Out, Loud & Free with Khalid

Summary

Podcast Summary

Baby, This is Keke Palmer | "Out, Loud & Free with Khalid"

Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Keke Palmer
Guest: Khalid

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Episode Overview

This dynamic and heartfelt episode sees Keke Palmer sitting down with multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Khalid as he returns to the spotlight, discussing his bold new era both musically and personally. Together, they dive deep into creativity, identity, and vulnerability—unpacking Khalid’s journey from SoundCloud sensation to out, proud, and joyful artist redefining himself after a transformative hiatus. With humor, candor, and chemistry, Keke and Khalid explore artistic growth, sexuality, mental health, and the power of living freely.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Khalid’s “New Beginnings” and Mindset

• Mood Check: Khalid describes his vibe as “reinvigorated,” reflecting a sense of renewal (02:08).
• Music on the Way: He’s entering a bold new chapter with his latest music, “After the Sun Goes Down,” informed by a break from the limelight and a commitment to deeper honesty (00:28–00:40).
• Universal Impact of Music: Khalid shares a touching fan message about language barriers, saying:

  “10 of my family members don’t speak any English, but they've played [‘In Plain Sight’] on repeat.” (03:01)

2. Astrology, Family, and Origins

• Zodiac Talk: Khalid is a double Aquarius (sun and rising) with a Leo moon—Keke calls this combination “fierce," lauding both his intellect and boldness (04:00).

  Keke: “Aquariuses are very, very smart. Too smart for their own good. Very highly eccentric, creative, you know, but then that Leo is like, don’t play with me.” (04:03)

• Family Influence: Khalid discusses his strong bond with his mother, her Leo energy, and her encouragement throughout his life and career (04:15; 26:33).

3. Khalid’s Artistic Roots and Early Career

• SoundCloud Discovery: Khalid reminisces about uploading “Location” as a high schooler, feeling distant yet close to those formative memories and the hustle it took to transition from military family life in El Paso to global stardom (07:11–08:47).

  “You couldn’t have told me when I was 17...I just want to go to my third period, get the [day] over with.” (07:33)

4. Creative Evolution & Protecting Boundaries

• Growth and Authenticity: Khalid strives now to “be honest” and “raw,” acknowledging earlier self-protectiveness prompted by industry pressures (10:04–10:46).
• Balancing Public and Private Selves: Both discuss the juggling act of sharing enough to connect with fans, yet not overexposing oneself.

  Khalid: “I feel like my fans deserve it. I feel like I shouldn’t punish my fans because of the pressure of being perceived from the world.” (11:46)

5. Hiatus, Healing, and Inspiration

• Time Away (2019–2024): Khalid details stepping back for five years, not writing music for a year and a half to “live,” find new stories, and rediscover joy (13:46, 14:21).

  Khalid: “I didn’t write music for a year and a half...It felt like I had to wait that long to know what to actually say.” (14:22)

• Living for the Plot: They laugh about making wild life choices “for the plot” (15:21–15:25).
• Integrity in Art: Khalid won’t release music unless it’s deeply felt:

  “Do we think the fans just deserve a half-assed, short, safe [album]? It’s not gonna move anybody.” (17:32)

6. Breakthroughs via Mental Health and Psychedelics

• Self-Talk & Healing: Khalid opens up about negative self-talk, unhealthy relationships, and how psychedelic experiences dramatically shifted his inner dialogue (20:50–23:22).

  “I was in the middle of the desert...the positive affirmations that were flooding in my brain: ‘You are light, you are love...’ It changed my life forever.” (21:47)

• Creative Rebirth: This healing period led directly to his album “Sincere” and a restored sense of purpose.

7. Public Outing and Embracing Queerness

• Vulnerability in the Spotlight: Khalid discusses the pain and public embarrassment of being outed—how he found strength in refusing shame, owning his truth, and refusing to hide (27:57–30:18).

  “I’m gay. Yeah, okay. I just never said it to you, but I’ve been living my truth.” (30:16)

• Anxiety Before Coming Out: The anticipation of being outed caused severe anxiety, which paradoxically lessened after it happened (33:00–36:10).
• Family Acceptance: Khalid recounts moving conversations with his mother and friends—full acceptance and love (36:39).

  “My mom looked at me and she said, ‘Does he make you happy?...That’s all I care about.’” (36:39)

• Queerness in Music: He now unapologetically uses male pronouns in performance (38:53–39:18).

  “There is one song, ‘Eastside,’...I don’t think I can be on a stage and say ‘she used to meet me...’ It’s just not giving that. So I say ‘he.’” (38:53)

8. Advice and Representation for the Next Generation

• Responsibility and Representation: Now out, Khalid feels a duty to the next generation—especially Black and queer youth—to be “fearlessly queer” and put bold representation in his music and videos (41:25–43:09).

  “It’s about being honest with my queer identity, and I’m not being afraid, and I’m being bold. And hopefully younger individuals see that and realize that it's okay and that they have a shot...” (43:37)

9. Genrelessness, Pop, and Black Excellence

• Embracing All Genres: Khalid and Keke champion the validity of Black artists in pop music, challenging restrictive labels and celebrating Black contributions to popular music (44:30–45:13).

  “We are allowed—we’re allowed to be Black and pop. We’re allowed to be Black, gay, and pop.” (44:41)

10. The New Era: ‘After the Sun Goes Down’

• Comeback Album: Discusses the making and ambition of the new record—writing it in just 2–3 months, capturing a danceable, confident, multi-dimensional sound (45:16–48:01).
• Vibe and Intention: Khalid wants the album to make people feel “alive,” to soundtrack their nights “getting ready...going out...coming home...emotionally and physically” (49:23–50:15).
• Critical Praise: Collaborator Julia Michaels called his melodies “magical” and noted the spontaneity and freedom in the creative process (50:44–52:07).

11. Giving Back and Legacy

• Community Work: Khalid shares his passion for education, his foundation in El Paso, and giving back to the Boys and Girls Club—deepened by his mother’s involvement and his own gratitude (52:12–54:03).

