Until Sunday night, it had been two years since Khalid played in Dallas. Not long into his almost two-hour set at the American Airlines Center on July 14, the young crooner reveled in the fact that his last stop in Dallas was at a venue less than half the size of AAC.
The Texas transplant - Khalid graduated high school in El Paso - has had a hell of a trajectory over the past three years, and the sheer size of Sunday's audience confirmed his skyrocketing popularity.
The screams began as soon as he stepped onto the massive stage, built like a life-sized softbox covering the floor, backdrop and ceiling. Khalid's rich, low tones and mellow stride in opening track, "Free Spirit," matched his serene demeanor despite the fact he was completely alone onstage.
With his non-traditional R&B sound, indie style and scaling, patchy vocal riffs, Khalid has stood alone in the male pop star category since his 2016 breakthrough debut, "Location." His deep notes - which at times came out as mumbles - and swirling stair-stepping climbs stand out among the boy-next-door phenoms, and has consistently kept him at the top of the charts over the last three years.
Soon he was joined by backup dancers for "8TEEN", with choreography that tended to be more of a distraction than anything else. "I'm 18 and I still live with my parents" was more than just "8TEEN"'s hook, it was the mantra of the evening. The overflowing pit couldn't get enough of the 21-year-old, singing along to even the deepest of cuts like "Coaster" and "Bad Luck."
Every now and then, he would dance across the stage with a sheepish grin like a kid performing in his living room. The juxtaposition of his caramel-rich, mature voice and the bright graphics and exuberant dancers was unexpected but made for an unpredictable evening.
At times Khalid's soft notes were buried underneath the music, making it hard to understand him. His vocals practically disappeared in a slower hit, "Better," but excelled in the bluesy, stripped-down track "Bluffin'." Even during the slowest of numbers, his almost-2-hour set felt like a Saturday night without a curfew. The excitable crowd was here for it all, especially when he kicked off his hit-heavy closer.
Khalid quickly transitioned from the light chart-topper, "Talk" to the anthemic hit "Young Dumb & Broke," riddled with his signature, flickering riffs. If his solo material wasn't enough, Khalid sampled a few of his biggest collaborations, including "Silence" by Marshmello, Benny Blanco's "Eastside," featuring himself and Halsey, and "Love Lies" with Normani. Even though his voice, with its' swirling notes and uniquely spotty delivery, stands alone in today's massive pop arena, his steadfast popularity and star-studded collaborations have solidified his spot on the charts and won over the hearts of many Texans.
