NEWS
Leven Kali
Quincy BanksThis year, Billboard celebrates Black History Month with different playlists catered to “Black Love.” We’ve handpicked artists, producers and songwriters to highlight songs that best embody the amorous theme and explain why these records give them that butterfly feeling every time. Be on that lookout every Tuesday and Thursday for new playlists from some of your favorite names in music.
Singer-songwriter-producer Leven Kali has been lending his talents to a multitude of R&B and hip-hop stars for years. He’s earned writing and production credits on Drake’s Billboard 200-topping mixtape More Life, Jazmine Sullivan’s new deluxe version of her Grammy-nominated EP Heaux Tales and KYLE’s latest album It’s Not So Bad. He also appeared on Playboi Carti’s critically acclaimed self-titled tape, Maeta’s debut EP Habits and Topaz Jones’ LP Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma.
But when it comes to his solo material, the Netherlands-born, California-bred artist continues diving deeper into the G-funk bass lines that are perfect to cruise down the SoCal coast to, mixed with his heartfelt neo-soul melodies and irresistible charisma. After dropping his 2020 album HIGHTIDE, Kali is ready to take fans back on a ride with his new single “EEK,” out Friday (Feb. 18), from his upcoming project — and meet them on the road, since he and Col3trane will be supporting KYLE on tour starting next month.
“Black History Month is cool. But we always start with slavery. Black kids would grow up with way more confidence and pride having a connection to the traditions, music and spirituality from Africa before slavery,” Kali tells Billboard. “There’s royalty and wisdom in our blood. All the other minorities have a homeland to connect to, but we’ve lost the link between African Americans and Africa. Not cool.”
“I love the idea about Black Futures Month too,” he adds, which Ye has been promoting recently.
His Black History Month playlist blends India.Arie and D’Angelo’s self-assuring and reassuring soulful melodies, with Future’s dazed and amused bars, and The Neptunes’ spin on a Sade classic. “These are some of my favorite love songs. Good love, bad love, self love, family love, God’s love. It’s all love. Music is love,” he says.
Below, Kali dives into every track on his playlist in his own words:
1. D’Angelo, “Alright”
Reassurance in love. Bass line on this song gets me every time too.
2. Stevie Wonder, “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)”
It always f—s me up thinking that he was 21 when he made this. It’s a masterpiece, so deep, and the transition from part one to two is crazy. My mom used to play this in the car a lot.
3. Sade, “By Your Side (Neptunes Remix)”
The feeling in her voice — and The Neptune’s flip — beautiful.
4. India.Arie, “Video”
Self-love song.
5. Michael Jackson, “Butterflies”
Always seemed so dope to me that Michael wanted to get on a track like this, always evolving his sound.
6. Future, “Rich $ex”
Lots of songs today talk about the drama and the toxicity in love, but on this track, he’s talking about making love, passion — classic.
7. Mint Condition, “Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)”
The lead singer Stokely is singing his heart out and the band is going off the whole time. Love that. Tons of energy, but it’s all perfectly arranged.
8. Ye (Kanye West), “Family Business”
Even though they got drama, you gotta have love for your family.
9. Ms. Lauryn Hill, “Tell Him”
Everything about this song: Her voice. The lyrics. The harmonies sound like a waterfall.
10. Marvin Gaye, “Is That Enough”
It sounds so good you don’t realize he’s talking about divorce. “Why do I have to pay attorney fees?!” What a bar.
11. Leon Ware, “Learning How to Love You”
I love finding out who worked on my favorite music and connecting those dots. Leon produced a lot with Marvin Gaye. You’ll hear it immediately, his solo music is dope.
12. Otis Redding, “Try a Little Tenderness”
The way this song builds and opens up reminds me of how love grows between people. The music shows you how connected R&B and gospel has always been.
Check out Kali’s “Black Love” playlist below.
NEWS
Harry Styles paid tribute to the late David Hockney and reflected on his time in One Direction last night (June 12), as he kicked off his record-breaking residency at Wembley Stadium.
Hockney – whose painting of Styles was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in 2023 – died on June 11, aged 88, and the musician honoured him during his set by sharing a quote from the painter on the big screens.
“What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing,” the quote read. “You wouldn’t be an artist unless you wanted to share an experience, a thought.”
Styles’ gig last night marked the first of 12 gigs at Wembley, which will see the star break the record for the most shows at the venue in a single tour. Coldplay previously held the record, delivering 10 gigs at the stadium last year as part of their Music Of The Spheres tour.
