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Gilbert Flores / Contributor via Getty Images and Michael Buckner / Contributor via Getty Images
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Kehlani at the BET Awards 2025 and Usher at The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”
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Key Takeaways:
- Usher was Kehlani’s first choice for their “Folded” remix, but his tour schedule prevented the collaboration from coming to fruition.
- The two artists now have a confirmed joint effort on Kehlani’s forthcoming album.
- The track will mark their first-ever collaboration.
Kehlani originally wanted Usher to appear on the remix of “Folded.” During their Apple Music radio takeover on Tuesday (Nov. 11), the Oakland singer shared that the R&B legend was their first pick for the track, but the collaboration unfortunately fell through because he was on the road.
“Usher was my dream ‘Folded’ remix. Before the [Folded Homage Pack] came about, naturally, I was like, ‘That’s who I want to get for the remix.’ But Usher was on tour,” Kehlani said. The hit song’s producer, Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, later noted that Usher was “in Europe,” presumably completing his “USHER: PAST PRESENT FUTURE Tour.”
The CRASH artist added, “But he loves the song, you guys should all know.” For anyone bummed out about not getting another potentially incredible “Folded” remix, Riddick-Tynes teased that Kehlani and Usher actually “might have a little something, something” on the horizon.
“Are we spilling beans?” Kehlani humorously responded, to which Riddick-Tynes said, “The beans have been slightly spilled.” The Grammy-nominated singer then confirmed that Usher will appear on their forthcoming album, which is expected to drop in 2026. See the clip below.
“I think that we can tell by the track record we’re currently having of great song [after another] great song that there’s more great songs, which eventually lead to a great album,” Kehlani continued, seemingly confirming that both “Folded” and “Out The Window” will be on the new LP.
While the release date is still under wraps, Kehlani has the 2026 Grammy Awards to look forward to in the meantime. “Folded” scored nominations for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance, where it’ll face off against Summer Walker’s “Heart Of A Woman” and Chris Brown’s “It Depends.”
Released in June, the single gave Kehlani their first-ever Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, thanks partly to the Folded Homage Pack. The remix project notably featured Brandy, Mario and Toni Braxton, among others.