Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.

On Saturday, Kehlani came home. 

In front of a 20,000-person crowd, the Oakland native and R&B artist returned to the Bay Area to close out the North American leg of “The Kehlani World Tour.” Held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, it was the tour’s biggest stop yet.

The concert itself was narrative as much as music. It followed Kehlani and her “crew” through a night of clubbing set in a futuristic world. As the “night” ticked on, Kehlani, who uses “she / they” pronouns interchangeably, took the audience along with her — in a “Zuber” (a futuristic Uber), on the dance floor and back to home again. 

But if “The Kehlani World Tour” was a glimpse into the future, it was also a call into the past. Kehlani described the concert as a “family reunion,” and shouted out various members of her extended family in the audience throughout the night — from her team, composed of Kehlani’s friends from middle school, to her daughter, who they brought on stage to sing “Folded.” 

“If there’s a lot of laughter, silliness and a lot of emotions tonight, bear with me because I’m just really happy to be home,” Kehlani said to the crowd. 

The singer, who repeatedly called back to her past concerts, albums and iconic moments, also framed the concert as an homage to longtime fans, especially her “day ones.” 

“I will just never ever forget my very first headline show at The New Parish in Downtown Oakland. I think the New Parish might fit like 200 people,” Kehlani said. 

“I was there!” one fan yelled in response.  

“So, to be here tonight, in what I think might be the biggest venue in the Bay Area besides a stadium, [it’s a] big deal,” Kehlani continued. 

Perhaps because of her unique connection to the audience, Kehlani was unabashedly herself throughout the night. In exchange for that authenticity, however, the show felt choppy at times, failing to capitalize on  the momentum that openers Dixson, TheARTI$T, DJ Waseel and  Durand Bernarr built up. That choppiness was largely due to Kehlani’s frequent trips backstage for costume changes and interludes: Each interruption slightly dimmed the energy of the crowd.

The choppiness felt especially evident when Kehlani paused the show to introduce Ezra, a 19-year-old singer and the first artist signed to Kehlani’s new music label, Tsunami Mob. Despite it only being Ezra’s third time on stage, he was met with rambunctious applause and an army of flashlights — in large part thanks to Kehlani’s request that the crowd do so. More than anything, the moment felt like an ad. The audience, however, didn’t seem to mind — perhaps due to their fervent loyalty to the artist.

After Ezra’s appearance, Kehlani performed  “Toxic” and “Can I,” two fan favorites that captured her consistently melodic voice with a series of distinct riffs and “ooos” that only she could execute. Choreography also played a key role in energizing the night. Kehlani and her crew made full use of the double-decker stage — twisting a rhythmic jenga line up the stairs, twirling and spinning in pairs, sprawling themselves across railings. These moments came off more spontaneous than choppy, accentuating the club-themed, free-flowing framing of Kehlani’s show. 

But while every moment might have seemed magical to longtime fans, Kehlani’s performance wasn’t for everyone. Despite the high-energy dancing, Kehlani left it to the crowd to belt out their favorite songs as she ad-libbed over a prerecorded track. This left more casual fans out of the loop. Coupled with the frequent interruptions and constant callbacks to her past, the performance lacked the consistency and broad appeal of a typical concert. 

One of the more unexpected moments of the night came when Kehlani shared an intimate moment with a backup dancer, who she made out with and repeatedly pinned against the wall. (This scene lasted several minutes.)

Kehlani also paid tribute to R&B icons. She mixed “Distraction” with Janet Jackson’s “I Get Lonely,” playing Jackson’s music video in the background as her dancers replicated the choreography. It was a tasteful nod to one of her idols, and very much in theme with the concert’s broader journey down memory lane. 

In a series of starts and stops, Kehlani offered a uniquely energetic and authentic performance — possibly puzzling some newcomers, but captivating an audience of loyal fans.