The London residency follows the Together, Together tour beginning in Amsterdam in May, and will be followed by stops in São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne and Sydney. He will be supported by a different artist in each city, joined by Shania Twain in London, who delivered a set of hits and new tracks from her upcoming album, ‘Little Miss Twain’.
As the sounds of Simon And Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ played over the stadium PA, Styles made his way to the stage, kicking off his set with ‘Are You Listening Yet?’, from his latest album, ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally’. Between renditions of ‘Golden’ and ‘Adore You’, he addressed the crowd for the first time, saying: “Our job tonight is to entertain you. Your job is to have as much fun as you possibly can.
“If you want to sing, if you want to dance, please feel free. Please feel free to be whoever it is you’ve always wanted to be tonight. We’ve got each other’s backs.”
Throughout the night, Styles subtly reworked some of the songs on the setlist. He dedicated ‘Taste Back’ “to all the ravers in the house”, as a snippet of Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ was interpolated into the song, while a brief burst of Talking Heads’ ‘This Must Be The Place’ was introduced to ‘Treat People With Kindness’. During ‘Dance No More’, the pop star’s band played part of the groove from Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’, while Styles sang a snatch of Gorillaz’s ‘Clint Eastwood’.
There were also nods to Styles’ days in One Direction early in the set. As the musician left the stage after ‘Fine Line’, the string section on stage played a medley featuring clips of the group’s hits ‘Night Changes’ and ‘History’, plus Styles’ own track ‘Falling’. After ‘Keep Driving’, he took the time to reflect on Wembley’s connections to his and the boyband’s journeys.
“Just outside of this building, just next door, is Wembley Arena, and 16 years ago, my sister brought me to London for the very first time for my X Factor audition,” he said. “So driving here today, and any time I come through Wembley, means so much to me, ‘cause right in that building next door, I was put into a band. We were called One Direction.
The Together, Together setlist features a different surprise song each night at the start of the encore. Last night, Styles treated the Wembley audience to ‘Little Freak’, taken from ‘Harry’s House’, for the first time since 2023. After the song, he spoke to the audience for the final time, saying: “I don’t know if you’ve been listening to me for a week, or a month, or a year, or five years, or 10 years, or 16 years, or whatever it is, but you have changed my life over and over again. Thank you so much for being here and allowing us to do these shows. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Finally, 16 years ago, my mother signed me up for the X Factor without my knowledge. I wouldn’t be here today if she hadn’t done that. She’s here today – thank you so much. You’ve changed my life, all of you.” Referencing a lyric in ‘Dance No More’, he added: “Remember – respect your mother.”
‘Are You Listening Yet?’
‘Golden’
‘Adore You’
‘Watermelon Sugar’
‘Music From A Sushi Restaurant’
‘Taste Back’
‘Coming Up Roses’
‘Fine Line’
‘Italian Girls’
‘American Girls’
‘Keep Driving’
‘Ready, Steady, Go!’
‘Dance No More’
‘Treat People With Kindness’
‘Pop’
‘Season 2 Weight Loss’
‘Carla’s Song’
‘Aperture’
‘Little Freak’
‘Sign Of The Times’
‘As It Was’
The Together, Together, London residency continues at Wembley Stadium tonight, with further dates on June 17, 19, 20, 23, 26, 27, 29 and July 1, 3, and 4. Visit here for any remaining UK tickets and check out doors and stage times here.
The gigs will see Styles donate £1 from every ticket sold to LIVE’s levy to help protect UK grassroots music venues and support emerging talent, and before Styles’ headline performance, the big screens at the venue encouraged fans to support Music Venues Trust.
The tour is in support of the star’s latest album, ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally’, which was released in March. In a four-star review, NME described it as “an album that you’ll really want to spend a lot of time with, letting all its layers envelope you”. It added: “It’s the most exploratory album of his career so far, trying out new things and steering his ship in new directions.”
Meanwhile, Styles has also curated this year’s Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre. The line-up chosen by the star includes Stephen Fretwell, Nilüfer Yanya, Orlando Weeks, Bar Italia, Dev Hynes, Jon Hopkins, Getdown Services, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Soulwax and more, as well as an intimate gig from Styles himself.
The festival kicked off earlier this week (June 11) with a performance from Los Angeles’ Warpaint, whose show was their first in nearly two years. During the gig, they shared fan favourites like ‘Love Is To Die, ‘Billie Holiday’ and ‘Disco//Very’, plus a cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’.
