‘Free Spirit’
Khalid’s sophomore album flies high
Three years after he stole into our stereos and our hearts with American Teen, Khalid’s long-awaited sophomore album is here –– and it’s a delight.
The 21-year-old Georgia native came in hot on the charts in 2016 when his debut single and the perfect song of summer, “Location”, peaked at 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. He released his debut album in March 2017, a groovy ode to teenage nostalgia that established him as someone to watch, and his distinct style as a pleasant exhale amid a rush of hot and heavy pop songs.
Free Spirit dropped on April 5 and took the same hazy summer sound of American Teen and refined it into something a little funkier. True to its name, Khalid explores his sound freely and branches out of the artistic comfort zone he easily settled himself in with his debut. “Better” has an electronic, distinctly Daft Punk element to it, and “Heaven” is a smooth ballad that trades clearly defined beats for more fluid, thoughtful sound.
Khalid celebrates both his youth and growing up in Free Spirit, holding onto that ornery don’t-tell-your-parents tone in some tracks while also exploring his own identity as an adult artist trying to make his sonic mark. He fine-tunes his personal style but also leans on the work of older artists (think Bruno Mars with less pizzazz) to craft a mature, accomplished sound. Music’s favorite man-child John Mayer even makes an appearance on the album, loaning Khalid a bit of his signature style of guitar riffs in the playful love song “Outta My Head.”
Free Spirit is a light and airy dream, the perfect break from the world’s heaviness. It’s the soundtrack to a summer road trip, a backdrop to a lazy afternoon, and a danceable playlist for a warm Saturday night all in one, and it’ll make you want to embrace your own free spirit, too.
