Khalid joins Bru in the Hard Rock Artist Lounge before his performance at Audacy's 'We Can Survive.'
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00All right, Hard Rock Artist Lounge, how we feeling?
00:07My name is Brew, we are with the one and only Khalid right now, make some noise for him.
00:12Dude, it's so good to see you, welcome back to New Jersey, welcome back kinda to music,
00:18how you feeling?
00:19Yeah, hey, thank you for having me, I feel good, what's up y'all?
00:22Dude, it has been five years since Free Spirit, and that sounds crazy to say, the new album
00:28is here, how would you describe your sound evolving since then?
00:33It's crazy to think about getting old, it's something that we all have to do, we all have
00:39to get older, but I'm happy to acknowledge that my sound has matured over the past few
00:45years, I've given myself grace too, given myself time to be patient, and I'm just happy
00:50to be able to still do what I do for the people that I love at this capacity, it's just really
00:55incredible to be back after all these years.
00:58Absolutely.
00:59We're gonna hear some of that new music tonight.
01:01Oh yeah, I mean, one of my new favorite songs has to be Heatstroke, I love that song so
01:06much, I hear it scream, heatstroke, woo, so good, I love that one, sorry about that, we
01:15love it.
01:16You were on Twitter the other day too, you're still, sounds like making new music, and that
01:20a song was inspired by a phone call, is that a real song, are we gonna get that, tell us
01:24the story.
01:25There goes the woman of the hour right there.
01:28She was the phone call.
01:29She was the phone call, she was the, cause she's always calling me, somebody tell her
01:35to stop.
01:36Who is this by the way, you gotta give us the story.
01:38She's on my management team, shout out to the managers, they help get everything done,
01:42but yeah, I mean I just like doing things like that, that's the fun thing about being
01:46creative, you can turn anything into a song if you love it.
01:49I can't wait to hear it.
01:51You talked about how much success you've had, you know, since just being 26, it's crazy
01:56how much has happened, does that reshape your perspective when it comes to like, you know,
02:01making that music?
02:02Yeah, because I've had so much fun in my career over the past few years, and I've accomplished
02:09so much at such an early age, I feel like I don't really have anything to prove anymore,
02:16I get to just have fun, be myself, make music, say what's up to y'all, hey what's up.
02:22I mean, I hate to say it, but you know, nothing feels better than this, truly.
02:27Oh wow.
02:28Aww.
02:29Anyone?
02:30Alright.
02:31We're still warming up, we're still waking up out here.
02:35It sounds like you're having so much fun too, you're sampling artists like Alicia Keys,
02:38and really having fun with those samples, is there any songs that would be a dream to
02:45do a sample on?
02:48I mean, there's so many, and samples to me are pretty sacred, and they have to be lived
02:55with, and they have to be experienced, and so when it comes down to a sample, there's
03:01so many.
03:02I would love to sample an Empire of the Sun record, I love Empire of the Sun a lot, maybe
03:09We Are the People, Survive.
03:12So good.
03:13Well since those five years that we've like, you know, gotten to talk to you, have you
03:17picked up any new hobbies?
03:18Is there anything new you've just learned to love in that time?
03:23Recently I started playing Fortnite, and I can't let it go.
03:26I'm like addicted, and it's kind of a problem.
03:29I spend too much time playing that game, and spending too much money as well in the process.
03:36But yeah, it's fun.
03:37And with that gap between five years of making that album, was there any ideas five years
03:42ago that were brought onto the album, or was it all pretty recent?
03:46Oh yeah, I would say maybe half of the album was new, and half of the album traveled, you
03:52know, and withstanded the test of time, and made it.
03:57But the good thing about that is, I still have so many songs that didn't make this album
04:01that are floating around out there.
04:04Oh my gosh.
04:05Yeah.
04:06Hopefully I get to release those too.
04:07I mean, I will release those too.
04:08Right.
04:09Sooner than later, hopefully.
04:10Can't wait for y'all to hear those too.
04:11Yeah.
04:12Absolutely.
04:13I know that this album is so rooted in a message that, you know, is about you, and that you
04:16love.
04:17Was there any specific song or moment that, like, clicked for you in making this project?
04:22Oh, I mean, I love the song, Please Don't Fall In Love With Me.
04:28As sad as it is, I feel like it's the center focus of the album, and I'm just happy that
04:33I was able to write a song like that, and for it to be received the way that it does.
04:37Yeah.
04:38So, yeah, I love that song a lot.
04:40You're such a nice dude.
04:41Do you get that a lot?
04:42You're so kind.
04:43Yeah, that's right.
04:44And you talk about how kindness and collaborations is really important.
04:46It is.
04:47How do you find that the kindness with these artists and people you collaborate with, like,
04:50affects the actual product?
04:52Yeah.
04:53I mean, luckily I've only met kind people who have wanted to work with me and collaborate,
04:58and they give me so much love and respect, and I give them the same mutually.
05:04I think that's the best part of this industry, is meeting other people and knowing that you're
05:08not alone going through this process.
05:11So I really value friendship, love, all of that.
05:16That's just really important to me.
05:18What's your message to the fans, by the way, that have stuck with you and are excited for
05:21new music and here for you tonight?
05:23Hey, my message to y'all is to keep on smiling like you guys are doing right now.
05:29Keep on smiling, keep having a good time, and don't take life too seriously.
05:34I love that.
05:35Yeah.
05:36Give yourself some grace.
05:37Be kind to yourself.
05:38Absolutely.
05:39Yeah.
05:41Well, one of the things we're hearing tonight is a big support around mental health.
05:43Yeah.
05:44This show has always been a champion for that and sponsored with Better Health Tonight.
05:48We love hearing about the ways that, you know, you prioritize your mental health.
05:52What are some things, like, obviously in a unique career that you do to make sure you
05:55have that strong mental health?
05:57For me, it's, I really got to give my thanks to my core friend group that I have.
06:03I've kept the same friends since I've started my career, and they've been able to see me
06:08in different stages of my life.
06:11So, really valuing the importance of the relationships that I have around me.
06:17And also, like I said, giving myself grace and taking myself less seriously, and always
06:23remaining, you know, always having fun.
06:27Have fun with life.
06:28This is the only life we got.
06:29Yeah.
06:30We're going to have fun.
06:31Have fun with it.
06:32We're going to have some fun tonight, right?
06:33Yeah.
06:34You guys ready for Khalid later?
06:35Thank you so much, dude.
06:37Get ready for him on stage in a little bit.
06:39Yeah.
06:40And thank you so much for stopping by.
06:41Hey, thank y'all.
06:42Appreciate it.
06:43Give it up, Khalid.