Linnea Wee
Assistant Online Manager
Khalid’s newest album “Free Spirit” encompasses the R&B singer’s original mellow sound while establishing his new mature state of mind.
The 21 year-old singer-songwriter recently released his sophomore album, “Free Spirit” after the release of his debut collection “American Teen” in 2017. “Free Spirit” is a strong album from Khalid, and stays true to his R&B style, while also showcasing his soulful lyrics which focus on life and love.
The album includes Khalid’s hit single, “Better,” which was released earlier in his 2018 EP album, “Suncity.” This track, as well as the rest of the songs in the album, abandon Khalid’s young naiveté and show the artist’s new understanding of life as of 2019, standing in contrast to 2017’s “American Teen.”
Khalid’s memorable vocals continue to give his music the ease and originality that makes him famous amongst young Americans. The tranquil music highlights the talented singer’s rich voice, as the calming beats never overpower the vocals. The use of subtle electronic elements adds to the songs’ unique sounds without overwhelming, while also reminding viewers of Khalid’s original style.
Khalid’s new music speaks to many young listeners who are experiencing conflicts with life, love and mental health struggles, and he successfully inspires them to keep fighting for what they want. Khalid’s ability to connect to his audience with both his feelings and his lyrics makes the music more personal to him and his audience.
The album also includes Khalid’s self-reflection on his life and career. Khalid reveals some of his mental health issues through this release, including depression and a struggle to realize his self worth. Although some of Khalid’s older tracks have a lively appeal, the songs on “Free Spirit” explore more serious topics and are vividly more sad and pensive.
The first track, “Intro” sets the melancholy tone for the album as the song explains, in detail, Khalid’s difficulty with accepting himself throughout his hardships. He mentions trying to find a balance between the heaven and hell in his life, as well as the pleasure of love and relationships that he struggles to attain. By highlighting his struggles in this track, Khalid successfully allows listeners to dive into his personal life as he paints a thorough, vivid picture of a day in his perspective.
The track “Free Spirit” explores how common problems in life have repressed Khalid’s young spirit. He expresses how an individual’s naiveté and simple way of life disappear once they are introduced to the brutal reality of becoming an adult. The emotional track displays Khalid’s exceptional growth as a songwriter, as his lyrics have completely transformed from being simply upbeat to being more thought-provoking.
Khalid collaborated with Grammy award winning singer-songwriter John Mayer on a track called “Outta My Head (with John Mayer).” The two artists’ soothing voices are layered throughout the song, creating refreshing vocal contrast. This track is upbeat and energetic, which is a major difference in comparison to most of the other songs.
One of the only pieces of criticism for this album and Khalid’s vocals is that the songs all sound extremely similar. If listened to one after the other, the tracks’ sounds mesh together, making it very hard to recognize the differences among them. However, the artist’s trademark sound as a soul singer is a strength as long as his songs aren’t played directly after one another.
Although “Free Spirit” is meant to be sorrowful in its view of growing up, some would claim that the artist is not being completely true to his music style. Khalid’s debut album “American Teen” was a passionate display of his talent, and those who were expecting the singer to build his career on that same youthful fervor may be underwhelmed with “Free Spirit.” However, according to Khalid’s lyrics, such as “I don’t know how to save him, I can’t even save myself,” he never intended for these new tracks to be entirely upbeat and happy, as the main focus of his album is actually how unhappy he feels.
“Free Spirit” is a progressive collection for Khalid as a young artist, with a career that is also growing and expanding. The change in Khalid’s tone and song topics is refreshing, despite the album’s overall somber tone. The artist’s famous rock and blues sound is fantastically expanded in “Free Spirit.”
Right Hand Music Group released “Free Spirit” on April 5. The album is available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube and can be purchased on platforms such as iTunes.
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