It was a cool November in sunny Los Angeles when Grammy-nominated singer Khalid Robinson (known mononymously as Khalid) was robbed.
The 27-year-old singer-songwriter had been in the recording studio and was driving home as news broke that an ex-partner had outed him as queer on social media. Naturally, the post went viral, and on that winding stretch of highway, Khalid lost not only his privacy but control over his own story.
In response, Khalid took to X, posting a rainbow flag emoji along with the message, “there y’all go. next topic please lol.”
Khalid was not ashamed of his sexuality – in fact, he had come out to family and friends several years prior, but he was unsure of how to take back control of his narrative as an artist. Yes, the world had embraced his velvety vocals and coming-of-age storytelling. But would they accept him as a queer artist?
Khalid’s introduction to the world came the night before his high school prom in 2016. He had just transferred to Americas High School in El Paso from New York and had quickly won favour with his new classmates, bagging a coveted Prom King nomination and being voted most likely to go Platinum.
The night before prom, he released a handful of tracks online and by his senior graduation, Kylie Jenner had shared his song “Location” on her Snapchat. Naturally, Jenner’s endorsement was worth its weight in gold, and the song, true to his classmates’ prom predictions, went Platinum.
Since then, Khalid has solidified his spot at the top, earning six Grammy nominations, as well as several Billboard Music and MTV Video Music Awards. His debut American Teen topped the charts with his song “Young Dumb & Broke,” hitting one billion streams on Spotify alone. His soulful voice and emotionally resonant storytelling also landed him collaborations with pop icons including Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Normani, Halsey and Marshmello.
To listen to a Khalid song is to feel as though you are peaking into the singer’s private journal. His lyrics are diaristic and gut-wrenchingly honest as he pens his thoughts on loneliness, anxiety and love. But between the lines of confessional lyrics and delicate tales of heartbreak, Khalid had been holding back and omitting any real specificity. Until now.
In his new album, After the Sun Goes Down, Khalid fills in the missing space in his story on his own terms. “Choosing the parts of myself that I wanted to be open with came down to who I wanted to introduce myself to my listeners,” Khalid tells marie claire Australia. “In my song ‘Angel Boy’, I use male pronouns [for the first time], and as easy-going as the songs might sound, this is hard shit.”
Though his exploration of queerness comes from a place of uncomfortable vulnerability, the result isn’t overtly heavy and painful. In fact, it feels as though we are picking up from a point in Khalid’s diary where he has processed the hurt privately, and now he’s ready to celebrate his new public identity. Tracks like “Tank Top” capture the essence of this new carefree energy that make you want to wind down your sunroof and declare that fun pop is back!
“This album was like a gift to my inner child. It’s an ode to the people who inspired me at a time when I was a sponge to music. I’ve combined a sound I’ve crafted over 10 years of my own career with my true pop influences to create this hybrid record, which features fast, quick beats alongside introspective lyrics.”
Another hole in the tapestry of Khalid’s life that he had decided to bring a public closure to is the passing of his father. When Khalid was in Grade Two, his mother, Linda Wolfe, brought him into the living room and told him that his father had passed away. He never got to say goodbye.
“I had never talked about the grief and the passing of my father. My song “Hurt People” tackles that immediately in the first verse. My mom is also on the track and it’s the most emotional part of the song, because I’m hearing her sing her peace,” he says.
“I love the fact that I’m able to celebrate my mom on a major scale. My mom, who accepted my decision to make music and gave me permission to chase my dreams. It is really a full circle moment to be able to have my mom on it, and my mom sounds so beautiful.”
While the album may have initially been born out of a place of pain, Khalid does not want the listener—or himself—to dwell in this space for too long. Instead, the album invites us to leave the hurt at home and find the joy and acceptance in community.
“Listen to it with your friends. Experience the album with other people, because that’s what it’s for. There are little bits and pieces and nuggets to pay attention to in the album,” he says. “It’s just a really conversational album, so I’m excited for people to have conversations while they’re listening to it.”
Listen to After The Sun Goes Down now.
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