  “El Paso adopted me as their own child...I have to give back to that city.” (52:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Creativity and Honesty:

• Khalid: “I gotta keep growing. I gotta pull that filter back a little bit... it’s also nice to be embraced by the world and for people to be like, I see you.” (10:46)

On Taking Space:

• Khalid: “I didn’t write music for a year and a half...I had to live experiences...get my heart broke...” (14:22, 15:08)

On Coming Out:

• Khalid: “I’m gay. Yeah, okay. I just never said it to you, but I’ve been living my truth.” (30:16)
• Khalid: “I feel responsible, and I feel like with authenticity is ownership. I’m like, I have to own it.” (41:25)

On Representation:

• Khalid: “I’m being honest with my queer identity...hopefully younger individuals see that and realize it’s okay and that they have a shot and they have a chance.” (43:37)

On New Music:

• Khalid: “He’s shaking the table...In Plain Sight is cute. It’s a little, cute little vibe to show people, hey, look, this is where I'm at.” (45:46, 45:53)
• Khalid: “I want them to feel alive. I want them to feel like they have an album to get ready to, to then go out and hear that album again and then go home and listen to that album on their way home.” (49:23)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:26 – Keke frames Khalid’s career and major comeback
• 02:08 – Khalid’s mood: “Reinvigorated”
• 03:01 – The universality of music (fan story)
• 04:00–04:15 – Zodiac, Mom as Leo influence
• 07:11–08:47 – Early SoundCloud memories and breakthrough
• 10:04–10:46 – Creative evolution, “drawing the filter back”
• 13:46–14:22 – Purpose of hiatus, "learning how to live"
• 17:32 – “Half-assed album not enough,” integrity in music
• 21:47 – Psychedelic healing and self-affirmation in the desert
• 27:57–30:18 – Public outing, embracing truth
• 36:39 – Coming out to his mother; family support
• 38:53–39:18 – Changing pronouns in songs (“Eastside”)
• 41:25 – Responsibility to queer youth
• 44:30 – Blackness, queer identity, and pop music
• 45:16 – New album “After the Sun Goes Down” and comeback
• 49:23 – What he wants fans to feel
• 52:12 – Community foundation and El Paso roots

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Takeaways

• Khalid’s journey is marked by self-discovery, growth, and increasing boldness in living and creating authentically.
• He’s openly embracing his queerness, advocating for vulnerable storytelling, and committed to giving back.
• His new work signals not just a musical evolution, but a powerful, joyful step toward freer, fuller self-expression—intended to inspire both his day-one fans and a new, diverse, global generation.

Ending Quote:
Keke Palmer: "From SoundCloud to Sincere, from five-year hiatus to After the Sun Goes Down, his story and growth about healing and fearlessness has been truly inspiring. He’s given us music to vibe to, but he’s also giving us courage to live through." (54:44)

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Listen to Khalid’s new music and let his new chapter fuel your own journey—out, loud, and free.

Transcript

[Keke Palmer]

Khalid has been blessing us with vibes.

Since he dropped location on Soundcloud as a teenager.

And now 10 years later, he is.

Still one of the most soulful, talented.

Just flat out incredible artists that we have today.

Grammy nominated, platinum certified, billions of streams, baby, Khalid is a superstar. But here's what makes this conversation special.

After five years out of the spotlight.

He came back not just with music, but the whole truth. His comeback album, Sincere, marked a fresh chapter.

And now with after the Sun Goes down, we're stepping into a bold new chapter.

So let's get into it Cause baby this is Keke Palmer.

No matter what we doin in the car, just chillin pop on Amazon Music, Sit back and listen. Life, love, sex, science, covering it all, especially the bad. Cause money always evolved no matter what it is, we gonna make it make sense. Nothing else to do but kick it with the homies and K so grab you a drink and a snack you enjoy and get into the vibe that only you know it's your girl. This is. This is Kiki, baby. This is Kiki Palma. Yeah.

Before the holiday rush kicks in, I'm partnering with Airbnb to help you plan that perfect autumn escape from dreamy mountain retreats to spacious homes. Perfect for gathering with friends and family. Airbnb has amazing spaces for every kind of getaway. Now let's get into it.

Okay. I'm here with one of my favorite artists. You know, motion has always had me to chokehold. It's like very like touching my soul.

[Khalid]

Khalid, baby, what is up?

[Keke Palmer]

I'm so happy that you're here on Baby, this is Keke Palmer.

[Khalid]

Hey, thank you for having me. Keke.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes.

[Khalid]

I'm so happy to be here.

[Keke Palmer]

Me too.

Now, you did our pre show pull up?

[Khalid]

I did.

[Keke Palmer]

So I have to get into the questions to get into what your vibe is today.

[Khalid]

Let's do it.

[Keke Palmer]

Okay, so today I'm giving relaxed. Relaxed with the side of new beginnings. That's fresh. I've been feeling very new beginnings too. I'm in my 30s. You know, she has babies, so, you know, it's definitely giving new beginnings new eras. Okay, today's mood. In one word.

[Khalid]

Reinvigorated.

[Keke Palmer]

Reinvigorated.

[Khalid]

Don't mind my spelling.

[Keke Palmer]

You guys, look at this spelling. Not even spelling.

[Khalid]

The writing straw. The penmanship was mine.

[Keke Palmer]

Just we be on them phones too much.

[Khalid]

Don't mind me. Okay, Let me know if you need me to help you out. Now.

[Keke Palmer]

What did you listen to on the ride here?

[Khalid]

Full Moon by Brandi. And you know what? I actually listened to 125 degrees.

[Keke Palmer]

OMG. Come on.

[Khalid]

The Jesse. I got my T shirt and my panties on to second girl.

[Keke Palmer]

Get the skin to skin. Yes. Come on. Shout out. Taylor Parks as well ate that period. Thank you so much for getting into the music. You know, I'm obviously getting into your new music. We're going to talk about it as the sun goes down. Okay, last screenshot on your phone. No deleting.

Show me.

[Khalid]

Okay, wait, I don't want my phone right with me.

[Keke Palmer]

Then tell me what it is and don't lie.

[Khalid]

I won't lie because I screenshotted it. I checked the time. 8:30 this morning. Actually, it was a fan's comment on my video for In Plain Sight. And they said 10 of my family members don't speak any English, but they've played this song on repeat and they just love it. And I just think that's so amazing. That music could just touch just all sides of the earth.

[Keke Palmer]

And I feel like your music has always done that. Not even just culturally, but also genre wise. Like people that maybe never listen to R and B or people that never listen to pop will get those sensibilities in your music.

[Khalid]

Thank you.

[Keke Palmer]

You've always been like a universal artist in that way.

[Khalid]

It's nice to be reminded, though.

[Keke Palmer]

No, for real.

[Khalid]

Okay. I'm touching the family that don't speak no English and they vibing with me.

[Keke Palmer]

Okay.

[Khalid]

I love it.

[Keke Palmer]

Now my favorite part, obviously you're a Zodiac. Now I know you're an Aquarius sun. You're a Leo moon.

[Khalid]

I'm a Leo moon.

[Keke Palmer]

And then your Rising is also an Aquarius.

[Khalid]

I just learned, not too long ago, actually, that I'm an Aquarius. What'd you say?

[Keke Palmer]

Rising.

So you're double Aquarius with Leo.

[Khalid]

Don't judge me.

[Keke Palmer]

That is a fierce combination because Aquariuses are very, very smart. Too smart for their own good. Very highly eccentric, creative, you know, but then that Leo is like, don't play with me.

[Khalid]

And my mom's a Leo too. And so she's just so tough and about hers. And she's just a strong woman.

[Keke Palmer]

And I know you guys are close.

[Khalid]

I love my mom.

