Kehlani brought high energy and raw honesty to a group of elementary school students during a special taping of Celebrity Substitute. The Oakland-born performer, fresh off two Grammy wins for the track ‘Folded,’ spent the day dissecting R&B’s core elements with wide-eyed kids more accustomed to multiplication tables than musical grooves.

Students ditched textbooks for discussions on love, heartbreak and self-reflection. Kehlani told the class R&B matters because ‘it helps you express big feelings.’ The artist added that the genre taught them to embrace vulnerability, especially for those rarely given space to do so. Kids nodded along, some sharing their own struggles with naming emotions.

Questions flew fast. One student probed Kehlani’s daily routine as a celebrity. Another asked if they ever met Michael Jackson. A bolder kid fished for details on the ex-partner behind ‘Out the Window,’ released in November. Kehlani sidestepped that one with a smile, keeping personal matters off-limits.

The lesson broke down R&B basics. Kehlani defined a riff as a short, repeating musical phrase. A run, they explained, involves gliding through notes with speed and precision. Groove provides the pulse; soul adds the motion. Students scribbled notes, grasping how technical skill fuels emotional punch.

Things ramped up for the finale. Kids slipped into neon outfits channeling 1990s R&B videos. They filmed a classroom remix of ‘Out the Window’ with Kehlani directing. Laughter echoed as pint-sized performers hit poses and lip-synced. Kehlani, a parent themselves, offered gentle nudges and praise throughout.

This classroom stint hits as Kehlani builds steam. Their new album drops late March, following the February Grammy triumphs. Officials with Celebrity Substitute described the episode as a hit, blending education with star power. Kehlani’s approach showed kids music builds more than playlists—it sparks confidence and openness.

The full episode aired recently, drawing praise for making complex topics accessible. Students left buzzing about riffs, runs and real talk. For Kehlani, it reinforced R&B’s role beyond charts: a tool for life’s tougher notes.