You Should Be Here (mixtape)

Last updated
You Should Be Here
Kehlani - You Should Be Here cover.png
Mixtape by
ReleasedApril 28, 2015 (2015-04-28)
Genre R&B [1]
Length46:12
Label TSNMI [2]
Producer
Kehlani chronology
Cloud 19
(2014)
You Should Be Here
(2015)
SweetSexySavage
(2017)
Singles from You Should Be Here
  1. "The Way"
    Released: July 27, 2015 [3]

You Should Be Here is the second and debut commercial mixtape [4] by American singer and songwriter Kehlani. [5] It was self-released through the iTunes Store on April 28, 2015. [6] You Should Be Here features guest appearances from Lexii Alijai, Chance the Rapper, and BJ the Chicago Kid. [7] It peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard 200. [8] Mixed by Joe Fitzgerald, the mixtape predominantly features production by Jahaan Sweet, along with production from JMike, Madmax, Geoffro Cause and Ted Digtl, among others.

Contents

In July 2015, Kehlani embarked on a tour to promote the mixtape. The tour visited cities; including North America and Europe. [9] Music videos were created for "You Should Be Here", [10] "The Way", [11] and "Alive". [12] The mixtape received a nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. [13]

In April 2023, after receiving significant backlash for her mixed race identity over the song "N****s", the song was removed from all streaming platforms and excluded from the tracklist. [14]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 80/100 [15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Billboard Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Complex Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
HipHopDX Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
The New York Times favorable [20]
Pitchfork 7.4/10 [2]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score to reviews from mainstream critics, You Should Be Here received an average score of 80 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]

Matthew Ramirez of Pitchfork commented that "You Should Be Here's dynamism and generosity is something to be amazed by, especially considering Kehlani is all of 19 years old." [2] Andy Kellman of AllMusic said: "While the singer and songwriter has fashioned [themself] into a contemporary R&B artist comparable to the likes of Jhené Aiko and Tinashe, [they] have retained the charming, down-to-earth qualities they displayed with their band." [16] Elias Leight of Billboard described it as "an intense, focused exploration of all, or nearly all, the relationships the singer is involved in, both romantic and familial." [17]

Accolades

PublicationAccoladeRankRef.
Complex Best Albums of 2015
12
Noisey 50 Best Albums of 2015
16
Rolling Stone 20 Best R&B Albums of 2015
16

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
Kehlani2:19
2."You Should Be Here"
  • Parrish
  • Alexander Castillo
  • Jeremy Coleman
  • JMIKE
  • A.C.
  • I.T.M.G
2:37
3."How That Taste"
  • Parrish
  • Jahaan Sweet
Jahaan Sweet2:32
4."Jealous" (featuring Lexii Alijai)
Sweet3:38
5."Niggas"
  • PP
  • Sweet
  • Parrish
Jahaan Sweet2:54
6."Wanted"
  • Parrish
  • Ricky Witherspoon, Jr.
  • Coleman
  • Graham Muron
  • JMIKE
  • MadMax
  • KillaGraham
2:10
7."The Way" (featuring Chance the Rapper)
  • Jahaan Sweet
  • Eryck Bry
  • KillaGraham
4:22
8."Unconditional"
2:36
9."The Letter"
  • Parrish
  • Joshua Blaxon
Ted Digtl3:52
10."Runnin' (Interlude)"
  • Parrish
  • Sweet
Jahaan Sweet2:17
11."Be Alright"
  • Parrish
  • Coleman
  • Mathieu Jomphe
  • JMIKE
  • Billboard
2:54
12."Down for You" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid)
Jahaan Sweet3:47
13."Yet" The Featherstones 2:29
14."Bright"
  • Parrish
  • Earley
Geoffro Cause4:17
15."Alive" (featuring Coucheron)
  • Parrish
  • Sebastian Kornelius Gautier Teigen
Coucheron3:07
Total length:46:12

Sample credits

• "Down For You" interpolates "Just Friends (Sunny)" by Musiq Soulchild

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [8]
36
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ( Billboard ) [24]
5

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [25] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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