[Keke Palmer]

When someone's sun matches someone's like, rising or moon or what, like they're in conjunction or they say. They say it's like extremely, like, compatible.

[Khalid]

I feel her inside.

[Keke Palmer]

Come on. You were inside. Literally.

[Khalid]

Okay, now I'm on my mama.

[Keke Palmer]

Okay. What is your love language? Words of affirmation and acts of service. I just come on that deep sign Gave me life.

[Khalid]

I just love to be told pretty words. Just, like, make me feel good.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes.

[Khalid]

Hype me up.

[Keke Palmer]

And what does acts of service look like for you?

[Khalid]

I love to give acts of service. I'm a giver.

[Keke Palmer]

So is it like I'm making you dinner? Is it like I'm making the bed? Is it like I'm getting you coffee in the morning?

It's like running errands for you.

[Khalid]

I'm running errands. I'll fly across the moon for my love for my love make sure that they don't have to worry about anything. No stress. Like, pop your tire, I'll buy you a whole new set of tires.

[Keke Palmer]

It's giving zaddy.

[Khalid]

I know that's right.

[Keke Palmer]

Okay.

[Khalid]

Yeah. It's just me.

[Keke Palmer]

It's just me, period. Okay. The most unexpected thing on your rider.

My rider is boring as hell.

I guess that is unexpected.

[Khalid]

It's so unexpected because I have nothing on my rider. Like, I have, like, tea.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah, Tea.

[Khalid]

And, like, fruit and just like, random.

[Keke Palmer]

Singer.

[Khalid]

Singer. Cause I feel like I kind of. I just like to go in and focus so much on what I'm doing. I don't have time to, like, eat.

[Keke Palmer]

I'm howling. I don't have time to be human.

[Khalid]

I'm just like, let me just focus on the job today.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah. No, and. But I feel like afterwards you really relax. Because I remember when I went to your show, were we in Vegas? Where was that?

[Khalid]

We were in California. We were in California when I.

[Keke Palmer]

At the casino, when I went to your show. Like, I watched your show. Living for the show, obviously, everything.

[Khalid]

Thank you.

[Keke Palmer]

And then afterwards, I feel like you were like, okay, now the show's over, let's get into it type vibe. So it's like, beforehand, you want to be focused.

[Khalid]

As long as I have my body, I feel like. And my people, I'm really good. I don't really need all the trinkets and all the whatever. Sometimes I'll just pull up, get it popping, and.

[Keke Palmer]

I'm out. That's that Aquarius. I'm out the door. So let's go back to the beginning, because it's crazy. Like, I mean, I don't know if SoundCloud is still popping, but I know in the era in which you first dropped your music, you're one of those artists that we felt like, damn, we found. We as an audience. We felt like we found you. You know what I'm saying? So when you go back to that beginning, I mean, this is 10 years ago. How does it Feel looking back at that at your high school self, just dropping music on SoundCloud that became the soundtrack of people's lives.

[Khalid]

It's so bizarre. It's so. It's so distant, but so close. Like, it's so close that the memories are still fragrant.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah.

[Khalid]

Like, I can remember checking my own personal email and like, my video productions class. Cause I didn't have a computer at home, so I just like. And where you from? Well, my parents were in the military, so I started my career in El Paso in Texas.

[Keke Palmer]

Okay.

Boom.

[Khalid]

So I can just remember every journey, every step, every move, for it to turn into something when at first it was just a dream. It's like, you couldn't have told me when I was 17, hey, look, you're gonna travel around the world, perform for amazing people, and have hit records and songs with billions of streams. I would have been like, what are you talking about? I just wanna go to my third period, get the over with, let's go home for real. But to see that I just was really relentless about my dreams and my goals. I just was like, I don't care. I'm gonna do whatever I have to do to get my music out there.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah.

[Khalid]

I can remember just even like, meeting people from this company called Indified, emailing me, telling me, hey, look, you're gonna be the biggest star by next year. And I'm just like, how? What do I do but be myself? So when I came into the industry, I had no knowledge of how do you perform, how do you show up as yourself, how do you. It's like I was learning about life, learning about this bridgeway to adulthood, learning about a career, learning about being a recording artist. And all simultaneously at the same time.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah. Finding who you are, growing who you are as an artist, and discovering how to, like, also be. Like, this is a business. So how do I navigate this?

[Khalid]

Yeah, because, like, when I was in high school, my main priorities were really kicking the hanging out with my friends, getting into trouble that I probably shouldn't have been. So you couldn't have told me about what it is to really have a career and appreciate a career. All of the songs from American Teen, that was an autobiography. Thank you. But so that was real life.

[Keke Palmer]

The title, everything.

[Khalid]

It was real life. And so you can't prepare, in a way, what's real. It's just like, it just comes out that way. So when the album came out, I'm being myself. I'm putting American Teen to the forefront. And they're just like, now you have to tour the world now. You have to go here, go there, do this, go that. It was really a blur, so it feels so distant, but it's still just. Every memory is just.

[Keke Palmer]

I mean, as a teenager, what was driving you creatively is one thing. And obviously what you knew about yourself was very limited at the time. We're all, you know, for all of us, we're learning ourselves.

Now you're in your 20s.

What drives your creativity now? Like, what. Where are you pulling from musically now?

[Khalid]

What drives me creatively is doing things that I haven't done yet. And I've done nearly everything. I've done edm, songs, I've worked with country artists and pop stars, and you name it. Um, but I've been so modest in my career. I've been so reserved. I've been so kind of a step back. It's like, there's a door and there's a wall, and it's always been to protect myself. And now I'm like, you know what? Life is short. I've been in this career for almost 10 years. What am I gonna do to be in this career for another 10? I gotta be honest. I gotta be raw.

[Keke Palmer]

I gotta keep growing.

[Khalid]

I gotta keep growing. I gotta pull that filter back a little bit. You know, you want to protect yourself from the world sometimes, but it is also nice to be embraced by the world and for people to be like, I see you.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah. And in general, it is really hard, like, being in the public eye. You also don't know, like, what is work? Like, what do I owe you as a. As a public figure and what do I not owe you? And that balance in that song and dance of trying to figure out, like, I'm being real, but also, like, that's too much. You know, you're always trying to figure out how to grapple with that. And so it's funny because when I first met you, I was like, I assumed you'd be very shy and quiet because sometimes that's what I'm getting from, like, your. As an artist, you get mystery, you know, on your page. But then when I met you, I'm like, oh, he be hella talking. He's a vibe, you know, you had such high energy. So I was also surprised becoming a friend of yours. So it really is dope to see that energy start to even come through greater with your stage presence, your dancing. I love all that.

[Khalid]

I feel like my fans deserve it. I feel like I shouldn't punish my fans because of the pressure of being perceived from the world. I shouldn't.

[Keke Palmer]

Come on.

Speak on it.

