Can I
by Kehlani (featuring Tory Lanez)

Album: It Was Good Until It Wasn't (2020)
Charted: 50
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Can I" is a lurid come-on where Kehlani asks Tory Lanez if she can drop in for a booty call. Lanez replies she can stop by anytime, as he considers her his one and only. Both artists then detail the bedroom activities they anticipate.
  • Kehlani interpolates Aaliyah's 2002 posthumous "Come Over" on the chorus. She previously sampled the same song on her 2017 track, "Personal." Other artists that have taken inspiration from "Come Over" include H.E.R., who borrowed from it for 2017's "Your Way," and Trey Songz, who released a tune titled "Come Over" that same year.
  • According to Kehlani, the lyrics came to her quickly and her favorite line is "Sniper gang, no Bradley Cooper."
  • The song is Kehlani's first collaboration with Tory Lanez.
  • Production is courtesy of:

    Andrew "Pop" Wansel, whose other credits include collaborations with pop stars (Demi Lovato's "Sorry Not Sorry," Ariana Grande's "Imagine") and rappers (Nicki Minaj's "Your Love" "Right By My Side" and Tory Lanez's "Say It").

    Seattle, Washington hip-hop record producer Jake One (Drake's "Furthest Thing," J. Cole's "Mo Money (Interlude)").

    Daniel Klein and Matt Campfield, who produce under the moniker of Some Randoms. They have worked with Kehlani on several previous occasions, including her songs "Distraction" and "Advice."
  • Directed under Kehlani's creative alias, Hyphy Williams, the video is a celebration of sex workers. Notably absent from the clip is Tory Lanez. Following Lanez's shooting incident, when Megan Thee Stallion was shot in both feet, Kehlani unfollowed the rapper on Instagram.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Paul Williams

Paul WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

He's a singer and an actor, but as a songwriter Paul helped make Kermit a cultured frog, turned a bank commercial into a huge hit and made love both "exciting and new" and "soft as an easy chair."

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine Band

Harry Wayne Casey of KC and The Sunshine BandSongwriter Interviews

Harry Wayne Casey tells the stories behind KC and The Sunshine Band hits like "Get Down Tonight," "That's The Way (I Like It)," and "Give It Up."

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.