Page 15 - December18

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,
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,

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.

15| TNE MAGAZINE | DEC 2018