[Khalid]

You know what I mean? I shouldn't take away from my fans genuine experience of knowing who I am. Because every fan can't afford a plane ticket. Every fan can't afford a concert ticket. Every fan can't afford to get close and personal to. To you, to be like, how can I feel you? Who are you? And so there's so many different types of fans that I feel like I've left in a way untouched because of my distance, that I'm like, let me open up and let you back in, and you guys can see just who I am. I'm gonna keep my boundaries, though, Period.

[Keke Palmer]

Cause you have to have them.

[Khalid]

We're not. We're not getting crazy over here, but I'm gonna be open, and I'm gonna let people know, okay, this is who I am. And to the world, it might feel like a reintroduction, but I feel like I am just allowing people that space. Like, yep, this is me.

[Keke Palmer]

Your audience is growing with you. We're growing with you now. You were voted. This is crazy that you were voted most likely to go platinum in high school, and you've actually lived up to that prophecy. So, I mean, what is that? Like, please clock it. Like, that's crazy. First of all, why did your school even have that as an option? Like, who?

[Khalid]

And I really won? Like, there's a picture and everything. Like, it's somewhere in the little photo studio in El Paso, just on the wall, just somewhere.

[Keke Palmer]

That's crazy, babe.

[Khalid]

That's just God, okay?

[Keke Palmer]

God being funny.

[Khalid]

You know what I mean?

[Keke Palmer]

God love a joke.

[Khalid]

It is just so funny to see that and to think, platinum, that's way out of my reach. And then to, like, go diamond, I'm.

[Keke Palmer]

Like, you've done even further than that. Billions of streams.

[Khalid]

It's insane, and it's funn. And it's just a little thing, like you said that. I look back at that. Like, God's so funny just now.

[Keke Palmer]

You stepped away from the spotlight in 2019, and then when you came back, it wasn't just with music. It was with your whole truth. So what did that time really teach you? The time away for you to come back?

[Khalid]

It taught me life. It taught me how to live. It taught me how to enjoy myself and not to take myself as seriously. I feel like when I take myself so seriously, I. I'm so worried about what everybody's thinking, what everybody's analyzing, what everybody's.

[Keke Palmer]

I do feel like it's an aquarius thing.

[Khalid]

Maybe. Maybe. And so when I took that time off, it was really for myself.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah.

[Khalid]

I didn't write music for a year and a half. I didn't touch a pen. I didn't touch a studio.

[Keke Palmer]

That must have felt like punishment on some level. It felt as that being your.

[Khalid]

It felt like I had to wait that long to know what to actually say because I'm sorry, but nobody really cares about me being on the back of a tour bus and me going from state line to state line. Like, the stories just aren't.

[Keke Palmer]

Storylines weren't there.

[Khalid]

It's not exciting. It doesn't move you.

[Keke Palmer]

That's real.

[Khalid]

I don't want to hear about it. So I know my fans don't want to hear about it. And so I had to live experiences. I had to date a couple people, make a couple mistakes.

[Keke Palmer]

Get your heart broke.

[Khalid]

Get my heart? Yeah.

[Keke Palmer]

Get my heart broken.

We have to live and do the whole human thing.

[Khalid]

Cause we're creatives and, you know, just.

[Keke Palmer]

For something to pull from. I can't tell you how many hell holes I put myself in just for the storyline.

[Khalid]

You can't pull from things that.

[Keke Palmer]

We do that all the time, though.

[Khalid]

For the plot, for the plot.

[Keke Palmer]

Babe, we do so much bull for the plot.

[Khalid]

For the plot. And be like, I'm blaming it on the plot every time. Yes, it was for the plot. Don't worry about that one.

[Keke Palmer]

Was there ever a moment where you were, Am I even gonna really return to music? Because also you have had such success. Like, you could be, like, on some Lauryn Hill and be like, holla at your boy, you know? So was there a moment where you were like, I'm good, love. Enjoy.

[Khalid]

I knew I was gonna return to music on my own terms. I'm like, y' all gotta wait. Cause good things take time. And I feel like we're just in this society where we just want everything. Just give it to me next week. You just dropped the album. I need the deluxe, like, right now on my desk, like, right now. And I mean, even when I took, like, five years to write my last one, y' all relax. The aggression is just next level.

[Keke Palmer]

But, Neil, you stupid.

[Khalid]

Drop my album now. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Where do you think this album gon come from?

[Keke Palmer]

The funny thing, though, is, again, this is the great thing about your albums is that it is a like, I can live with this for 5 years album.

[Khalid]

Thank you.

[Keke Palmer]

So when we do get it, it's, I could sit with this for a long time till I get the next one.

[Khalid]

Let it marinate. You know, you might hear background vocals that you didn't focus on the first time. Oh, no. Just live with the music for a little bit. Because when I go in, I really do put my all into the. Like when I tell you, like, I was born to do what I'm doing now, we're all here for a reason. We were all called to do something. And so since I know that, like, I was born to do this, I know the power that it takes. I know the integrity that it holds. I know how these stories can shape people because fans come to me. Like I've had cousins that have passed. You were their favorite artist. I went through depression. You were how I got through. Do we think that the fans just deserve a half assed short safe? It's not gonna move anybody.

[Keke Palmer]

No.

[Khalid]

And if the music doesn't move you, it's okay because it wasn't for you.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah.

But as long as it moved you as the artist. And I think it's so deep what you're saying too, about like, you know, again, whether it's for the plot or it's just for growth, it's for knowing and evolving. We have to take that time to be able to have something to say. You've shared that through travel, psychedelics, solitude. It's all reshaped your perspective, which, yes, I know.

Love me.

[Khalid]

Get into it.

[Keke Palmer]

Okay. Get into it, baby.

This is Kiki Palma. Yeah.

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Can you take me through like one breakthrough moment where you knew the reset was working? Where you were like, okay, we're in a new era. I've opened up a new door. I've moved into a new level of the game.

[Khalid]

I feel like I used to have really bad self talk.

[Keke Palmer]

Oh.

[Khalid]

I feel like I used to believe I was just a terrible person. I don't know, I just felt like I just wasn't cool. I just feel like, I mean, because being through life, getting into relationships, unhealthy ones at that, you know, they mirror.

[Keke Palmer]

How we feel about ourselves.

[Khalid]

A dialogue, right? And so I, I was exhausted and I didn't have anything to cling on creatively because I didn't feel the best. I didn't feel. I didn't feel like a number one artist. I didn't feel like a number two artist. I didn't feel like a number three. I just felt like. What? What am I feeling right now? I'm numb. And psychedelics. Okay, get into it.

[Keke Palmer]

Just a little micro.

