Khalid has received acclaim and success in his 20 years. From collaborating with artists such as Lorde and Logic to being a five-time Grammy nominee for his album “American Teen,” Khalid has become massively popular in the R&B world and has shown no plans of stopping with his recently released EP, “Suncity.”
“Suncity” seems to be a more personal project of Khalid’s than “American Teen” was. The EP begins with audio of Khalid receiving the key to El Paso, Texas, his hometown, earlier in September. The EP then continues with “Vertigo,” a song analyzing the messes in life Khalid has been through, but realizing he was never one to give up to get where he is now. He describes the experience as a type of “vertigo,” as it has been a blurring and dizzying one.
Khalid then explores different types of relationships in “Suncity.” “Saturday Nights” describes his relationship with a woman who hides her actions and thoughts from her parents, with Khalid being the only one who truly knows her while she continues to hide her double life. In “Better,” Khalid describes the sensation of being with someone in secret, but no longer wants to keep hiding his relationship, even though his partner prefers they keep their life hidden. Both tracks seem to have a theme of secrecy, perhaps suggesting that he could never truly be open with a relationship and that there was always some reason to keep aspects of his romantic life closed off from the world.
Themes of self-exploration and wandering are also explored in the EP through the tracks of “Salem’s Interlude” and the title track “Suncity.” “Salem’s Interlude” is a dialogue in the middle of the EP where Khalid discusses his fears of failures and that letting go of his fears would lead him to more success. Is the path he is on the right one or must he go back and change the direction he is going? Without knowing the future, Khalid feels he is stumbling in the dark, never knowing if he made the right decision at the present moment.
The EP closes with “Suncity,” featuring Empress Of. Sung in both English and Spanish, the song talks about Khalid’s want to go back to El Paso, where he states he left his heart behind. He wants to take a drive and is adamant he will return there by nighttime. The song closes with the outro, a voicemail from Latin artist Rosalía saying she hopes to see him very soon, likening her voicemail to El Paso calling Khalid and hoping he comes back to his hometown.
Overall, “Suncity” shows growth in Khalid’s music career, as he goes from discussing his teenage years to analyzing his growth to a popular artist. As he prepares to release his sophomore album, perhaps he will have his answers to where he is going as he looks towards the future and fully discovers the path he has chosen to take.
