Khalid has been on Apple Music’s radar for the past couple of years, so it was only right for him to be a part of its Up Next Live Tour. The streaming company’s seven-city tour featured a different artist in each location, including Jessie Reyez and Daniel Caesar. The Grammy-nominated artist closed out the tour on Saturday night in Washington, D.C.
The show was held outside of the historic Carnegie Library in Mount Vernon Square, which was transformed into an Apple store earlier this year. Doors opened around 7:45 p.m. A diverse group of fans entered the area — some faster than others to get to a good view of the stage. At approximately 8:45 p.m. Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B, made his way on stage to welcome the audience.
“You guys got good energy tonight,” he told the crowd, before continuing his introductory remarks. Moments later, the El Paso native made his entrance through the library’s double doors and greeted his fans with waves.
The 21-year-old kicked off his hour-long set with “8teen” from his debut album American Teen. He jumped right into “Hundred” off his latest album Free Spirit. Before performing “Saved,” he told his fans how special the song is to him. The raw track was the first song he ever finished writing.
He went on to perform a good mix of deep cuts and hits from his two albums including “Right Back,” “Better,” “Location,” “Coasted,” “Young Dumb & Broke,” “East Side,” “Talk” and his duet with Normani “Love Lies.” He closed his set with his Ty Dolla $ign and 6LACK-assisted groove “OTW,” which was a promotional track released last year.
Overall, Khalid’s set was an enjoyable experience. Although he’s only on his second album, he was able to “take us back” with his nostalgic vibes. What’s even more special is he kept a smile on his face all night — even when performing his darker material. It was a clear sign that he was having fun at the moment with people who support his craft.
If you couldn’t catch Khalid’s show, don’t worry there Apple Music plans to release live EP version for fans to enjoy.
In other news, Khalid will host a benefit concert for the victims of the El Paso mass shooting on September 1. He will kick off the European leg of his Free Spirit World Tour on September 8 in Berlin, before visiting Oceania in late November.
