Eight years can change a lot. For Khalid, it has meant new albums, new stories, a stronger sense of self, and perhaps most noticeably when he steps onstage, a newfound confidence.
The multi-platinum singer-songwriter first broke through with 'Location', released just before his high school graduation, before establishing himself with American Teen and its coming-of-age anthem 'Young Dumb & Broke'. Since then, his catalogue has grown to include Free Spirit, Sincere, and most recently After the Sun Goes Down, while collaborations with the likes of Billie Eilish, Normani, Halsey, Marshmello, and Benny Blanco have further expanded his reach across pop and R&B.
Now, Khalid is preparing to reconnect with Singapore fans at It's Always Summer Somewhere Tour on 24 November at The Star Theatre, presented by Live Nation Singapore. The show marks his first performance in the country since 2018, following a planned 2020 return that did not go ahead because of the pandemic.
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For Khalid, that long absence only means he has more of himself to share this time around.
“It's incredible,” he tells Bandwagon. “To be able to come back to a place that is so, so far from where I've grown up, where I originally live, I think is amazing. It really shows the power of music and just how far I can travel.”
There is also a touch of disbelief that so much time has passed.
“I'm even apologetic for taking so long to come back. Eight years is so long. So much life has happened since then, but it means that I have just more stories to bring with me when I come.”
A more confident Khalid
Fans who were there for Khalid's previous Singapore show might recognise the songs, but the person performing them has changed.
Asked what would surprise returning concertgoers most, Khalid doesn't point first to elaborate production or a new arrangement. Instead, he talks about confidence.
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“I feel like before I might have been a little bit more timid, a little bit more shy,” he says. “And I feel like now I feel a little bit more confident in my craft, in my voice.”
That confidence translates physically, too. Today's Khalid dances more. He jumps more. And despite being eight years older, he says performing somehow makes him feel younger than before.
“I have a lot more energy, a lot more life,” he shares. “It's so interesting because I'm older than I was before, but in a way I feel so much younger than the last time that I was on that stage.”
For an artist whose music has long documented growing up in real time, that evolution feels fitting. Sincere explored the emotions that come with getting older, while After the Sun Goes Down pushed Khalid into another musical chapter through a blend of R&B, electro-pop, and ’80s-inspired synths.
The result is a live show that allows him to put that growth in front of the same listeners who may have grown alongside him.
“I'm just excited to really show my audience growth,” he says.
Soundtracking a Singapore night
The Singapore stop is expected to span Khalid's catalogue, from 'Location', 'Better', and 'Talk' to collaborations such as 'Love Lies' and 'Eastside', alongside songs from his latest chapter.
But if one After the Sun Goes Down track had to soundtrack a night out in Singapore, Khalid already knows his pick: 'Momentary Lovers'.
“I just think that the song feels very electric, and it just reminds me of nights that I've had in Singapore, just nights that I've had myself,” he says. “And I really love that song so much, and it's a fun one.”
For all the new music and personal growth, however, one of his earliest hits still holds a special place in the live experience.
If Khalid could leave the stage and join his own audience for just one song, he would choose 'Young Dumb & Broke'.
“I would love to be one of my fans when I'm experiencing that song for the first time, or maybe even the third, second, fourth, however many times,” he says.
The reason is simple: there is an energy around the song that even Khalid, from his position at the centre of the room, can feel taking over.
“It takes over me on the stage,” he explains. “So I would love to experience that song, if I could, from a fan's perspective.”
Perhaps that desire says as much about Khalid's relationship with his music as anything else. Nearly a decade into a career that has taken his songs around the world, he is still curious about what they feel like from the other side of the barricade.
Come as you are
As for what Singapore fans should wear to the show, Khalid isn't interested in imposing a complicated theme.
“My dress code is: wear whatever makes you feel comfortable,” he says. “I'm a big believer in, you know, come as you are.”
It is an invitation that reflects how he sees his audience: not as one uniform fandom, but as a collection of different people who have found something of themselves in his songs.
“What I love about my audience is there are so many different types of listeners and types of fans,” Khalid says.
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And with a tour called It's Always Summer Somewhere, practicality helps.
“Feel free, feel loose. Wear something you can dance in, you can move in, you're not afraid to sweat in,” he adds. “But, you know, be you.”
Eight years after his last Singapore performance, Khalid isn't returning as the same artist who left. There is more confidence, more movement, more music, and, as he puts it, more stories.
For fans who have been waiting all this time, that might be precisely the point.
Purchase tickets for the Singapore leg of Khalid's It's Always Summer Somewhere Tour here.
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