1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio Live is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 2: Welcome to Khalid in Iheartland. Can't we just toss? 3 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: Here's your host, Gabby ds. Hey everyone, We're here in 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: Iheartland at State Farm Park in Fortnite, where music and 5 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: gaming collide and who will be joining me for this 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: exclusive interview. He's been nominated for Grammys, won Billboard Music Awards, 7 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: America Music Awards, and two iHeartRadio Music Awards, among others. 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: His latest album is Sincere. Let's welcome Khalid. 9 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 2: What's up everybody? 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: How are you? 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 2: I'm good, I'm good. 12 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: How's life nice? Okay? So tell us about the making 13 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: of Sincere. You've said a lot about your life experiences 14 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: went into the making of this album, so how did 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: they help? 16 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 2: It was really personal for me. That's why it took 17 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 2: me so long to finish it. It took me five 18 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: years to finish that album. I just wanted to make 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 2: sure that the album was exactly that. Even before I 20 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 2: conceptualized the name Sincere, I just knew that I had 21 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 2: to put my heart into it and it had to 22 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 2: be intentional for sure, because I love making music, but 23 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,600 Speaker 2: I also love when music makes you feel things. So 24 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 2: when it comes down to anything that I do, you know, 25 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 2: I always want to make sure that the listeners feel me, 26 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 2: they empathize with me, and they connect with me. And 27 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 2: so for me to be able to do that, I 28 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 2: had to live my own stories right and make my 29 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 2: own experiences. I like that. 30 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: What part did your fans play in the making of Sincere? 31 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: Oh my God? I mean just the conversations that I 32 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: have with my fans about how much my music actually 33 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 2: means to them blows me away every time that I 34 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: hear it. I think the journey that it took everybody 35 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: to even be here this moment is the reason why 36 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: I do what I do. The fact that, you know, 37 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: everybody gets up and comes to see me, and they 38 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 2: come to listen to me, and they come to connect 39 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: with me. And I have these conversations with my fans 40 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 2: and my listeners and they tell me what they want 41 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: to hear from me, and they told me to express 42 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 2: myself and they show me gratitude for it. So I definitely, 43 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: when it comes down to any song I do, I'll 44 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 2: always give it up to the fans first and foremost. 45 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: For shit, I love it. So you said that it 46 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,679 Speaker 1: was kind of difficult coming up with the album name Sincere. 47 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: So how did a name for it? How did you 48 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:36,640 Speaker 1: land on Sincere? 49 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 2: It took me until I want to say the last 50 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:43,960 Speaker 2: It was like three months before the album came out 51 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,839 Speaker 2: where I was like, Okay, I got it, figured it out. 52 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: I was just going through my own internal battles of 53 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: what I wanted to name this project. The first name 54 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 2: was please Don't fall in Love with Me, but then 55 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 2: I was like, wait, no, that's not true. 56 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: You know You're like, no, fall in love with me? 57 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 2: Come on, don't know about that title? Right? And to me, 58 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 2: Sincere is just everything that I want to be. It's 59 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 2: everything that I aspire to be. And it was a 60 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 2: song that I really connected with when I wrote it, 61 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 2: And I can remember going on a trip and I 62 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 2: was walking outside the wind hits me. I'm like boom, 63 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,079 Speaker 2: like I know exactly what this has to be. 64 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: Oh man, why do you think twenty twenty four was 65 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: the perfect year for Sincere? 66 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: Twenty twenty four was the perfect year for Sincere because 67 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: I feel like the anxiety that I was going through 68 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: creating the project, the moment that it was finished, it's 69 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 2: like it left my body and it inspired me to 70 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 2: be even more creative. It's like I wrote Sincere, and 71 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 2: then when I stopped writing Sincere, I couldn't stop writing. 72 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 2: So there's so many more. There's so much more music. 