Khalid (Singer) Biography

Khalid is an American singer and songwriter, who rose to fame with his debut single 'Location' which peaked at No. 16 on the 'US Billboard Hot 100' chart. His debut studio album 'American Teen', which was consciously named such to combat stereotypical views on 'proper American', was equally successful and reached No. 4 on 'US Billboard 200' albums chart. Raised by a single mother, who worked in military, he moved from one place to another and often paints painful pictures of teenage loneliness, as well as of love, through his songs. While talking about fragile relationships, the millennial makes generous references to technology – cell phones, photo albums, GPS, ride-sharing apps – and sometimes to marijuana. According to him, even though he has written songs about friends who dealt with suicidal thoughts, he did not feel the same way, but has wanted to “disappear” at times. While he had felt rootless all throughout his childhood and teenage years, he found a sense of belonging after relocating to El Paso, Texas. While his music has been influenced by artists like Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Father John Misty, Frank Ocean, Grizzly Bear, Chance the Rapper, Lorde, India.Arie, and James Blake, he considers his mother to be his biggest musical inspiration.