Page 15 - December Tis the Season 2018

M U S I C
M U S I C R E V I E W S

K H A L I D
9
S U N C I T Y

T R A C K S T O
C H E C K O U T :
V E R T I G O , M O T I O N .

There’s an attraction I have
to Khalid that I don’t
completely understand yet. It
could be the laid-back sound
he has, the quiet confidence
throughout his music,
or what seems like a passion in his voice that isn’t consistently heard. His newest release,
an EP titled Suncity, is a short set of tracks that is enough of a taste of his sound for his
fanbase until his next major release.

As I finish up my most recent listen to Suncity, I can’t avoid noticing the fact that I’m
salivating at the soft, complex sounds of his music and his strong voice gliding over each
track. Khalid keeps the same style throughout his music and I’m excited to see what’s next
but, in the same way, he sings, his production seems to lack any urgency which is only bad
for impatient fans.

While Khalid’s singing is the obvious highlight, it’s important to notice the instrumental
production as well. While his first album shows more dependence on a computer for
sounds, Suncity shows a stronger foundation of acoustic, classical, and traditional sounds.
There’s no problem with his first album but this EP shows a major difference in style, an
adjustment to the speed and overall tone of Khalid’s music. The strings used in the first few
tracks of Suncity gives Khalid an opportunity to retain his original style but also give a
stronger volume to his steady, lingering voice.

I also noticed something that caught me off guard in listening to Suncity. The track “Vertigo”
had an eerie similarity to Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long.” While I was waiting for the song to
pick up a faster pace, I was especially glad for the soft progression that followed. Khalid’s
music reflects the soft sounds of R&B over the years while still managing to create a series
of tracks that tell stories that have gone overlooked for too long.

Khalid’s EP Suncity showcases a short set of songs that create a trance-like groove with his
lyrics sharing stories that haven’t been told. Khalid’s storytelling and musical style show a
new sense of Americana and I hope others follow this trend to add to the diversity of music
that reflects the variety of perspectives in the unheard stories of the people in this country.

Khalid’s Suncity shows up and earns a 9 of 10, mostly because I’m left wanting more.

15| TNE MAGAZINE | DEC 2018