Kehlani Lands Herself A Grammy Nomination

Up until the Grammy nominations came out, I had no idea who Kehlani was. She first appeared to me — as I'm sure she may have to many other people who came across her from the list of nominees — in the form of a name under the category for Best Urban Contemporary Album for her mixtape, You Should Be Here. When I went to search for more on this seemingly unknown breakout artist, I found out that she is only 20 years old. Not too shabby for a Grammy nominated artist.

And she's had a decent amount of musical success leading up to this point. As she may be best known for performing alongside the likes of Chance The Rapper in his popular song, "The Way." Now, let's be clear, I'm not exactly an R&B, rap, soul, urban contemporary, etc. type of person. I usually stick to whatever is playing on the radio and don't venture very far out from that. But, after I ventured out into the world of music and listened to Kehlani's album-titled song, "You Should Be Here," I definitely started to understand all of the commotion. That girl is good. Like, really good.

And, while not widely known by the public, it's clear as to why the Grammy voters may have decided to put her in the line-up. A line-up that — luckily for her — happens to include the likes of The Weeknd's Beauty Behind the Madness, Miguel's Wildheart, Lianne La Hava's Blood, and The Internet's Ego Death. But while the competition in that category may be tough to beat, it's no surprise her talent has reached so far at such a young age. Which will only grow bigger with the news of her nomination! And it's all due to Kehlani's obviously beautiful, soulful voice. Seriously, just take a second to listen to her:

With a typical story of rags-to-riches, an incredible ear for music, and a fan-base that has already provided her with a sold out European tour (with stops in her home-state of California), this girl seems to be an up-and-coming sure fire sensation. What makes this up-and-comer's heart-warming story so inspirational is the fact that her story is not one of your average girl with big dreams — it's a story that proves you can overcome anything to live up to your dreams. According to Kehlani's personal website: "Months after her birth, Kehlani lost her father, never properly meeting him. Mired in drug addiction, her mom shuffled her to an aunt," where Kehlani originally dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. But she, instead, seemed to have found her footing in music. And it's obviously where she is meant to be.

So, will her career only get stronger from here? I sure hope so! But as of right now, I'll be listening to her Grammy-nominated mixtape on repeat and anxiously waiting for the Grammys to come around on February 15, 2016. Where we'll see how she will do on the red carpet — and hopefully, on the Grammys stage!

Images: Kelani Parrish/YouTube