Why is Cornell University under fire for inviting Kehlani as a concert headliner? Complete drama explained 

Cornell University hosts a concert for its students at the end of each school year and invites some of the well-known singers and rappers as headliners.

However, the university is facing backlash this year after inviting the It Was Good Until It Wasn't singer Kehlani. Pro-Israel students and parents are unhappy with this decision and are criticizing the university for extending the invitation.

This is mainly because Kehlani has a music video that opens like "Long live the Intifada," and also because she posted statements like ''It's f— Israel, it's f— Zionism, and it's also f— a lot of y'all too,'' on her Instagram which has offended many.

Cornell University faces backlash after inviting Kehlani as a headliner

Grammy-nominated singer, Kehlani, is invited as a headliner by Cornell University to perform at their campus on May 7, 2025.

The pro-Israel students and parents are outraged that the university invited Kehlani, who in the past took to her Instagram, where she has sixteen million followers, and posted statements like ''DISMANTLE ISRAEL. ERADICATE ZIONISM,'' and ''Long live resistance in all of its forms.''

Moreover, her music video Next 2 U, which was released in May 2024, features a line that says ''Long live the Intifada.'' As per critics, the phrase promotes hate and violence against jews and Israelis.

As per the New York Post, the university extended the invitation to Kehlani after the US President Donald Trump's administration stopped $1 billion in federal funding to the university. This occurred while the administration was investigating whether the university put in enough efforts to stop antisemitism, discrimination, and harassment on the campus.

The university's President, Michael Kotlikoff, addressed the outrage, stating that they weren't aware of Kehlani's comments on social media when deciding who would perform at the concert. He further said that now there is not enough time to find an appropriate headliner.

A student from the university, Amanda Silberstein, expressed her views on inviting Kehlani to perform. She said:

''“Kehlani isn’t just an artist with controversial views — she is someone who has publicly glorified violence against Jews and consistently promoted dangerous, antisemitic rhetoric that directly threatens our community.''

A Cornell University representative shared how Kehlani was selected as a headliner for the upcoming concert. He said:

''The headliner is selected by the student-run Slope Day Planning Board following a poll of students. Kehlani was chosen based on her popularity and the genre of her music. She recently performed at Northeastern University without political expression or incident.''

He continued:

''The personal views expressed by this artist are their own and do not represent the university. However, the artist must uphold Cornell’s anti-discrimination policies, which includes prohibition of political expression as part of the concert. Failure to do so constitutes breach of contract and will result in loss of payment, as per the New York Post.''

As of now, there has been no response from Kehlani's representatives. The California singer is best known for her 2022 album Blue Water Road and her 2024 album Crash.

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