Maria Leonino

    Over the years, music styles have changed and evolved. While the music may not be like it used to be, singer Khalid Robinson, or better known as just “Khalid” has grown into one of the top pop artists.

    Khalid made his music debut on March 3, 2017. He released his 15 track album, which skyrocketed quickly and boosted his career. His hit song “Location” was performed live shortly after the release, and “Angels” was featured on the hit television show, “Grey’s Anatomy”.

    Ever since then, Khalid has released many collaborations with other artists, an E.P album, and his most recent album, “Free Spirit” released on April 5, 2019.

    “I learned about Khalid from his song “Location”. I saw it online and found his music. I have been a fan before his first album came out,” junior Payton Hackim said.

    Along with the release of his new album, Khalid is going on tour and the tickets became available the day the album came out. Hackim and I bought tickets for his Columbus show in the summer.

    I cannot wait to see Khalid live. He is one of my favorite artists and he has one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard.

    The 17 track album of “Free Spirit” contains a variety of different music. There is upbeat songs such as “Talk” and “Right Back”, and there are deeper, sadder songs such as “Heaven” and “Intro”.

    “His music makes me feel so many emotions. Happy, sad, mixed emotions, just about everything. He has a way with connecting songs to others lives on such a deeper level and I love that,” Hackim said.

    The upbeat songs give me hope for the future, the sad songs make me reflect on my past, and his more chill songs calm me. Any mood I feel can turn around once I listen to his songs.

    Khalid has a way with his lyrics and music, it is unlike any other artist I have ever heard. He is inspiring to many at such a young age, and he is just getting started.

    My favorite song for sure is “Right Back”. The song is about a relationship falling off track and needing to spend more time with that special someone.

    Although I love the message the song portrays, the upbeat music and the way it makes me feel is what I love the most. This was one of the first songs I listened to when the album came out and it remained my favorite throughout the whole album.

    Some comparisons between us first and most recent album is how Khalid has evolved and changed. He has such a more positive outlook on life and his songs prove he is happier and in a better place than before.

    “8Teen” is a track from his first album, which was his age when he released the album. Now, Khalid has the track “Twenty One”. When he was 18 he talked about not accomplishing much and being behind, but now that he is 21 he knows what he wants and has done more than he ever dreamed of.

    All in all, Khalid’s album “Free Spirit” is one of the best, and my most favorite album. I hope in the future he releases more albums and shows the world how great he is.

    “Overall, I like the vibe of his new album and the meaning each song has. Every song has a different message, and in some albums songs can be repetitive but I do not feel that way with this album,” Hackim said.