Kehlani is one of the many celebrities who hasn’t been shy about sharing where they stand with Palestinians. Calling out the silence of others in the industry who question their priorities and highlight unchecked privileges on display, Kehlani has continuously expressed their support for Palestine, even changing their profile image to one that reads: “I Stand With Palestine.”
Over the weekend, the American singer released the music video for their latest single, “Next 2 U”, featuring Palestinian flags and keffiyeh-dominated looks. The start of the music video began with a quote from award-winning poet and author Hala Alyan: “Keep your moon/We have our own/Keep your army/We have our name/Keep your flag/We have fruit and in/All the right colours.” The video then cuts to show the words of a popular pro-Palestinian chant: “Long live the intifada.”
The term “intifada,” which often echoes at pro-Palestinian protests across the nation, continues to stir controversy. The Arabic word, which translates to “uprising,” refers to two historical instances of Palestinian revolt against Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank.
Snippets of the music video appeared with a caption that shared that they were “nervous” and “terrified” as an artist who wanted to be vocal, a feeling that was “paired with the crippling wonder of what music is appropriate to drop during the most historical tragedies of our generation.”
“I worked incredibly hard on to my humanity, paired with the crippling wonder of what music is appropriate to drop during the most historical tragedies of our generation,” they expressed. “I remembered my favourite revolutionary poets, singers, filmmakers. I remembered how much impact we have. I thought about my favourite James Baldwin quotes about the role of an artist in society. I listened to this song enough to recognise a love song IS a protectors song IS revolution.”
Watch a snippet of Kehlani’s “Next 2 U” music video below…
Though the video centres on Palestinians, the video description additionally encourages viewers to support organisations focusing on the humanitarian crises generated by ongoing conflicts in Congo and Sudan as well.
The singer also asks fans to donate by buying merch: According to the music video’s description, all proceeds from the $65 “Next 2 U” T-shirt will go to Palestinian, Congolese, and Sudanese families through Operation Olive Branch. The description noted that the shirt was made in the Palestinian town of Bethlehem in the West Bank.
Mainstream musicians have openly shown support for Palestine in their music, following the precedent set by Macklemore’s “Hind’s Hall”, released on May 6. The song’s release coincided with a wave of pro-Palestinian protests across US university and college campuses. Inspired by student protests across the world and dedicated to Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian child recently killed in Gaza, the song addresses an array of pressing issues, from police brutality to American politics and social media censorship.
