Modern times call for modern lyrics. In now ’s universe, that requires artists to write lyrics about things that matter to now ’s youth — things such as Twitter and Snapchat. But while social media has taken over the lives of now ’s youth there are some things which never change, like feeling misunderstood by your own parents. The beauty of very good music, however old you are, is that the lyrics discuss things in life that matter for you and permit you to relate to something bigger than yourself. That sort of lyricism is precisely the thing which has helped launch Texas-based R&B artist Khalid into the forefront of most pop music.
Khalid started gaining attention in 2016 with the launch of his tune “Location,” which made its commercial debut while the young R&B artist was still finishing out high school. But it wasn’t before the day of his high school graduation in 2017 if his debut album was released that he truly took on the spotlight in mainstream music. Since he then ’s toured widely and dominated the pop charts, using a third of his own tunes holding a spot in the top 10. He also released his sophomore record Free Spirit earlier this season, accompanied by a national tour in support of the album. Khalid brought that excursion to Denver on Friday night, even encouraging fans at the Pepsi Center to live as a free soul — even though it was only for a single night.
Through the day, Khalid discovered plenty of different chances to actually connect with his fans. He told supporters about a meet and greet he held previously in the day and talked about how strong it was to hear that his music connected with individuals. He talked specifically of a single fan he fulfilled, taking time to dedicate a song from his debut album to them. As the night wore you, he chose to smile at the crowd dancing throughout the place, thanking everybody for coming out to spend the day with him. He leaned off the stage to hug among those members of the crowd close to the stage. A few lucky attendees were pulled from the crowd to join Khalid on stage for a number of the final tunes of the day.
Following a night of connecting with the crowd and almost two full hours of performing, the operation finally came to a close. Khalid ended the day with “Saturday Night,” the final track of his most recent album. As it was over, he along with his crew of supporters took their place center stage, embracing each other as they took their final draft before devoting dancing their way off the stage, obviously as enthusiastic about the day as the fans in attendance.
View the full picture gallery here. All photography from Brandon Johnson.
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