73 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 2: There's yeah, there's so much more to come. It's like 74 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 2: it's like a water foster right now won't turn off. 75 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 2: I just kept writing. 76 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: That's a sure, But that's I feel like when you 77 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: know the juices are flowing right, like what, it's just 78 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: you can't stop. 79 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 2: I can't. I mean, it's what I do and it's 80 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: my passion. And right now I'm just in such an 81 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: inspirational place. And I feel like it's because I worked 82 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 2: so hard on the album so to see a positive reception, right, Okay, 83 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 2: now it's just time to have fun. For sure. People 84 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 2: love it. 85 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: Tell us about how you were touched by an angel and. 86 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 2: How that health is here. It's crazy. I went to 87 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: South Africa and it had an amazing time. It was 88 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: a beautiful show, and while I was leaving the airport, 89 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 2: this random man came up to me. He grabs my hand, 90 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,599 Speaker 2: he shakes me, and he's just like, Yeah, twenty twenty 91 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 2: four is going to be one of the biggest years 92 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 2: of your life. It's going to be Wow, it was 93 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: so random, Like I'm. 94 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: Just what energy did you feel like kind of going 95 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: through your body? 96 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 2: Because I feel like he shook my hand. It was 97 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 2: like just like looking at one really but he wasn't lying. 98 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,320 Speaker 2: You know this this year has been so incredible for 99 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,040 Speaker 2: me because it's like I'm returning with so much love, 100 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 2: so much love, and and I give everybody so much gratitude. 101 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 2: It's just it's what I love to do. And taking 102 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 2: some time away and coming back and still being met 103 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 2: with love and reception for my basis, it's incredible. 104 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: No, for sure, did you take things back to basics 105 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: a bit with this album? Like as far as your writing. 106 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 2: Goes, Yeah, I definitely did. I feel like with this 107 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: album it's like I fell in love with music all 108 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,679 Speaker 2: over again. Before I made this album, I didn't write 109 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: music for a whole year. Wow, I didn't have anything 110 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 2: to write about. Did you just not feel it's not 111 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 2: the coolest thing to talk about, like being on travel 112 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 2: buses and hopping on playing it's just. 113 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: Like being on the move and stuff. 114 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 2: There's only so much that you can empathize with about 115 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 2: that when other people having shared those experiences as well. 116 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 2: So when it comes down to my music. I love 117 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 2: to talk about my emotions because it's universal, right. You 118 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: don't have to get on a plane to feel, you 119 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 2: know what I mean. You don't have to get on 120 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: a bus to feel. You don't have to write a 121 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 2: car to feel. So I think that's the first and 122 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: foremost when it comes down to vulnerability and relatability. I 123 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 2: just try to keep that at the forefront of everything 124 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 2: that I do, and that comes with revealing myself and 125 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 2: sharing my truth. 126 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: And when you got back to writing after that year, 127 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: you like being in a dark room? Is that the 128 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 1: vibe that you. 129 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 2: Go off of. I love recording in dimly lit rooms 130 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 2: because I'm just so dramatic and just like and the 131 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 2: like I feel this song, y'all, just wait one second, 132 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: it'll come to me. So I just love being at peace, 133 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 2: and the studio is like my own little cocoons. So sometimes, 134 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 2: you know, sitting in the dark, to me, it doesn't 135 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:00,640 Speaker 2: mean me afraid. 136 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:01,799 Speaker 1: It's your safe space. 137 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, it comforts me. 138 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: What would you say, said Sincere? Aside from your earlier. 139 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 2: Work, Sincere is a much more mature version of me 140 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 2: Comparably to my earlier work. My earlier work was more innocent. 