Khalid

Khalid emerged as an R&B singer and songwriter whose understated yet deeply emotional delivery drew a broad audience drawn to his relatable outlook. After securing a major-label deal just months after posting his earliest tracks online, the El Paso native issued “Location” shortly after finishing high school; the track climbed the charts at its own measured pace and reached the pop Top 20 around the time American Teen (2017) arrived, marking one of the decade’s strongest debut-album launches. In barely more than a year he transformed from an ordinary teenager into a platinum-certified, chart-topping star, earning Grammy nominations for “Location,” American Teen, and his guest turn on Logic’s “1-800-237-8255.” Although Free Spirit (2019) did not surface until two years after his debut LP, Khalid stayed active with numerous featured appearances and collaborations, most notably the Top Ten pop singles “Love Lies” alongside Normani and “Eastside” led by Benny Blanco. He resumed solo releases with the 2021 mixtape Scenic Drive (The Tape) and, three years afterward, unveiled his third album, Sincere, after issuing two advance singles that each reached the R&B Top Ten.

Khalid Robinson grew up under the care of his mother, whose service in the military shaped a childhood spent moving from place to place. Born in Fort Stewart, Georgia, he lived on military bases in Kentucky and New York, spent time in Heidelberg, Germany, and eventually settled in El Paso, Texas, once his mother was assigned to Fort Bliss. Music remained a steady presence throughout these moves: Khalid began singing almost as soon as he could talk, and his mother had performed with the U.S. Army Chorus. At Americas High School in El Paso, an encouraging atmosphere nurtured his creativity and helped him gain assurance. While still a student there, he began uploading his first recordings, which soon caught the attention of A&R executive Tunji Balogun and led to a contract with RCA.

Khalid made his commercial entrance in August 2016, three months after graduating, with the release of “Location.” The minimalist ballad, crafted by a six-person production team that included Smash David and Syk Sense, mirrored his admiration for artists such as James Blake and Frank Ocean. The follow-up single “Young Dumb & Broke” surfaced the next February, just as “Location” continued its gradual ascent, and paved the way for the March arrival of American Teen. The album, which featured both tracks, debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200. Two months later “Location” reached its peaks—number two on the R&B/hip-hop chart and number 16 on the Hot 100—while “Young Dumb & Broke” also gained momentum, eventually topping the R&B/hip-hop tally and entering the pop Top 20. As a result, Khalid became a highly sought featured artist. He joined Alessia Cara on Logic’s April 2017 single “1-800-237-8255,” a Top Ten pop hit named after the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number; the track later received Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Best Music Video. Concurrently, “Location” earned a nod for Best R&B Song, American Teen was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album, and Khalid himself was a Best New Artist nominee.

A growing list of guest appearances that encompassed additional 2017 releases such as Calvin Harris’ “Rollin’,” Marshmello’s “Silence,” and a remix of Lorde’s “Homemade Dynamite” expanded further throughout 2018. Khalid added more chart entries through Shawn Mendes’ “Youth” and Benny Blanco’s Top Ten hit “Eastside,” among other contributions. As a lead or co-lead artist he placed music on the soundtracks of Love, Simon, 13 Reasons Why, and Superfly; the Normani collaboration “Love Lies” reached the Top Ten; and he charted with Billie Eilish on “Lovely.” At the same time he prepared his second album by releasing the singles “OTW” and “Better.” The latter topped the R&B/hip-hop chart, cracked the pop Top 20, and appeared on the October EP Suncity. Early the following year he issued “Saturday Nights” and “Talk,” then delivered Free Spirit in April; the set entered the Billboard 200 at number one. “Talk,” a number-three pop hit, brought Khalid his sixth Grammy nomination, this time for Record of the Year.

In July 2021 Khalid released “New Normal” as his reflection on the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. That December he issued Scenic Drive (The Tape), his debut mixtape, which included appearances from Alicia Keys, Ari Lennox, and Majid Jordan. Additional singles followed in 2022—“Last Call,” “Numb” with Marshmello, and “Wish You Were Here” with Lukas Graham—while 2023 brought “Softest Touch,” “Be the One” featuring Bree Runway, and “Silver Platter” from Barbie: The Album. In 2024 he offered the ballad “Please Don’t Fall in Love with Me,” which samples Alicia Keys’ “Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready),” and the slow jam “Adore U”; both became his 11th and 12th Top Ten R&B hits and served as the first previews of his third album. Sincere arrived in August 2024, featuring Arlo Parks on the mental-health-themed track “Breathe.”