue.

Kehlani photographed July 27, 2026 at Topanga Creative Acres in Topanga, Calif. Blumarine suit, Jacquie Aiche earrings, Kallati ring.

Micaiah Carter

Kehlani has been at the forefront of keeping R&B’s heartbeat thriving in 2026, and she doesn’t want to hear any narratives about the genre being dead.

The R&B singer graces the cover of Billboard‘s 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players issue published Thursday (Aug. 20), which features Kehlani in conversation with Leon Thomas. The Oakland native believes fans driving the idea of R&B fading are just too lazy to dig into the staggering amount of weekly releases in the genre.