Dubbed Australia’s first and only new-era R&B festival, the ‘Souled Out Fest’ will make its debut this year, headlined by former teen pop artist Kehlani Parrish, better known as Kehlani.
The event will take place at Eatons Hotel Outdoor this coming 28th January 2023.
Kehlani will be joined by several other contemporary R&B acts, including Destin Conrad, Victoria’s Larissa Lambert, Sydney-based artist Will Singe, Billymarie, Faith Sosene, Bina Butta, The Voice Australia contestant Lara D, Chanel Loren, Pania, Sounds By Noodles and DJ Talisha.
Kehlani is an American singer, songwriter and dancer who shot to fame via the teen group Poplyfe and has so far released three albums including the latest, Blue Water Road. The album features appearances by Justin Bieber, Syd, Jessie Reyez, Ambré and Thundercat.
The album has been well-received by critics and fans alike with 97 per cent of Google users liking it.
Pitchfork described Blue Water Road as Kehlani’s most mature album and “most musically and thematically challenging.”
“Its content is unabashedly queer—especially potent since this is their first release since publicly identifying as a lesbian—in a country bent on supressing non-conforming identities,” the review said.
“It expands their sound palette into orchestral pop and easy listening that clash with the synthetic R&B and rap sounds fans have grown accustomed to. It chronicles a loose, nonlinear story that ends with love and comfort, just as the world is slowly coming back around to physical contact. But most importantly, it shows that for all the skin Kehlani has shed over the years, they haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.”
Kehlani is set to do an Australian leg of their ‘Blue Water Road Trip’ tour, beginning 25 January 2023 in Sydney.
The Souled Out event happens this 28 January 2023 at Eatons Hotel Outdoor. Tickets are now on sale.
Published 3-January-2023