[Khalid]

No, just a little. Put a little bit more on my plate. Okay. When I took a little Joshua Tree trip, you know, like where it all happens, isn't it? And I had my own shroom tomb and I did my thing. And when I went out on my walk, I was in the middle of the desert and there's nothing miles away from me and I'm surrounded and it's just me. The positive affirmations that were flooding in my brain. You are light, you are love, you are. You're great. You're a ballerina. If you want to be, you could be. You could twirl, you could spin, you could dance, you could do what you want. Like you're on this earth for a reason. It's your path you're carving out day to day. Stop taking yourself so seriously. Give yourself grace like you are okay, and you are a good person. Just, just ease up. And when I had that conversation with myself, it changed my life forever. It was like the creativity was flowing out of me. I remember walking down a mountain and I sang a song from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the mountain. It was 30 minutes just on loop, just, just, just doing what, you know, God called us here to do. And it felt really good. And it opened the doors and it created Sincere. And Sincere was just a life changing introspective album for me because I got to hear my thoughts.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes.

[Khalid]

I got to hear my diary on repeat. And I'm like, you know what? Some of these songs, I don't even feel that way anymore.

[Keke Palmer]

Wow.

[Khalid]

I was like, you know what? I'm actually not as sad as I was when I wrote this song.

[Keke Palmer]

But isn't that so beautiful, the time and space and what an album can represent and be. And also, I do want to say to the kids that are watching, you know, talking about psychedelics, all this type of thing, you know, I just want to say, if that's something that somebody wants to do, you need to be safe. You need to think twice about it. I don't want to encourage, discourage, or judge, but I just disclaimer just to say, you know, because people talk a lot about it and, you know, psychologists talk about it, a lot of people do a lot of things. So, you know, you know, you need to know what you're doing before you do. And don't just do something because you heard about me and him talking about it on the show.

[Khalid]

I'm not advocating.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah, but that's your journey.

[Khalid]

And we talk about that because a.

[Keke Palmer]

Lot of people have found help with that. It's real, you know, and I've had positive experiences myself. But I just want to. Just because we know the little ones might be watching. But yes, back to this time with sincere listening back. I think that's the beautiful thing about albums is that you can look back as you know you as the artist and be like, damn. So that's where I was at.

[Khalid]

Ooh.

[Keke Palmer]

I was listening to my Lorne ep. I was listening to the Lauren EP the other day, and I said, what the hell are you talking about?

Kk.

Oof. It was crazy. Like, when I listen to my older, I'm like, keke, but sometimes trying to get down in the back. What are you saying, mama? I didn't have to tell them that.

[Khalid]

That's a little risk scary.

[Keke Palmer]

I was really going, don't like if y' all go back to the Lorne ep. Got me up is up.

[Khalid]

I love it though, child.

[Keke Palmer]

But it's so cool to just see how you evolved.

[Khalid]

It's so true because there's also. I have a song on my album called Everything We See, and I wrote that after my psychedelic just endeavor. And I hear a lyric like, who says there isn't beauty in everything we see? And to me, that's the pivotal lyric. That's the. You know what? I have a career that I'm graced with. I have a platform. I have an audience. I have a family I love. I have a roof over my head. Oh, my God. The beauty is just pouring out of my pores right now. Like, I gotta put this out into the universe. And we don't get to pick when our blessings come. Like, patience is a virtue. And for me, I'm like, I will always throw pain at the wall. I will always throw pain at the wall. There's an endless supply. We are the source. If it doesn't stick this time, it's okay. And it doesn't hurt me because I've never doubted myself.

[Keke Palmer]

Where do you think that confidence comes from? Because even when you're talking about how things can be outside of the music space, when I do am hearing you talk about music and your artistry. You seem so certain there. I mean, that must be an incredible feeling. Like, you know for sure. Like, I don't care. Whatever else I could be going through on the outside is. But my miss Music. I know me. What is that? How did you.

[Khalid]

It's above me. It comes from my blood, my mom. Oh, my God. Like, you talk about singing.

[Keke Palmer]

What?

[Khalid]

Yes, she be singing. And I grew up with that, and I was raised with that. And I saw her beauty and I saw her perform, and I know it's above me and it's in Me, my next album, I actually have her singing on my last track. No one's ever heard both of us together on a song.

[Keke Palmer]

Wow.

[Khalid]

I think.

[Keke Palmer]

And this is after the Sun Goes Down.

[Khalid]

After the Sun Goes Down. That's what gives me confidence, is knowing that I was raised with a mom that has such a beautiful voice, such a beautiful pen, and that it's real. And so I just trust in the source. And like I said, we're artists. Like, I don't think any project is a mistake. It came from inside of us. It was created. We cultivated it. We stayed in the studio endless amount of hours. What's a mistake about that?

[Keke Palmer]

It's intentional.

[Khalid]

It's intentional. Therefore, it's a lesson. And I love music. Like, I'm sorry whether you listen to me or whether you don't. It's just like, I will be singing for eternity, baby. Eternity. Eternity.

[Keke Palmer]

I'm in my grave, like, now. In 2024, your private life was forced into the spotlight. I mean, something that really, to me, is a crime. Something no one should ever have to experience and go through. What was the hardest part about it? Cause obviously, it's a breakup, and then it's the public thing. So, like, what gave you the strength to be like, look, it's me dealing.

[Khalid]

With the embarrassment of it all. Embarrassing.

[Keke Palmer]

I know what you mean.

[Khalid]

Embarrassing. And the thing is, it's like, once it happens, you can't turn back. You can't turn around. You can't just, like, sweep it under the rug and be like, all right, nobody saw that, you know, so you have to deal with it. That's all you can do. Life doesn't stop. And I'm for sure not going to stop mine. And it's crazy when people weaponize vulnerability, honesty.

[Keke Palmer]

But intimacy.

[Khalid]

Intimacy.

[Keke Palmer]

It's very hurtful.

[Khalid]

But when I know that what I put out is meant to be genuine, I can't be mad at myself for not having the knowledge. I can't be mad at myself for not having the tools. I can't be mad at myself that I might have stayed so long. I can't be mad at myself that I might have said, hey. I might have said, oh, you're cute, and, oh, wow. Do you want to, you know, go on a date to the park? Because it was honest and it was truthful. So when things are taken, and this is the most that I've talked about it, and I feel like it deserves, like, an honest perspective when things are taken away from you. For me, one thing that I will not allow is someone to weaponize my individuality against myself. So when people might expect me to go into hiding and be like, oh, my God, I don't want anybody to know I'm gay, y'. All, it's like, like, come on. Like, no, I'm gay. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I'm gay. Yeah.

[Keke Palmer]

I just never said it to you.

[Khalid]

I never said it to you, but.

[Keke Palmer]

I've been living my truth.

[Khalid]

My peers, my family. Yeah, my uncle is gay. You know, like, it's.

[Keke Palmer]

It's not taboo for your life.

[Khalid]

Yeah, it's not taboo. And so for me, the easiest thing to do, like, it's way harder to break down in tears and to stop everything and be like, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm going to go into hiding. I don't want to be exposed. Guys, don't look at me. It's harder to do that. And I. I think it's easier to be like, yeah, I did it. Yeah, I did that. And it happened. And I am him.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes.

And gonna be him.

