Khalid’s “American Teen” Proves Relatable

Khalid’s newest album “American Teen” dropped on March 3

Abby Lohr, Editor-in-Chief

Spring has sprung and so have the hits for multiple new artists, one of whom is hitting the alternative pop scene with quite the bang. Khalid released his first hit single last year titled “Location”, and since then has been extremely successful dropping hits that grab listeners. “Ever since “Location”, I’ve been on the lookout for all of Khalid’s new music,” senior Joie Funk said.

On March 28, he released his first album called ‘American Teen’, rightfully titled as it captures the emotions and feelings of angsty teenagers through a variety of songs. Khalid’s songs have a chill vibe to them while still eliciting his soulful alternative voice.

Young Dumb & Broke” describes the album very well and the audience he’s appealing to, “young, dumb, and broke high school kids.” “Let’s Go” has such an upbeat and catchy beat to it that screams car rides with the windows down. In addition, “Coaster” may be one of my favorite songs on the album as the instrumentals of the song make you feel like you’re actually coasting; it’s one of those songs that you can have on repeat without even realizing it.

“I think it’s an awesome album. There is a lot of great variety and I love how he can go from smooth to intense really easily. He’s just a great song writer,” senior Olivia Nichols said.

Of course, Khalid has to throw in a few love songs to make the album even more relatable to teenagers, but I’m not complaining. “Shot Down” is a sad love song that’s very catchy and enjoyable both with Khalid’s voice and the background music. “Angels” is another one that is mostly piano instrumentals featuring Khalid’s captivating range in his voice.

“I highly recommend Khalid,” senior Rosy Ix said.

Overall, the variability, attractiveness, and fascinating mix of songs makes this album a good metaphor for that of an American teen’s life.