Our First Listen to Rae Khalil’s Album “Crybaby”

If Rae Khalil isn’t already in your music rotation, do yourself a favor and add her now.

The Knockturnal was invited to Rae Khalil’s debut album, Crybaby, listening party at the Def Jam office this week. As we walked through an office adorned with historic album art on the walls, excitement filled us as we anticipated what lay ahead for this artist.

Rae Khalil is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter from California who has steadily been breaking into the industry with her soulful sound and storytelling. Her popularity grew in 2019 when she was a contestant on “Rhythm + Flow” – Netflix’s first original music competition program. In February of 2024, she signed to Def Jam Recordings via Anderson .Paak’s APESHIT label and dropped her debut single “Is It Worth It.”

Rae walked us through her vision for this album and what she wants it to sound like for her listeners. The album featured a soothing vibe that immediately had everyone in the room head-bopping. APESHIT perfectly described Rae’s style on this album as “new-age soul, R&B, and pop stylings with more classic hip-hop influences, threaded together by euphoric production and vivid storytelling.”

When asked why “Crybaby” was the title, Rae proudly shared that she wanted to change the narrative around being a ‘crybaby’ into a more positive outlook. I can already tell this album will be a no-skip in my rotation.

I got the chance to chat with Rae towards the end, and this is what she shared with The Knockturnal:

The Knockturnal: Which one of these songs was like the north star for your project and directed the entire flow?
Rae Khalil: I would definitely say the title track, Crybaby. Once I solidified that as being the title of the album, I centered that as the theme and then went from there.

The Knockturnal: After the first listen, I felt like She’s a Bore might have been the risky song on the project. Would you agree?
Rae Khalil: Yes, 100%.

The Knockturnal: I love the way you didn’t hesitate and I could tell that stood on including this song on your project.
Rae Khalil: Yeah! Exactly.

The Knockturnal: How do you feel about the response you’ve been getting on your song “Is It Worth It?”
Rae Khalil: It feels great honestly. I was so sure that that should have been the first single because it feels like such an introduction type of moment but yeah, it’s been so exciting, you know? And I feel like it’s only gaining more momentum. It’s cool to watch.

The Knockturnal: If you could send a message to people who are in the process of getting into music and trying to find their light and keep it burning?
Rae Khalil: Number one, you really have to love it if you’re going to do it. Put your whole heart into it or else it won’t work. Just go all in!

The Knockturnal: Last thing, what are some things people can look forward to from you?
Rae Khalil: I don’t want people to forget that I also really rap. This is more so an R&B album, but it doesn’t mean I’ll never do a rap album, wink wink.

“Crybaby” invites listeners to Rae’s life as she delves into deep introspection and vulnerability. The melodies of the tracks paired with her smooth lyrics offer a glimpse into her innermost thoughts and experiences. We can’t wait for everyone to listen to this album.