Khalid stated being outed on-line pushed him to create his most sincere album but and helped him reclaim the narrative he misplaced within the public glare.

Khalid channeled the ache of being outed on-line into the center of his upcoming album After the Sun Goes Down, revealing that the deeply private expertise reshaped his inventive course of and compelled him into the general public eye earlier than he was prepared.

The 27-year-old singer was publicly outed as homosexual by an ex on X, previously referred to as Twitter, in 2023. Though he had already come out privately to shut family and friends, the general public publicity left him feeling robbed of his autonomy.

“I was caught off guard. I think what’s so nasty about it all is that my own story got stripped away from me,” Khalid instructed People in a brand new interview.

Despite the emotional toll, Khalid stated the expertise cracked open a brand new degree of honesty in his music. “This album wouldn’t have come to be if I wasn’t outed,” he stated, referring to After the Sun Goes Down, which is ready to drop October 10.

Known for hits like “Young Dumb & Broke,” Khalid admitted he as soon as held again in his songwriting, making an attempt to strike a steadiness between vulnerability and self-protection.

“I wanted to give enough of myself where I felt like I wasn’t completely hiding, but I didn’t want to give too much where I felt exposed,” he stated. “As an artist, sometimes you do find the pressure to create yourself to be accepted by all sides.”

Now, Khalid says he’s embracing his fact with out hesitation. “I decided I’m just going to choose to love who I am unconditionally because it’s all I got on this earth.”

Looking forward, he described After the Sun Goes Down as a tribute to the pop icons who formed his id and impressed his desires.

“Singing a melody of a Britney (Spears) song or watching a Rihanna video really charged my freedom of expression as a child,” he stated. “I’ve always dreamt of being this pop star. I really tapped into that little boy and gave him his shine that he always wanted.”

Khalid’s new album After the Sun Goes Down will probably be launched October 10.

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