Kehlani’s “Folded” became the biggest hit of her career, winning Grammys for best R&B song and best R&B performance honours.
The record arrived quietly in June 2025 and took its time to climb. It became Kehlani’s first top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 6.
Andre Harris, D.K. the Punisher, Don Mills, and Khris Riddick-Tynes share production credits. Kehlani co-wrote the song alongside DIXSON and Kamal Wilson. The arrangement leans on strings, guitar, and drums, giving the vocal room to breathe.
The lyric sits between wanting someone back and knowing you overreacted. The opening lines admit the walkaway was unnecessary, that all she needed was space. The chorus turns a folded pile of an ex’s laundry into an invitation.
Kehlani has talked about how listeners argued over whether the song was toxic, whether it was a sex song, whether the narrator was folding too easily. Brandy performed it during tour rehearsals. Toni Braxton posted a rendition as a birthday gift.
By the BET Awards in 2026, Kehlani called the performance her final farewell to the song. She was backed by an orchestra, with Jamie Foxx on piano.
