Kehlani has been carrying us all through quarantine as she has consistently dropped a series of impressive visuals. Each video has been in relation to her recent sophomore album, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t, and she has returned with the most searing one to date. “Can I,” officially marks her sixth “quarantine style” video, which she previously employed in the visuals for “Toxic,” “Everybody Business,” “F&MU,” “Open (Passionate),” and “Bad News.”.
Directed by Sebastian Sdaigui and Hyphy Williams (a.k.a. Kehlani’s director name), the clip co-stars Lily Isabella, Tori Duncan, Aaliyah Ei, Zamara Fullilove and Draya Logan as the video follows a plethora of cam-performers dancing, singing, and reeling in the cash. The short montage captures Kehlani delivering the song with the performers surrounding her as she hypes and encourages them.
The video ends with a quote from writer and activist Da’Shaun Harrison noting the increased difficulties for Black sex workers. “Black people — as well as Indigenous people and other people of color — deserve to be able to perform sex work without any limitations or stigmas attached,” they write. “And this means that everyone must commit to learning from sex workers about sex work and sex workers’ needs.”
Furthermore, it has garnered a viral amount of attention, as fans and viewers are pleased by the singer/songwriters decision to acknowledge women in sex work, as she now creates a dialogue and platform where archaic norms, and detrimental stigmas surrounding this profession can be dispelled.
Watch the full video for, “Can I,” below. However, I will say this, prepare to be awed by the amount of beauty, charm, and grace it radiates.
