The R&B and pop artist who topped the Billboard Hot 100 noticed that one of his early singles was making a comeback last February. Singing along to the aching lyrics about love in the digital era with a new perspective, “Location,” which peaked at No. 16 in 2017, was recapturing the attention of listeners.
According to Khalid, “young adults are experiencing this song in a whole new age and a whole new society.” It’s humorous, nostalgic, and bizarre to see people who are now the same age as me listening to that song, even though I lived it and performed it. That encounter allows me to live vicariously. It strikes a chord with them for a reason, and I think, “Wow, that was real.”
Khalid was a teenager himself when he created the song. He posted the music to SoundCloud as a 17-year-old from El Paso, Texas, without ever imagining the influence the now-diamond-certified song would have on young, heartbroken listeners ten years later.
“This year’s 27th birthday came with a lot of life reflection,” he says. “I began to reflect on my situation at the age of 17.” Being able to continue making a difference in my work for as long as I have, and even witnessing things go viral on TikTok, makes me think that the me of ten years ago would be really proud and content. He laughs and asks, “And if you had told him all of [what would happen in the next 10 years]?” “He wouldn’t have known.”
Khalid, who is now firmly established as a sought-after collaborator, international arena performer, and consistently charting hitmaker, is prepared to find the naive version of himself that existed before to his fame.
Not necessarily the somber and sentimental version of himself that Khalid poured years of his life on creating 2024’s Sincere, but one that can unwind because he has completely accepted who he is, is what he aspires to be.
“I have a fun side as well as a moody side,” he explains. “The flirtatious side.”
Even though “Sincere” was a very intimate album, Khalid had yet to fully disclose one aspect of himself.
Khalid was outed by an ex-boyfriend in November 2024. With a straightforward rainbow emoji, he acknowledged that he is homosexual and “not ashamed of [his] sexuality,” even though it’s not how he wanted to communicate that aspect of himself with his fans.
He claims that he was only safeguarding that aspect of his privacy and never concealing anything. Returning to the stage and witnessing his listeners’ response confirmed his candid and open approach to music.
“I was singing these songs that — I was obviously gay when I wrote them, but the world may not have known,” he recalls, “and I had a moment where I walked out and I looked into the crowd.” “Everyone is singing them just like they did before I was discovered! This indicates that none of my fans are interested in my sexual preferences. They seem to be concerned about our shared appreciation of music.
He came to the realization that he didn’t need to constantly look for ways to keep his privacy safe. He claims that realizing how little had changed was a freeing feeling.
“Knowing that I can just be myself and still be embraced and appreciated is where I find that freedom,” he says. “The world learning that I’m homosexual doesn’t change that. Because when people learn that I’m gay, I don’t change.
