Kehlani Draws Inspiration From 2000s Girl Groups, 1920s Glam in ‘Up All Night’ Video
Kehlani has dropped a music video for “Up All Night,” a single from their newest full-length album Blue Water Road, which dropped last week.
The clip — much like Kehlani’s music video from Blue Water Road single “Everything” — combines the singer’s retro-tinged sound with vintage aesthetics. In the new visual, Kehlani performs group choreography that channels the controlled, sensual precision of an early Destiny’s Child video and later dons a bedazzled getup evoking the provocative outfits of Roaring Twenties performer Josephine Baker.
The R&B singer has called Blue Water Road “an emotional journey, a sexual journey, and a spiritual journey” — and these romantic, wistful sentiments drive the main narrative of “Up All Night.” Laying in a nondescript hotel room bed, Kehlani becomes consumed by thoughts of lust and passion. “You wonder why I love you/There was never pressure,” they sing. “Easy as I want to/There’s just no one better/You think it’s calculated/Baby, I’m just not that clever, never.”
“It’s about having a healthily obsessed relationship,” Kehlani said of the song in a statement. “You’re telling someone, ‘I love you so much it keeps me awake at night.’”
While the album version of “Up All Night” features a guest verse from pop powerhouse Justin Bieber, the “Peaches” hitmaker is notably absent from the video — and his verse is cut from the clip altogether. The track marked the singers’ second collaboration, following Kehlani’s appearance on Bieber’s “Get Me” in 2020.
“Up All Night” is the third single from Blue Water Road, following the ballad “Little Story” and lead single “Altar.” The record’s fourth single, “Everything,” was released last week.
