Khalid’s greatly anticipated EP “Suncity” is a sharp playlist of R&B mixed with pop that stays true to what he loves doing as an artist. His leathery gentle tone and his ability to belt out ballads in so many different kinds of songs no matter their genre is a lot of what makes him stand out from other popular artists. He has many collabs and is featured in many songs by a variety of different artists in the industry. This, in addition to his poetic songwriting skills, has made him stay on a smooth and steady rise to notability and fame. He dropped his single “Better” on September 18, giving fans a little taste before releasing his entire EP only weeks later. Khalid’s name is huge in the music industry today, yet people often forget he started becoming a star before he even graduated from high school.
Khalid grew up with his mother in the Army, which meant he often moved from place to place. It wasn’t until his high school years, when they moved to El Paso, Texas, that Khalid really began to develop a passion for music. He claims in an interview that El Paso is where it all started, for he never really felt like he had a home until moving to this Texas town.
During his senior year at Americas High, he actually wrote and recorded a few songs which he uploaded on SoundCloud. Eventually he would hit millions of streams. Ever since then, Khalid has been on an upward climb in the music industry with his catchy lyrics and unique voice.
His breakout album “American Teen” was released on March 3, 2017 and went to No. 9 on the Billboard album chart only months after his high school graduation. It is no surprise that “Suncity” stays safely on the golden track that Khalid has been running, for its smooth beats and poetic lyrics radiate all of those good vibes.
This new EP is a smooth array of five tracks and two vocal-less interludes. Each
song is very different and set apart from the other, a fact that Khalid as an artist prides himself
on. From moody acoustic guitar ballads like “Saturday Nights” to a silky beat like “Vertigo,”
Khalid never fails to please in his ability to make music that’s hard not to love.
Even though his EP is labeled as R&B, the pop side of things often shines through many of his songs, and at his core, many think that Khalid is more a very talented pop artist. Khalid called his EP “Suncity” a “new era” for him in a recent tweet after its release, and he has said that his main desire at the moment is ultimately his own growth as an artist. He wants his music to grow with him as he changes, and he loves that he is able to share a journey like this through music with his fans and family.
The follow up to his hit album “American Teen” is the next project he is currently working on, and it is expected to drop sometime in early 2019. But until then, “Suncity” will have no problem keeping his fans satisfied.