With a new album beckoning, GRAMMY-nominated R&B fusionist Khalid talks rediscovering himself, the art of collaboration and where he hopes his music evolves next.

You cannot undervalue the chameleonic qualities of Texas-born, GRAMMY-nominated artist Khalid. Since going viral aged 18 with the single ‘Location’, his oil-slicked vocals have become ubiquitous with the pop continuum, featuring on sugary dance hits by Disclosure and soulful ballads with Billie Eilish. Ed Sheeran, Rich The Kid and Imagine Dragons are a few other musical confidants he’s worked with previously: “I thrive when I’m working with people who are open to experimenting and who create an environment where I can truly feel free,” he explains in our interview with the singer and global superstar. 

 

This sense of shapeshifting excellence has made him the hitmaker he is today. Released six years ago, his sophomore album, Free Spirit, is a statement of self-discovery, where Khalid chronicles trying to live carefree with a world of expectation on your shoulders; the record has been streamed just under five billion times. His debut, American Teen, goes one better, having amassed 6.5 billion listens, it remains one of the most popular projects in the contemporary pop culture zeitgeist.  

 

There are too many accolades to mention for an artist who’s just 27-years-old, but the music Khalid is making now is more assured and sonically enriching than this period of viral adolescence. It took the singer-songwriter five years to make Sincere, opening up a book’s worth of complicated emotions that he’d failed to analyse previously: a daunting experience, but one that has ultimately led to a new period of creative freedom. “I think that project opened the door to a new creative flow, it’s almost like my shield has been lifted from my shoulders,” he says. 

 

Khalid spent his formative years living a nomadic upbringing as a military child. Born in Georgia, he moved frequently due to his mother’s service in the U.S. Army, spending time in New York, Kentucky, and even Germany, which he believes helped shape his worldview and emotional vulnerability from a young age. It was during his time living in Heidelberg that the R&B fusionist began writing music more seriously, using creativity as an outlet for the constant change around him. After uploading singles like ‘Saved’, written as a form of therapy to get over moving so much, to SoundCloud, a fervent following grew online who aligned with his stories of isolation. 

 

With 50 million monthly listeners still tuning in, Khalid’s connection with his audience remains as strong as ever. Now, after recording a new album in Sweden and teaming up with Rudimental on the electrifying DnB track ‘All I Know’, a new era is clearly on the horizon. Here, we speak rediscovery, collaboration and where he hopes his music will evolve into next.  

Last month, you posted on Instagram with the caption, “Went to Sweden and left with an album.” What can you tell everyone about this new project and how it sounds?

This project is me fully trusting myself and being confident as an artist. I look at this album as a complete freedom of expression and something to turn on and get lost in. It was so much fun to create, and I can’t wait until the day I’m not the only one able to listen to it.

How do you feel about creating this project compared to the last?

I feel like my mind, when it comes to creativity, has expanded so much. The last project was extremely important and allowed me to have conversations with myself that I’ve kept for a while. It took me five years to write that project, and it seems like my next one has taken me about five months. So, I think that project opened the door to a creative flow; it reminds me so much of creating for the first time all over again. It’s almost like my shield has been lifted off my shoulders, and I’m able to play like a kid in a playground again with all the fruits that I’m being given creatively.

What’s Sweden like as a place to create? What inspired you there?

I found growing up in Germany for six years really inspiring as a child. I really wanted to breathe in that European air and walk from my hotel to the studio every day, immersing myself in the culture and feeling the cold. It was an incredible experience and my first time creating an album overseas. Now I feel like I wanna do it all the time.

How did ‘All I Know’ with Rudimental come about, and how did you find singing over the pace of DnB music?

Collaboration is one of my favourite parts about being creative, so I’m always open to working with new people. I’m more than grateful and appreciative that Rudimental thought of me for ‘All I Know’. Immediately when I got the song, I connected to the vibe and the energy. I love to bring a little bit of myself and my own personality into a collaboration, leaving with something new, fresh, and even unexpected. DnB is a genre I’ve never had the time to explore until now. After doing the song with Rudimental, I’m so open to making another one.

Sincere is your first full release since 2019’s Free Spirit. What journey have you been on to make this album?

I really just wanted to take a total reset and find that love and joy for creating music again. But through that process, I had to experience life. I learnt more about myself and what direction I wanted to take. I never would’ve imagined my year would have played out how it did but I can honestly say it’s all a blessing.

Musically, it sounds like you’re rediscovering yourself as an artist. What’s happened in the last five years that’s changed the way you approach your art?

Before, I used to take myself too seriously. Now I just allow myself to have a little bit more fun and trust my intuition as a creator. Having fun is the biggest part of what I do because people can’t feel impacted by me if they don’t feel a genuine and vulnerable connection.

Songs like ‘Faded’ talk a lot about dissociation, getting high and taking yourself to another place, which feels poignant given what’s going on in various parts of the world. When recording Sincere, what world were you trying to build for listeners to immerse in?

I started recording Sincere in the midst of the pandemic. I knew I wanted the album to be an escape, almost like creating my own little world that I got to live in through the process. It really helped me heal from all of the trauma I faced. Getting out this album was the most important thing for me at this moment in my career because now I am allowed to be free when I create.

‘Altitude’ is one of the most contagious songs on the project; it’s a real earworm. Can you tell us about how it came about?

‘Altitude’ to me was just one of those vibes that feels like the song wrote itself. I feel like the best songs for me are the ones that I can freestyle from top to bottom and ‘Altitude’ came to me pretty quickly and naturally. I love how grimy and alternative it sounds and I love to play little characters in my mind when I’m at the studio. It’s a fun record.

What was the thought behind the deluxe version? We love the list of features, including Ayra Starr, Chlöe and Normani, who you’ve worked with before. How did these songs and collaborations expand on the themes of the full body of work?

I wanted the deluxe version to bring a lighter, more fun energy because my main album is pretty intense. Healing has so many different layers, and I think it’s just as important to give people something that allows them to let go, have fun, and feel free, just as much as they need something that resonates with their emotions.

At the start of your career, you were navigating the teenage experience and writing about this as a coming-of-age story. You’re still only 26 but how has your writing matured since your last album?

My writing has become more intuitive over time. I no longer have to overthink it. I’ve learnt to trust myself creatively and embrace the freedom to take risks.

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with music? What music and culture were you surrounded by growing up?

As a military child, I was constantly surrounded by different cultures and exposed to a variety of music. One genre that really stayed with me was ’80s pop. It was one of my mom’s favourite genres to sing, and I’ve always had a special connection to it.

You shot to fame as a teenager, which must have been tough to navigate so young. Reflecting on that period, what have you learnt about yourself? How did you cope with the influx of fame?

I learnt that I’m a little bit more introverted than I thought I was. I find peace and comfort in being alone and in solitude, it’s something that I really enjoy. But it’s nice to be able to find a balance where I get to build a relationship with myself and still maintain the one that I have with the world around me.

What’s one of your proudest moments in your career so far?

One of my proudest moments of my career was going on my first arena tour in 2019. It was really an incredible feeling and I can’t wait to go out and tour the world once again.

What was it like to record ‘Silver Platter’ for the Barbie film? Did making a soundtrack test any different creative muscles and evolve your process as an artist?

It’s fun being able to write with a task because it gives you so much more to play around with. You get to characterise yourself. It really takes me back to my theatre days in high school. It’s always fun.

Where do you see yourself evolving in the music or culture landscape next?

I’m excited to continue to put out music that I love. I hope my fans will always resonate and feel me.

Listen to 'All I Know' now: