Khalid is back with a new album, which he describes as a parallel to his debut “American Teen,” his most famous release. “after the sun goes down” was released on Friday, Oct. 10, and is his first album as an openly gay man. This review will include a brief overview of each song and which ones I think will be most successful.
The album opens with “Medicine,” a catchy and upbeat song. With Khalid’s amazing vocals presented, this song is great to listen to when you want to get yourself into a better mood. It’s a track I can see becoming popular with fans.
“in plain sight” offers a similar vibe, as it’s also very upbeat. It is a shorter song and a bit fast, almost as if it’s sped up. The ending is very interesting, but it feels somewhat disconnected from the rest of the song and transitions a little awkwardly.
Continuing with “nah,” this one is another that I can see fans really enjoying. I really liked the electric guitar at the end and would love it if it were used more in the song, as it adds some variety. All of these songs so far have focused on a love interest.
With track four, “impulsive,” and track seven, “tank top,” I was a little more disappointed. Nothing interesting really stood out to me with these. I would’ve preferred to see him take more risks with some songs.
My favorite track is “out of body,” especially because of its standout intro, sampling “Outrageous” by Britney Spears and using more unique compositions. This one is for early 2000s pop music fans. I could see this one making it on the radio and being played regularly; it’s catchy, and I loved its musical elements.
“whenever you’re gone” is another song that deserves radio airtime. I found it more interesting and an enjoyable switch-up from the other songs on the album. I especially thought that the vocals in the second verse were a pleasant addition as it offered something new to the song and showcased Khalid’s talent even further.
Moving on to “please don’t call (333),” this is one more very fast-paced song. Khalid has outstanding vocals, and I wish they were used more, which is not as easy in fast-paced songs. “dumbstruck,” on the other hand, showcases them very well. I can imagine people listening to this song while getting ready to go out somewhere.
“rendezvous” is one song that had a lot of potential. The pre-chorus was good, and I wish it had carried that feeling throughout the song. It’s still a good song, but it wasn’t one of the top tracks of the album for me.
As I mentioned before, Khalid compared this album to “American Teen,” and I can really see those similarities in the song “true.” It gives off the vibe of older Khalid songs that fans of the “American Teen” album would enjoy. It’s still upbeat, but not as fast-paced as so many of the other songs on “after the sun goes down.”
The following two tracks, “instant” and “momentary lovers,” are the album’s more forgettable songs. At this point, I was looking for something new to stand out, whether it was the lyrics, the vocals or the beat, but nothing did.
“yes no maybe” flows nicely and is another one that uses more vocal variety. This is another one I see many fans enjoying, but it doesn’t quite reach the level of success of other songs on the album.
“angel boy” is very simple but carries a lot of meaning. This is the first track on the album where Khalid uses male pronouns to describe a love interest. Given that he has been openly gay for less than a year, this song is more personal.
“hurt people” is the longest song on the album and is my second-favorite. It’s a slower song, which made it stand out more to me. I felt like the lyrics were more meaningful and personal, especially in places such as, “And like a wilted flower that loses life / I crawl into my shadow and then I hide.”
The album concludes with “nobody (make me feel),” which I found to be a strong and memorable ending to “after the sun goes down.” A lot of parts of the song reminded me of a song that would play in the club, which was also a nice change from the rest of the album.
Khalid proved to be in his prime with this album, where his musical inspiration seemed at its peak. Some songs are too similar, which brings down my final rating. However, coming up with a 17-song album is already difficult as it is, and fans will not be disappointed.
Rating: 3/5