Key Takeaways
- Kehlani revealed she has bipolar disorder and said medication, exercise, nature, prayer, and a strict wellness routine help her “survive” the music industry’s demanding schedule.
- After a year of treatment, she found an effective mix of medication, therapy, and daily practices, while songwriting became a “personal conversation” that helps her process emotions.
- Her candor comes as “Folded” delivered her first Hot 100 top 10 and two Grammy wins, followed by a chart-topping R&B album and a 44-date world tour.
Kehlani is getting candid about the work it takes to stay well while navigating a career that rarely slows down.
In a new Billboard cover story published August 20, Kehlani revealed that she has been clinically diagnosed with bipolar disorder and relies on medication, exercise, time outdoors, and her faith as part of a routine she considers essential. The singer made the revelation while discussing how the music industry could better support artists’ well-being.
“I am clinically diagnosed as bipolar. I take medicine,” Kehlani said. “I have to go to the gym; it’s not an option. I have to do yoga, take walks. I have to spend time in nature: sit in the park or go wiggle my toes in somebody’s grass. I have to build a relationship with God. I have to pray.”
For Kehlani, those practices also serve as a counterweight to the unconventional hours that can come with making music. She described the cycle of working in the studio until 7 a.m., sleeping through the daylight and heading back into another session at night without properly eating. “I have to have a routine supporting my wellness so I can freaking survive,” she explained.
The comments build on what Kehlani previously shared during an interview with Big Boy. At the time, she said she had received mental health diagnoses the previous year and had spent a year in treatment, which included finding an effective combination of medication, therapy, and daily practices.
She said that treatment had changed how she responded to situations that once affected her much more intensely.
Kehlani also described songwriting as part of how she processes emotions. While singing can provide a physical release, she told Big Boy that writing offers something different because it allows her to express herself without another person waiting to answer. “It’s my personal conversation with myself,” she said.
That focus on wellness comes during one of the busiest stretches of Kehlani’s career. “Folded” became her first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit, peaking at No. 6, and earned her first two Grammy wins after seven previous nominations.
The double-platinum single also spent 52 weeks on the Hot 100 and logged a record 20 weeks atop the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Her self-titled fifth album followed in April, debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