[Khalid]

And I'm gonna be him, period.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes. Khali, I literally live for your literal calm. You said, I'm outed. And the world still continues to turn. Let's get this straight. Lmao. Come on.

[Khalid]

Pun intended.

[Keke Palmer]

You ate that. I'm a writer first.

[Khalid]

Okay. Yes.

[Keke Palmer]

I mean, you really. It really was very, like, pooh. And then, I mean, I'm curious for you, obviously, you were always living your truth, but did you ever think up until this moment that you were gonna say, talk about it publicly? Did you ever? Or was it a blessing in disguise that this happened and how it impacted your public Persona?

[Khalid]

I always, before it happened, always thought to myself, when. When would I. How would I. I think it's a little bit more. It's just a little bit more complicated than, hey, y', all, I'm gay. You know what I mean? Cause it's like that has to just be introduced. And I feel like I didn't want to put in the effort to showcase my sexuality as much as I wanted to put in the effort to making my music, crafting my music.

[Keke Palmer]

Because I do think sometimes people make things a headline or a mockery in the wrong ways, and it becomes like, well, I don't want to make it seem like I'm just. It's like how, you know, it's crazy how you don't know what to say, when to say, and it ends up seeming like you're not being truthful, but it kind of feels like not the form for it.

[Khalid]

Yes. Coloring my hair, right? Blue. And my hair's purple if you can't tell with the light. But coloring my hair blue, you know, you get a couple comments like, there go this gay ass dude over here dyeing his hair blue. Like, my hair was blue in 2018 and nobody batted an eye. So it really, it's the dialogue around sexuality to me, that really does restrict.

[Keke Palmer]

Because it reshapes the way everybody perceives what you're saying and. And doing.

[Khalid]

When you're so used to being talked about and you've seen the most horrible things about yourself already. You can't distinguish, like, is this, is this bad? Because they're intending for it to be bad. So maybe I just shouldn't speak about it, you know, maybe I just. I can drop nuggets here and there and it's kind of like a. If, you know, you know, but I don't have to dig too deep into it. And that works for me. It really worked for me. But what didn't work for me was the anxiety that I had. My anxiety when I wasn't out was extremely bad because I was almost anticipating being outed, Really. I was anticipating. It's fear. I was living in fear, baby.

[Keke Palmer]

This is Icy Palma. Yeah.

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What was the most fearful thing that made you? Because, you know, it's like, was it just not knowing how to deal with it? The unknown, not knowing when it's coming?

[Khalid]

You know, it's when you don't know what the impact feels like. Like when you don't know what it's like to be at the top of a mountain and you're on the floor, you're going to have some second guessing about, am I gonna climb my ass up to this mountain? It seems so large, overbearing, so, so sublime. It's almost like debilitating. But when I was outed and I was thrusted to the top of this mountain, fully exposed for everybody to see me, I was like, damn. Wait. Actually, it's not that bad up here.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah.

Because the worst is over.

[Khalid]

The worst is over.

[Keke Palmer]

Like, what I felt about it, the worst is over. But how would you say that experience is different than when you told your family or your friends, did you have a similar miniature version of being on the top of the mountain?

[Khalid]

I'm sure my mom knew I was gay. It's so cute how they just act and they just like, baby, if you like it, I love it. Okay. I'm like, girl, you knew. But, you know, talking to my mom.

[Keke Palmer]

Oh.

[Khalid]

I came out to my mom around, like, 2017, 2018, actually. I've been out to my family for a very long time, and my mom looked at me and she said, does he make you happy? I said, yes. She said, do you like him? You think he's cute? I said, yes. And she said, that's all I care about. That's all I care about. You can date who you want. You can just do you just be safe. Yep. So it was. It was hard, though. Oh, it was so hard to. I think it's so hard to tell people things about yourself that you keep to yourself. You're like, oh, it's so hard to be open. I came out to my friends. I was drunk on the tour bus, y'. All, I'm gay. It's okay, Khalid.

[Keke Palmer]

We know, baby. We love you.

[Khalid]

But I'm like, oop, clock my teeth, right?

[Keke Palmer]

Like, what y' all mean? We know.

[Khalid]

Come on.

[Keke Palmer]

That do be annoying when people like, I'm getting like, I already. The glass was. You know, the door was glass.

[Khalid]

It could have been given Metro.

[Keke Palmer]

Shut the hell up.

[Khalid]

It could have been given Metro.

[Keke Palmer]

And don't nobody want to hear that. Just be surprised.

[Khalid]

Act surprised. Fake it. Give me the gag.

[Keke Palmer]

I'm looking for.

[Khalid]

It's funny because I think that that was a lot of the rhetoric. Like, oh, the closet was glass. The closet was glass. The closet was glass. I'm like, if it's glass, then it's kind of. It's contradictory. Am I really hiding as much? If you. Hold on.

[Keke Palmer]

You know what I mean? Like.

[Khalid]

Cause what are you saying, really? And so you just let the dialogue be the dialogue. But I will say I was extremely embraced by a community, a new community. I see comments like, oh, I never was really checking for his music, but he's gay, so I'm supporting. Okay.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes. Pride.

[Khalid]

I'm like, come on over. Cause the music is really good now. It's undeniable now. So just come on. I know some people, we gotta be in the mood to be in our feelings. I get it. But this music is just electric. I feel like this music is a celebration of my queerness.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah. I mean, and even with the pronouns that you're using, you're saying he, him, handsome, things like that. How was that journey? How was it when you singing your other songs, you know, like, is it like, I'm gonna put that in there. Do you still let them live? Ambiguous in relationship?

[Khalid]

There is one song, Eastside, where maybe it's controversial. I really don't care. I'm sorry. Cause it's my truth. I don't think I can be on a stage and say, she used to meet me on the east side. It's just not giving that. So I say he. I've said he a couple of times. Sprinkled it in. He used to meet. Y' all heard that.

[Keke Palmer]

He used to. He used to.

[Khalid]

Oh, no reaction. All right, let's keep it going. I'm gonna sing it at the next one and the next one. But I'm dabbling, and I think it's something to explore just as much as I'm exploring. I mean, it's a new lane to explore a sexuality that you're out now. Everybody knows. So it's almost like I feel like years behind, but I'm enjoying myself on this journey. And so, yeah, I'm starting to say, you know, handsome. I'm starting to say masculine terms because it's real. And like I said, music is authentic. And even if I wasn't singing the pronouns before, I was really. Most of my experiences, yeah, I was really insecure about being open. I was really. That was real. I was really scared. I was really afraid. I was really like, how do I do this? I was really like, you know you see a pool, I'm like, I want to jump in, but how do I swim to the other side? And now that I have the tools and the knowledge, it's just so much easier. I don't feel like the producers are in the studio. Like, y', all, he said he. I feel like I'm saying he. And they're like, you better say he.

[Keke Palmer]

What would you say to other people? Because I think we live in a generation too, right now, where a lot of times they take what is queer or LGBTQ and make it very trendy. It's. This is mainstream. A lot of the culture, the words are the slang. You have people using the words. They don't even know where it came from. Ballroom and et cetera. But still, there is a lot of homophobia that constantly are also seeing. So we think we're so ahead, you know what I'm saying?

And that we.

Things have changed, but you still have the reality of what you have to deal with when you do come out or how that impacts your life. So I'm curious, and maybe you don't have the words or the answers, but, like, how do we help the young generation of young people that are coming up and owning their sexuality or their gender identity, and they're seeing people do it online and it seems possible, but in their surroundings and their everyday life, it just seems like it's so far away from them. They're looking up at that mountaintop like you were.

[Khalid]

To look at myself as an artist and to think about what my path will be for the future, to be able to cause. I feel so responsible now that I feel like everybody knows, right? I feel responsible, and I feel like with authenticity is ownership. I'm like, I have to own it. And I always think about the younger gays. I always think about the version of myself when I was 10 years old, getting picked on at the park, and, oh, you're so gay, and you're so this and you're so that. I think about that version of myself with my future moves on. How do I tell this story that to my fan base is new for me? And I think it's about going for the lanes that being queer is to be black and queer might not be as easily accepted, but I'm like, I'm just gonna go for it. I'm gonna do it. And I think it's about being fearlessly queer, regardless of whether counterparts or other artists, friends or people might feel it's not gonna stop what I'm gonna put in this art that might Potentially inspire the next pop star that just so happens to be gay, black. That just so happens to be them. When I started working on the treatments for my videos, I knew that that had to be the centerpiece of it all.

[Keke Palmer]

Yep.

[Khalid]

My queerness. Because it's a part of me that no one has explored. Because I'm currently exploring it as well.

[Keke Palmer]

Right.

It's true.

In your era, right now, I'm putting.

[Khalid]

That male lead in that video. Me and that male lead might get a little close and a little steamy and a little personal.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes.

[Khalid]

I'm holding my boundaries, though, y'.

[Keke Palmer]

All.

[Khalid]

Cause I'm not getting crazy. It ain't like I like that, though. It ain't like I'm gonna hop out the closet and then now I gotta bust down and like something else, you know? I mean, I'm not saying I'm going off.

[Keke Palmer]

I'm out, out, Link coming out.

[Khalid]

I won't do that tonight.

[Keke Palmer]

Got to let it shut, you know?

[Khalid]

I'm not saying that that's that. Cause that's not me, and I respect who that is. But it's about being honest. I'm being honest with my queer identity, and I'm not being afraid, and I'm being bold. And hopefully younger individuals see that and realize that it's okay and that they have a shot and they have a chance. Because I've been given a platform, and I know for a fact that I've been given the platform under the guise that I am ambiguous. Is he straight? Is he gay? And I know that might have helped me, and I know that might have propelled me. So I think it's about now. How do I continue to move forward, representing. How do I continue to show people this is who I am? I accept it. I'm about it. And I love R and B music. But I want to do that on a pop spear. I want to do that in the pop industry.

[Keke Palmer]

Because you deserve to. Because when we're hearing the pop things, it ain't nothing but R and B. But when it comes to our culture.

You know what I'm saying?

When it comes to our culture, it comes to us doing it, suddenly there's confusion.

[Khalid]

We are allowed. We're allowed to be black and pop. We're allowed to be black, gay, and pop.

[Keke Palmer]

Because what is pop? Popular music. Beyonce. Been pop my whole life. Now, obviously, there's R and B there. There's country, there's rock, but it's popular.

[Khalid]

You can label it pop, R and B. For you to understand it, whatever you gotta do. Cause y' all love whatever you gotta do. Exactly. But everything. I can be pop because I woke up today, looked in the mirror, and said, you know what? I'm gonna be a pop star. And that's what it takes. I'm gonna do it and been doing it.

[Keke Palmer]

That's the gag.

[Khalid]

I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it.

[Keke Palmer]

So let's talk about the fact that In Plain Sight, this new single coming on, this new album, after the Sun Goes down, is already charting globally.

[Khalid]

Aw, thank you.

[Keke Palmer]

How does that feel to see that kind of. I mean, again, you've done it. You always are good, but this is like, after five years of being away.

[Khalid]

I like In Plain Sight a lot. I think that In Plain Sight is a great introduction to 16 songs. And there's 16 songs in the album.

[Keke Palmer]

I'm so ready.

[Khalid]

He's shaking the table.

[Keke Palmer]

He's shaking what they say. He's taking it. He's taking it.

[Khalid]

So In Plain Sight is cute. It's a little, cute little vibe to show people, hey, look, this is where I'm at. This is the space. To me, it's the perfect first step. It's ironic in title, but I feel like when people hear my next moves, there will be no questioning. There will be no. I don't. I just believe it. I mean, you gotta believe in yourself. I believe it, and I feel it. And the music tells me this. I listen to it every day. It's like this right here. A hit boy. Okay, okay. So I'm gonna do what I gotta do to make it that. And I'm gonna bust my ass off.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah. And that's it, too. That is. It's a lot of work, touring and going and working your records. I mean, this feels very throwback to, like, TRL, like, 106th and Park. I mean, was that intentional living in leaning into that 2000s?

[Khalid]

It was. Because, like I said, I feel like this is, like. Some might deem it to be a reintroduction, but I feel like I get to make the music that I'm not afraid of making anymore. And I think that's about making the music that, in a way, I was inspired by when I was younger.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes.

[Khalid]

I can just remember rushing home and turning on a TV and just staring like, oh, my God. Beyonce's Sweet Dreams.

[Keke Palmer]

What?

[Khalid]

Metallic outfit? This is crazy. This has never been done well. And feeling impacted. And we hold these things inside of us, and we take them with us, and they grow like flowers inside of us. And so I'm so inspired by so many aspects of what it is to be a pop artist that I'm like, okay, now I can just go for it. Like, I can just do it. You're telling me, y' all ready? All right. Okay. And so that feels great. It feels great being like, I get to make the music that I listen to. That.

[Keke Palmer]

Yep.

[Khalid]

Like, I get to make the music. That might have been my guilty pleasure three years ago, but now it just brings me pleasure.

[Keke Palmer]

You called yourself, like, a one man band on this album. How did you, like. What did you mean by that in terms of, like, was it just the vocal performance, the way you were stacking your harmonies?

[Khalid]

Like, I love the choir. I love the choir. I love harmonies. I love structuring a song. I love doubles. I love making myself sound larger than I might be when I walk into the studio. And I believe that there are elements of this album that really do bring me back to the age of the boy band, of our NSYNCs, of our. Our time. And you might listen to this album and be like, is this Khalid? This does not sound like him. It's like, I. Ooh.

[Keke Palmer]

I love being transported, though.

[Khalid]

Yeah. I like to sound like multiple artists on one track. I like to be my own feature on a song. I like to go into the second verse, how I would approach a feature if I was hopping on someone else's song. I love expanding myself because I'm multi dimensional, and so I feel like I got so much artists in me, sometimes it's like four boys behind a mic. And so I'm ready for people to see it and to hear it because it's gonna connect and it's gonna take them there.

[Keke Palmer]

If sincere was your reset, what's the reintroduction? Which I use reintroduction loosely, but what do you want people to feel when they listen to after the sun goes down?

[Khalid]

I want them to feel alive. I want them to feel. I want them to feel like they have an album to get ready to, to then go out and hear that album again and then go home and listen to that album on their way home. I just want them to have music that moves them. Like, get your ass out the house. Like, that's the music that I want. Music for a community.

[Keke Palmer]

Yep.

[Khalid]

The bedroom pop, that was nice, and I loved it, and it was for me, and it helped me learn. But I'm ready to perform for the world. I'm ready to go out there. I'm ready to be in the front of my voice instead of behind my voice. So I want people to feel Alive. I want people to feel connected. I want people to feel inspired, and I want people to feel moved emotionally and physically.

[Keke Palmer]

Yes. I mean, GQ referred to this album as horny, and you agreed, saying, the freaks come out at night. So I feel like that title is perfect. It's like you was prepared for that. But after the sun goes out.

[Khalid]

After the sun goes. Cause, okay, some things can happen after the sun goes down. Literally, so prepared. And I. I feel like when people hear. Like I said, There's 16 songs. I don't feel like it'll take until they get to 16 to get it. I think they'll get it by track one, period.

[Keke Palmer]

I mean, songwriter Julia Michaels, she said that melodies just poured out of you in the studio, and she called it magical. She's an incredible songwriter as well. I mean, do you feel like that you're creating with more spontaneity now?

[Khalid]

Yes. Cause I. And this might scare people. Okay. I did write this album in around two to three months. That might put fear in people's heart. It is. So if you. Okay. Oh, he wrote an album. It took him five years to write sincere. It took him. I am moved by what I go through. And what I was going through was like the dam bursted, and it's just the creativity is flowing out of me. And so am I gonna step in front of that and be like, no. Mm, mm. Stop. It's too soon. I'm gonna chase that. I'm gonna ride the wave. I'm gonna get it out of my system. And to me, it's crazy. Cause, like, I. I personally. Okay, personally, we all say this, right? We make a project. Oh, that's my best work. I feel like in terms of the knowledge that I have, the vulnerability, the openness, the maturity of my vocals, this album is so reminiscent to the energy that American Teen gave me when I first made that album. And so I feel really connected to that. And if I say it, I'm like, it kind of has to be true. Like, I mean, these some big shoes to fill, but.

[Keke Palmer]

But it's you. So you can fill them.

[Khalid]

And I'm ready.

[Keke Palmer]

Ok. Ok. If the.

[Khalid]

Put them on. Put them on. I'm ready to wear them. Let's do it.

[Keke Palmer]

Well, I'm very excited about after the Sun Goes Down. I'm so mad that I have to leave with you soon. But I just want to mention the foundation that you started in El Paso with the Boys and Girls Club. What inspired this project and what is it like, really building a legacy in this way?

[Khalid]

What Inspires this project is because before I knew that I was going to be an artist, I really wanted to be. I really wanted to be an educator.

[Keke Palmer]

Wow.

[Khalid]

I really wanted to be a teacher.

[Keke Palmer]

Yeah.

[Khalid]

Or I really wanted to be a music teacher. I knew that I felt called to help the youth. I do it in different ways now, but it still feels as impactful to me. And El Paso is a city I can never forget. El Paso adopted me as their own child and propped me up and was like, look, this is our boy. And so when I come to El Paso, every time I come back, I'm graced with smiles and hugs and stories. I have to give back to that city. I'm doing multiple things that I love together and my mom is a part of it as well. And she's a superhero because she handles so much and she really busts her ass for me and she does what she has to do to represent my heart. So I love it. I love giving back to the community. I love visiting the kids. I love inspiring the kids and talking to them about music. Because music is sacred. We gotta protect it. We have to protect it. No matter if the community is underserved, we have to protect the integrity of music because it's all of our crutch. It is all of our crutch. And so I just feel really moved by that. I wasn't able to be a teacher and now I get to do it in different ways.

[Keke Palmer]

I love that. I appreciate you. I respect everything that you're doing. And just most importantly, regardless of whatever labels people put on it or that you embrace, living authentically is not easy. And that's what we need, you know, that's what we need. That's what feels good. That's what's gonna bring us to the people that we love and that we want in our lives and for us to be the best creative. So I really love that. And obviously you're friends, so I'm happy that you came on the show. Boo girl, I live for you down.

I really appreciate Khalid for coming on.

And being so vulnerable and just joyful with us today.

From soundcloud to sincere from 5 year.

Hiatus to after the Sun Goes down.

His story and growth about healing and fearlessness has been truly inspiring.

He's given us music to vibe to, but he's also giving us courage to live through. Y' all make sure y' all stream the new single in plain sight and get ready for after the Sun Goes down from Khalid and baby, this is kinky Paul. Baby, this is. This is Kiki. Baby, this is Kiki Palmer. Yeah.

Baby, this is Keke Palmer. Is hosted and executive produced by me, Keke Palmer. Lucas Siegel is our post producer. Our producers are Lauren Hampton and Molly nestor. Hilary Esty McLaughlin is our executive producer. Production services provided by Evolution Media Our original theme song was Rick, written and performed by me, Keke Palmer for team Keke. My producer is Sharon Palmer for Wondery. Our managing producer is Olivia Fonti. Senior managing producer is Nick Ryan. And our executive producers are Emily Feldbrake, Erin o' Flaherty, and Marshall Louie.

[Carrie]

Okay, Carrie, you ready? Quick, quick, quick. List three gifts you'd never give.

A cowboy, lacy bobby socks, a diamond bracelet. Um, and a gift certificate to Sephora.

[Khalid]

Oh, my God.

[Carrie]

That's outrageous.

[Keke Palmer]

Carrie.

Oh, wait.

[Carrie]

We're recording a commercial right now. We gotta tell them why we're doing this.

Oh, yeah, Sorry, POD listeners. Okay, so we're five besties who've been friends for 5 million years. And we love games, so of course, we made our own.

It's called quick, quick, quick. You just pick a card and have your partner give three answers to an outrageous question. It's fast, fun, fantastic, and a bunch of other funny adjectives.

Anyone can play Your mom, your dad, your kitten, your kids, your auntie Edna, and even your butcher.

And you know what's incredible? There are no wrong answers. Just open your brain and say what's in it. Just quickly.

And you're not gonna believe this. Well, you might. Once you start playing. It's as much fun to watch as it is to play. Seriously.

So get up and go. Grab your copy now at Target and Amazon. Quick, quick, quick.

It's the fastest way to have fun.