Khalid - Suncity EP

Khalid
Suncity EP
2018
Spotify

It has been a whirlwind year for Khalid. His smash hit record American Teen has garnered him tons of national attention and as the first track on this EP "9.131" indicates, He was given the Key to his home town San Antonio, Texas. Many awards mean that we have seen Khalid's smiling face all over TV and it just warms your heart. His music is always inspired and lovely, coming in with a sense of honesty in pop that we rarely see. "Vertigo" gives you this sense of almost Enya levels of ambiance, but then dives into a totally modern trap inspired pop sound. He's able to mold a song that should be atmospheric into a bop, a truly rare talent. His voice is so smooth and true, it doesn't particularly feel like Khalid is the greatest singer in the world, his voice just fits his being perfectly. This record feels like an easy one for Khalid, maybe some of the B-sides from American Teen. There is much more vibey mood to these tracks and Khalid sounds a bit more sexy than approachable. It's not a bad thing and adds a new dimension to his game, but it also doesn't have those insta-hits peppered throughout it. He is taking an interesting step with this EP showing that He is able to do more than just sing some candy-pop R&B songs for the masses. He is able to go to new places and find new sounds that suit his voice just as well.

The album does feel as though it is missing some major diversity. Each song has a similar vibe and execution, sort of limiting where the record goes. You want something more, but this album feels far more like a stop gap than a full release coming from Khalid. The duet with Empress Of, also the albums title track, is a Latin inspired fun little track but it doesn't have much in terms of emotional depth. The album is almost shockingly short for it's 21 minute run time. It's here an gone in a flash, entirely pleasant, but not all that long lasting. The thing is though, it still sounds great and gives you those warm feels that Khalid is so great at harnessing. This is only the beginning, or the second part of the beginning for Khalid. Get ready for much more from this young man who is poised to take over the R&B world.

6.9 out of 10