SweetSexySavage
by Kehlani
  • Record Label: Atlantic
  • Release Date: Jan 27, 2017
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 138 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 122 out of 138
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 138
  3. Negative: 4 out of 138
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this album

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Ib_stussy
    Jan 27, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Khelani. This is all I wanted my whole life... The start of the album is straight genius, a deep poem.. The second track comes in, which is quite forgetful, but then we move right into distraction which is an amazing track, and also 2nd single off this dope ass album. PIECE OF MIND is one of my favorite tracks on the album. I love the beginning of the song, I believe all of us humans can relate to this song. We all been thru it!!! Undercover awesome track as well, gives that Venice Beach girl feel- They don't wanna see it happen, but we say F it!! YAASSSSS!!! Come thru Khelani!!! Crzy, we already know what this track about it. I knew when I heard that track, I would have to purchase this album! Personal, another one of my faves, with the sample of Come over by aaliyah, to her flow- to this song putting me in the mind of Teyana Taylor. I just love everything about this song! Not used to it, great album track, definitely a Jhene aiko type feel. Everything is yours is a great RNB feel type song! The type of song all us RNB lovers been missing in this day in age of music! Advice- puts you in the mind of predecessor- The back grounds are simply amazing- I can hear brandy in there. Khelani been studying I see! Do U Dirty- Rauchy, Rachet, yeah all that!! Escape, great ballad- Khelani showcases her vocal ability on this song, and I would say Im impressed. She sounds great!! Too much- is definitely a song the late, great Aaliyah would have released. If you liked Aaliyah your going to love this track. Get Like, has that poppish feel- This song was probably written for Rihanna, and Khelani came, took that ish and ran with it. In my feelings- I LOOVEEE this track, great drop, great beat, great sample! She did her thing on this track. Sounds like something we would have heard in the late 90's early 2000's. Hold my heart- she slows it down. Her graspy voice over that guitar sounds absolutely amazing. Khelani continues to slow the album down with Thank you- Meaningful Track! I Wanna Be- Sounds like a Tanishe track- This song has a little more growing to do on me. She ends the album with Gansta- A cali girl anthem. When you think of a tatted up Gansta chick from Cali, you would think she would sing this song! Overall, I would this album is a MUST HAVE. This album is what us music head has been missing. She brought it back and gave us 90's and 2000's music lovers something to listen to and enjoy, all while mixing it with some modern music that the younger kids can enjoy. You can definitely tell she has studied our current music makers, and older music makers and mixed it all together, which is was the best idea. Not only did she mix the music, she executed it well. I always wondered why no one has done this. Khelani - Hand clap of praise for you girl!! To sum it up- A Mostly RNB album, with the sound of Rihanna with actual vocals, harmonies, and the sounds of brandy's backgrounds. With that folks, you have a musical masterpiece, a great album!!… Expand
  2. isthatbrandon
    Jan 28, 2017
    10
    Kehlani once again delivered a solid project full of great songs. With my favourite song on the album being Advice, I was very pleasantly surprised to find many more songs similar to this. Definite must buy
  3. Kerry-Paul
    Jan 29, 2017
    10
    Solid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is talented!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is way better than a lot of these Popstars who are groomed for fame but possess very little talent.
  4. wfjunior
    Jan 27, 2017
    9
    This album was highly anticipated. Finally you will be able to meet her and enjoy her skill as a singer, songwriter and performer. It's amazing how the album fits and it's raw, honest. There is vulnerability, sensuality, sex and lots of love. If with a mixtape she received a Grammy nomination, imagine with SweetSexySavage. We'll hear about her a lot this year!
  5. bodakyellow
    Apr 22, 2018
    9
    Kehlani effortlessly weaves pensive, emotional songs with upbeat, carefree ones on SweetSexySavage, a beautiful and innovative album. Favourite tracks: Keep On, Undercover, Personal, Advice
  6. brunojouglard
    Jan 27, 2017
    10
    This album gives me life!! Each song has its own thing and its working! May be one of the best albuns in 2017. Give this girl the credit she deserves!
  7. culturesavage
    Jan 27, 2017
    10
    i get so wet over Kehlani's voice oh lord she makes me cum so hard. I love her so much damn, she is so **** beautiful and so HAWT i don't know what else to say
  8. NikoAmii
    Jan 29, 2017
    8
    Keep On: 9.5/10 - Love the beat, really nice
    Distraction: 10/10 - Pop/R&B bop, love the vocals and arrangement
    Piece Of Mind: 8/10 - Really nice and soothing but also emotional Undercover: 7.5/10 - I like the verses, wish the chorus was a little bigger CRZY: 8.5/10 -  I love the chorus, it's unique but not off putting, it's loud and out there but still great Personal: 7/10 - Doesn't    Keep On: 9.5/10 - Love the beat, really nice
    Distraction: 10/10 - Pop/R&B bop, love the vocals and arrangement
    Piece Of Mind: 8/10 - Really nice and soothing but also emotional
    Undercover: 7.5/10 - I like the verses, wish the chorus was a little bigger
    CRZY: 8.5/10 -  I love the chorus, it's unique but not off putting, it's loud and out there but still great
    Personal: 7/10 - Doesn't really go anywhere, not that that's always a bad thing, but in this case it just didn't have a strong start for me either
    Not Used To It: 7.5/10 - Nice chorus with good vocals and instrumental, not a huge fan of the vague lyrics though
    Everything Is Yours: 5.5/10 - Really just does not go anywhere for me, seems like it would fit more as a 1 minute interlude
    Advice: 7.5/10: It's a very nice sounding song, simple but to the point "Take my own advice"
    Do U Dirty: 6/10: Again it just doesn't really go in too many places, it sounds like the other songs to me. It's still a nice sound just too repetitive
    Escape: 9.75/10 - Finally back to a strong melody with the good vocals and instrumental, it's just a very nice song. Infectious.
    Too Much: 8.5/10 - Love the feel of this song, gives me strong TLC vibes.
    Get Like: 8.25/10 - Love the joyous and up-beat, positive bubblegum feel
    In My Feelings: 6.5/10 - It's nice but it get's lost in the mix, nothing too special and nothing really happens here
    Hold Me By My Heart: 6/10 - I didn't really get an emotional connection with this ballad and felt like it could of been cut entirely. A nice bridge and better lyrics and more emotion would of made it a lot better
    Thank You: 7/10 - Again nice song, and this is definitely the emotional peak of the album. I like this as a ballad more than the previous track.
    I Wanna Be: 7/10 Another nice sound but I didn't like this as a closing track. It could of been cut as well, It's nice but again doesn't really feel different than the other tracks.

