Khalid’s show at the O2 was given the Ed factor when the Ginger One joined him on stage for their chart-topping collaboration Beautiful People.
Ed Sheeran is, in fact, one of the few people on the planet whose music has been streamed more times than Khalid’s. On Spotify and social media, Khalid Robinson is an absolute megastar. So while his debut, 2017’s American Teen, failed to trouble the UK top 40, his follow-up, 2019’s Free Spirit, still arrived accompanied by more buzz than a beehive.
The sound on both could be described as R’n’Bemo: sensitive, introspective songwriting underpinned by a groove. It’s a sound obviously resonating with London’s teenagers, who packed out the O2 and turned large parts of this 90-minute set into a giant sing-along.
Despite this there were times when the 21-year-old American felt out of his depth in such cavernous surroundings. A limited light show didn’t help, nor a band in the wings. The biggest problem, though, was a set list lacking a change of pace. Dotted around a Spotify playlist, songs such as Twenty One, Hundred and Saved would provide pleasant background grooves. At the O2, one after the other, they were dreary.
Most of the highlights came from American Teen, when his lyrics painted a refreshingly unvarnished picture of life at home with mum and dad. “Damn, my car still smells like marijuana/My mom is gonna kill me,” he sang over 8Teen’s sprightly groove. Young, Dumb & Broke followed a similar theme, on the cash-strapped existence of America’s high school kids”.
If Khalid can re-capture some of that magic, he could one day deliver a truly spectacular live show. Last night, he scraped by with a little help from his friend.
The London gigs you absolutely have to see in 2019
