Photos by Jennifer Lake
There are a lot of adjectives to describe today’s youth in their quest for love and success, and many of them can be found in Khalid songs. “Cold Blooded,” “Sincere,” “dumbstruck,” and of course the three-for-one special: “Young Dumb & Broke.” The R&B singer-songwriter, who released his debut studio album American Teen weeks after turning 19, has since embarked on a quest of his own to evolve, rather than become a relic of nostalgia, while maintaining the same hitmaking and lyrically potent prowess that elevated him to the top of the pop ladder. Subsequent releases such as Suncity, Free Spirit, Scenic Drive, and Sincere worked this balance well, and it reflected in the numbers. But it is his latest release, after the sun goes down, where Khalid explicitly mentions this is the first project he has felt creatively free – which is well demonstrated in its atmospheric, club-ready sound heard by Houston fans at 713 Music Hall
Entering the stage with a digital countdown over a metal crate, Khalid dove straight into well-known fan favorites “Motion,” “Better,” and “8TEEN” to a delighted crowd. This was his first stop in Houston since opening for Ed Sheeran in 2023 – and his first headlining tour since 2019 – so fans were extra excited. Khalid was flanked by a group of backup dancers who often stole the show with their rhythmic cadence, muscular tone, and solo dancing sequences backed by Drake’s “Over My Dead Body” and Don Toliver’s “Body.” Although there was a lot of ass to go around, I was most impressed by their skills at the cup pong table they occasionally brought out.
Khalid’s vocal highlights came in two portions: his own songs, “Coaster” and “Saved” stood out for his ability to switch between baritone and tenor, as well as holding higher-pitched notes for longer. Afterwards, he brought out his guitarist (hidden in the stage corner) to set the melody for two covers: Simply Red’s “Holding Back the Years,” and Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” the latter of which was much more recognizable among the age-diverse crowd. For the song “Hundred,” he brought a young fan to the stage who sang along and showcased her appreciation for Khalid, in particular his coming out/being publicly outed in 2024. He also energized/depressed the crowd with his feature on Billie Ellish’s mega-hit “lovely,” a song about feeling cold and impenetrable in the face of heartbreak and depression.
One of my personal favorites, “OTW,” was a callback to the 2018 single with 6LACK and Ty Dolla $ign, with a smooth beat that set the venue up at its mellowest the whole night. Khalid is known to work with a variety of mega producers, subsequently playing my girlfriend’s favorite “Silence,” with Marshmello, “Rollin” with Calvin Harris, and “Talk,” with Disclosure. His tour is appropriately titled It’s Always Summer Somewhere, and one can make that distinction while looking through Khalid’s discography. By the time he concluded with “Young Dumb and Broke,” Khalid set a powerful reminder: despite pressure to maintain the same type of reflective-teen sound as he gets older, the award-winning singer has prioritized his diverse artistic growth alongside his personal journey, leading to quality projects that make himself, fans, and RCA Records happy.
About Author