    Average: 7.6 

    Highlights: Keep On, Distraction, Escape

    There is a nice feel here.. Throwback to 90's sound of R&B but mixed with obvious 2016/2017 sounds. It's a nice mix but the repetition of the sound is a bit too hard to handle since this album is pretty long (18 Songs). The sound is nice and consistent and it feels like a solid body of work, it just would of served better if it was shorter and cut the filler. The album has a pretty good chunk of filler, and it's not that the filler is bad, it's just repetitive and holds the album back from getting to great heights

    Because I have to give it a solid number out of 10, I'm going to give it an 8 because of it's cohesiveness, her great vocals, and the great production. What holds this album back is the lyrics, repetitiveness, and amount of filler that could of and should of easily been cut.    … Expand
  9. Jada4
    Jan 28, 2017
    1
    This album , SweetSexySavage by Kehlani is just all hype. The only songs on the album that are worth listening to are the samples. You would honestly think that since the album name was inspired by a classic album ( CrazySexyCool ) it would at least live up to its potential but it didn't. Take my advice and don't buy the album
  10. Wael
    May 13, 2017
    5
    'SweetSexySavage' sounds promising until the first play. It is a solid album, but it has many flaws, the first being that it's very overly long (17 tracks are a little bit too much, no?). Next flaw is that a lot of the songs just sound the same, which makes me doubt the amount of creativity put into this work. In addition, it sounded to me like Kehlani is still not sure on who she really'SweetSexySavage' sounds promising until the first play. It is a solid album, but it has many flaws, the first being that it's very overly long (17 tracks are a little bit too much, no?). Next flaw is that a lot of the songs just sound the same, which makes me doubt the amount of creativity put into this work. In addition, it sounded to me like Kehlani is still not sure on who she really is and where she really stands as a musician: all of the songs sound like they could be sung by Ariana Grande (almost all of the album gave me Ari vibes) and Rihanna. The production is nice, the songs are cohesive, and a couple of songs are worth some plays, like 'CRZY' and 'Personal', but other than that, the record is just not that impressive.… Expand
  11. LispectorLTX
    Dec 26, 2017
    10
    Definitly, this is one of my favorite albums of 2017 and I tell you why: The beats, the writing, the singing and the passion of this album is amazing. Kehlani have a incredible talent to make music for the streets, and if you like the Pop era of Aaliyah and the R&B from Brandy, I make sure that you will enjoy this LP. Favorite tracks? "Keep On", "Undercover", "Piece of Mind", "Escape" &Definitly, this is one of my favorite albums of 2017 and I tell you why: The beats, the writing, the singing and the passion of this album is amazing. Kehlani have a incredible talent to make music for the streets, and if you like the Pop era of Aaliyah and the R&B from Brandy, I make sure that you will enjoy this LP. Favorite tracks? "Keep On", "Undercover", "Piece of Mind", "Escape" & "Too Much". This is pure art!… Expand
  12. NETMUSIC
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    With the release of the first 3 singles (Crzy, Distraction & Gangsta) the hopes for this album were sky-high, but the promo single (Advice) didn't seem as promising at first, But Kehlani had pulled it off again, similar to her mixtape (You Should Be Here). Kehlani shows major growth and personality to other r&b artists (Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson) and manages to sell herself as anWith the release of the first 3 singles (Crzy, Distraction & Gangsta) the hopes for this album were sky-high, but the promo single (Advice) didn't seem as promising at first, But Kehlani had pulled it off again, similar to her mixtape (You Should Be Here). Kehlani shows major growth and personality to other r&b artists (Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson) and manages to sell herself as an independent woman with many talents.

