Why Did Cornell University Drop Kehlani’s Concert? Reason Explained

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Surprisingly, Cornell University has decided to postpone the “Nights Like This” singer Kehlani’s upcoming concert on their campus. The decision was made following objections expressed to the university president concerning Kehlani’s controversial views on antisemitism and the prolonged Israel-Palestine conflict.

Cornell University has made a decision to cancel Kehlani’s upcoming concert. Here are the details you should know.

Singer Kehlani dropped from Cornell University performance

As a gamer putting it in my own words,

Michael Kotlikoff, the president of Cornell University, penned an open letter to share that he decided to withdraw Kehlani’s performance from our May 7 event due to her apparent anti-Israel views. Initially, we had invited Kehlani to grace us with a performance on Slope Day, a yearly celebration at the university.

In his statement about Kehlani’s canceled performance at Cornell University, Kotlikoff expressed worries that have been echoed by many within the community. He mentioned that there has been a significant amount of anger, pain, and bewilderment due to the choice of an artist who has publicly expressed antisemitic, anti-Israel viewpoints in concerts, videos, and on social media for Slope Day. Although artists have freedom of speech to express hateful opinions in our country, Slope Day is intended to bring our community together, not drive a wedge between us.

Kotlikoff clarified that he sought advice from both the organizers of the event as well as the student body prior to cancelling Kehlani’s concert at Cornell University. He also stated, “I acknowledge that my actions will be praised by some and criticized by others. I firmly believe it is the appropriate course of action to maintain community safety and security during this high-profile event that impacts the entire campus.

Significantly, Kehlani has consistently expressed her solidarity with Palestine in their ongoing conflict with Israel. She gained notice by performing under a Palestinian flag in the music video of her popular song, “Next 2 U.” The video also contained the statement, “long live the intifada,” which means “long live the resistance” in English. Some people view this term as encouraging violence against Jews, while others consider it simply a cry for freedom.

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2025-04-25 15:42