Alicia Keys & Kehlani Talk Love Songs, Spirituality, and Staying Real in a Fake World on Our Musicians on Musicians Podcast

Rolling Stone’s Musicians on Musicians franchise brings together artists of all kinds in conversation — from Taylor Swift sitting down with Paul McCartney in London to Erykah Badu and Summer Walker going deep on love, songwriting, and UFOs. Here, the artists ask the questions, making for intimate conversations about music, life, inspiration, and creativity, forging connections live and in person. Now, with our Musicians on Musicians podcast, presented by Allstate, you can hear those connections being made.

When Kehlani was growing up in Oakland in the 2000s, Alicia Keys was part of the soundtrack to her life. Kehlani would go on to a career of her own, establishing herself as one of the most innovative singers of her generation, someone who straddles the worlds of R&B, pop, and hip-hop. But she never lost her love for Keys; she even name-checked her in a song called “Can I” off of 2020’s It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. So, you can imagine what it might have felt like for Kehlani to sit across from Alicia one day this summer and hear how much Alicia loved her music.

Joined by moderator Briana Younger, the two artists  got together in L.A. late this summer. And fittingly for two songwriters who never hold back, they got deep fast. Keys and Kehlani — both of whom have new albums on the way; Kehlani this winter, Keys on Dec. 10 — talked about everything from spirituality to writing love songs to knowing when to walk away when it’s just not happening in the studio. Listen here.