    Best Song(s) -
    Gangsta
    Crzy
    Keep On
    Hold Me By the Heart
    Not Used to It
    Undercover
    Do U Dirty

    Worst Song(s) -
    Advice    … Expand
  13. Music_Observer
    May 16, 2017
    7
    At her best, Kehlani was reminiscent of the power that R&B and girl pop once had in the 1990’s, and at her worst, when harmonies were not a strong factor or her lines got too repetitive, the music was still nicely compact and cool. My Score: 124/180 (Good) = 6.9/10
  14. awkwardlybree_
    Feb 3, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SWEETSEXYSAVAGE lives up to the title the production is amazing no features only a couple songs with writers well worth the wait put some good energy into this didn't half work anything can tell she grew from her other two mixtapes which are good too but overall I love it… Expand
  15. rayana_miller
    Feb 12, 2017
    10
    I love this album soooo much. She really shows her true self. After listening to her album I get why she called it "Sweet,Sexy, and Savage". I'm definitely booking a ticket for her tour. Favorite song is now " In my feelings and Do you dirty"
  16. AdityMaha
    Jan 27, 2023
    9
    Kehlani's Debut Studio Album "SweetSexySavage" released exactly 6 Years ago on January 27th 2017 was actually a really enjoyable Debut Album by her fully with amazing choruses(especially on the song "Escape"), it also had absolutely amazing and angelic vocals by Kehlani as well as tremendous rapping on a couple of songs here and honestly she does remind me a lot of SZA on here. But AnywayKehlani's Debut Studio Album "SweetSexySavage" released exactly 6 Years ago on January 27th 2017 was actually a really enjoyable Debut Album by her fully with amazing choruses(especially on the song "Escape"), it also had absolutely amazing and angelic vocals by Kehlani as well as tremendous rapping on a couple of songs here and honestly she does remind me a lot of SZA on here. But Anyway Tracks like "Not Used To It", the lead single "CRZY", the emotional ballad "Hold Me by The Heart", "Gangsta" which of course was on the 2016 Suicide Squad Movie OST, "Too Much" which is absolutely one of the best and most underrated songs on here with an amazing Aaliyah sample and some great rapping for Lani on here she absolutely killed it not only on this Track but on the entire Album imo. So Yeah this Album definitely was worth being over 1 Hour Long as it manages to have great and catchy sounding tracks all the way to the closing track "Thank You"(or Gangsta if you were listening to the Deluxe Version of the Album) and Overall this looking back was one of my favorite Albums of 2017 and a Strong 9 out of 10 imo. Kehlani absolutely killed it on this Album both lyrically and soundwise.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Most Discussed Album of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
  1. The Telegraph (UK)
    Apr 19, 2017
    80
    The personality that emerges here is surprisingly gentle, with lots of slow jams about self-awareness, positive personal philosophies and respect for others. Musically, it would seem that Alicia Keys is a stronger personal role model than Rihanna. For all the swagger, then, Kehlani proves rather more sweet than savage.
    Read full review
  2. AllMusic
    Feb 6, 2017
    90
    The hour-long album is a bit excessive with some nondescript or merely passable second-half pop ballads, but it nonetheless makes good on all the promise of the mixtapes. It's destined to become a 2010s classic.
    Read full review
  3. HipHopDX
    Feb 6, 2017
    82
    Kehlani’s decision to provide spoonfuls of candor throughout the album is why she’ll reach the apex of R&B sooner than a lot of her contemporaries.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »