At age 19, Khalid Robinson, better known simply as Khalid, released his first album earlier this year titled American Teen, marking an evolution of R&B that combines ’80s synths, pop, and future-soul. His raspy voice is heartfelt and aligns with his talk of living with parents and feeling millennial romance. Writing his debut album during his senior year of high school, Khalid has been called a pop prodigy by Rolling Stone and has received support from musical legends such as Elton John and Harry Styles. Khalid accredits his mother, Linda Wolfe, who was a singer for the U.S. Army Chorus, as his biggest influence. Due to Wolfe’s job, Khalid and his family moved around the country every few years, which became a big motivation for American Teen. Khalid feels most connected to El Paso, Texas where he spent his final two high school years developing lifelong friendships and becoming a part of the community.

“Location” is the most popular song on American Teen and has over 356,000,000 plays on Spotify to date. This track is fun to listen on a road trip or with friends who know the lyrics. Currently the 30th most popular song on iTunes, “Young Dumb & Broke” is catching the attention of many teens who relate to the struggles of navigating teenage years and making mistakes. I think this song, however, is overplayed and is not the strongest representation of Khalid’s work. My favorite song on the album is “8TEEN” because of the subtle electronic beats of the melody paired with the vulnerability of Khalid’s voice. Furthermore, the calming tones of the song “Saved” puts it close to the top of my list for best songs on American Teen.

With Khalid’s heightened popularity, several well-known artists such as Calvin Harris and Lorde have reached out for his feature on their songs. “Our rules, our dreams, we’re blind” is a powerful line of Khalid’s feature on Lorde’s song, “Homemade Dynamite.” His sincerity about being young and embracing the unknown aspects of the future is compelling.

If you are a fan of R&B, soul, or pop and haven’t already heard Khalid’s music, I highly recommend you check it out. American Teen is quite unlike any other album and marks a transformation in current music.