141 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 2: I had my whole entire life to write my first album, 142 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 2: so all of those experiences are raw, real, genuine, authentic, 143 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 2: And my other other albums are are real, too, But 144 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 2: this one's like I took so much time off that 145 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 2: I grew through the process of creating the album so 146 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 2: much that half of the album came in three Wow. 147 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 2: So it's like half the album wasn't even conceptualized before, 148 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: like one year before the album came out. 149 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: So wow, your process, man, I like it. You have 150 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 1: an Alicia Key sample on the album. How's your her 151 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: relationship with her? And how's that so special to you? 152 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,280 Speaker 2: So Alicia and I worked on a project called a 153 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 2: Scenic Drive, and she is amazing. I look to her 154 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 2: as a friend and a mentor because she's the one 155 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 2: who told me this amazing thing. She's like, when you create, 156 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 2: you pull from the ether. She's like, every song exists, 157 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 2: it's just for you to find it. And the moment 158 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 2: that she told me that, it completely changed the way 159 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 2: that I write music. I'm so much more impulsive as 160 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 2: a creator now. Wow. I just don't second guess myself. 161 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 2: I just try to be confident. 162 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: That's some good advice. 163 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, it really is. 164 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 1: She's a great Hey. We're hanging out with Khalid and 165 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: Iheartland at State Farm Park in Fortnite. His latest album 166 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: is Sincere. I'm your host, Gaby Diaz. Use the hashtag 167 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: I Heart Khalid. Okay, so you're a very passionate person. 168 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: I know this. How do you channel that passion into 169 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: your music? And where would you say that comes from? 170 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 2: It's natural when I say I've been singing all of 171 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 2: my life. I've been singing all of my life. Music 172 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 2: is my way to heal, it's my way to cope. 173 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: I've sang through my tears, even even all the recording process. 174 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: No, oh, okay, I was gonna say. 175 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 2: I was like, dang, I gotta keep a professional. 176 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: Okay, I'm glad. 177 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:17,840 Speaker 2: But you know when you're alone in your room and 178 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 2: you're just singing, and you're just like, you know. I 179 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 2: have many moments where I'll sit with my music, and 180 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 2: sometimes I'll even look back years later and I'm like, wow, 181 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 2: I was feeling that. It's crazy, right, especially when I 182 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 2: think of one song, Silence. Silence is actually a really 183 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 2: sad song. I didn't even know that it was as 184 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 2: sad as it was until I look back at it 185 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 2: years later and I was reading the lyrics and I'm 186 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 2: just like, this is this is me, this is deep. 187 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,559 Speaker 1: Y'all. Does that kind of trip you out? 188 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 2: Like dang? 189 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: I was in that space at one point. 190 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 2: Like, Yo, it's crazy. I mean it's also crazy because 191 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 2: a lot of the time I'll put out a song 192 00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 2: and I'll never listen to it again. Wow, I just 193 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 2: never listened to it again. The message is said. 194 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: I said what I said. 195 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 2: That's it exactly. I don't want to dwell on it 196 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 2: too much. 197 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: Okay, So I want to know. Tell us about the 198 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: first time you heard your song on the radio. 199 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 2: It was location and we all. 200 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:23,479 Speaker 1: Know the words to location in here I think it. 201 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 2: It was location and it was unbelievable. Picture hearing your 202 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 2: voice randomly play in your car and you're just like, 203 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:36,199 Speaker 2: what is going on? And I was with a friends, 204 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 2: so I wasn't alone, so it was an incredible feeling. 205 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 2: It was awesome. I was in Texas too, which is 206 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 2: like a full circle moment for me. It was anytime 207 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 2: I hear myself on the radio, I'm like, it's amazing. 208 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: Well the album isn't there available wherever you get your music? 209 00:10:57,760 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 2: Khalid? 210 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: Thank you and all the best. I'm Gaviy Diaz. This 211 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 1: is kaleid in Iheartland at State Farm Park in Fortnite. 212 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: Once again, give it up for Khalid. 213 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:15,679 Speaker 2: Thank y'all, Thank y'all. iHeartRadio Live is a production of iHeartRadio. 214 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,079 Speaker 2: Was produced, edited, and mixed by Jordan Runtalk. If you 215 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 2: liked what you heard, please subscribe and leave us a review. 216 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,439 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, listen to the iHeartRadio app, 217 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows.