In the seven years since his last Australian tour, US R&B superstar Khalid has been nominated for two Grammys, released two studio albums, surpassed 50 billion global streams, and featured on the official Barbie movie soundtrack.
But the most profound inflection point in his career during that time was one entirely out of his control.
The 28-year-old — who burst onto the scene a decade ago with hits Location and Young Dumb & Broke — will bring his It’s Always Summer Somewhere world tour to Australia in late spring, closing out a four-stop tour at Perth’s RAC Arena on November 18.
By his own admission, Aussie fans will be exposed to more of Khalid’s personality and authentic self than he’s ever shared with them.
But that wasn’t always the plan.
In 2024, the Texas-raised artist was outed on social media by a former partner, with leaked pictures of them together pointing to a same-sex relationship and triggering Khalid’s decision to publicly identify as gay shortly afterwards.
He opens up to PLAY over Zoom, explaining how that moment changed the course of his life to the extent he doesn’t even recognise his former self.
“Regardless of the circumstances that I was outed on, that part of me feels so distant because that part of me feels like it was never really me,” he says.
“I think that part of me felt like the version that I wanted to give the world to protect myself, because clearly someone wanted to use it for harm.
“So I was right in my level of privacy, but I’m also right now — I’m right by embracing it, not hiding, having fun, writing songs that I would have never been able to have imagined that I’d write, connecting to music in ways that I dreamt of.”
At the time, Khalid said he hadn’t intentionally been hiding that part of his identity.
But in reality, those events led to a heightened level of artistic expression and honesty that’s connected more deeply with much of his core fan base.
Such as the music video of Khalid’s recent track Out Of Body, from 2025 album After The Sun Goes Down, which depicts the singer dancing alongside male back-up dancers in a club.
It translates to his real-world persona too, as the artist admits when he goes out dancing: “I’m just able to feel free and float and spin like a fairy if I want, without a care in the world”.
The versatile star has enjoyed forays into hip-hop and EDM in recent years in addition to his pop and R & B exploits.
But many might best recognise Khalid as the male voice complementing Billie Eilish in the 2018 mega-hit Lovely, which has over 3.7 billion streams on Spotify, or Eastside opposite Halsey, eclipsing two billion.
And while most other artists could only dream of those numbers and collaborations, Khalid views his arguably lesser-known track Silver Platter, which featured on the 2023 Barbie movie soundtrack, as perhaps his most proud.
His response to being approached for the culturally transcendent project was a very hasty “sign me up”.
“My favourite part about making music is when my music has the ability to be on soundtracks on movies or on TV shows, ‘cause that’s forever,” Khalid says.
“When they announced the Barbie soundtrack, that was like a viral moment. You’re seeing artists where you’re like, all of these artists are on one album. So then I raised my hand, I’m like, ‘me too’.”
Among high profile company on the soundtrack are genre-definers Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, Charli xcx, Sam Smith, and Perth’s Tame Impala — all Grammy winners.
While Khalid is yet to claim such an honour from seven nominations himself, the songwriter suggests he doesn’t have a “fixation on chasing awards” like he may have in the past.
“I’ve won an immense amount of awards and I’m so grateful for what I’ve done. But I feel like now I don’t create with that in my mind,” he says.
“I know some people do and it drives them, but I feel like for me, I create with a sense of compassion where I’m like, ‘how can I connect with others?’
“I think that when you have a career that’s 10 years, that’s a gift.”
Once famously identifying as “young, dumb and broke” at the age of 17, a decade on he insists, “I’m still figuring myself as I go and I’m still young”.
Khalid will return to Australia with support from fellow American Lauv, who he appears all but certain to share the stage with after the pair released single Tied Up earlier this month.
Their venture Down Under will be Khalid’s first since performing a two-night premiere of his third studio album Sincere in 2024 at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall — a “bucket list” item he was grateful to tick off.
Despite an eagerness to spread his love across the entire country, including Khalid’s long-awaited return to WA, there’s a sentimental tie to Australia few would recognise.
It’s one that’s led the singer to promise “nostalgia” for his Aussie fans, as well as friends who have waited years to see him again.
“Selfishly, I love going out there because I have a childhood best friend who lives out there as well,” Khalid spills.
“‘We were in high school, lots of late nights. Maybe some of the nights inspired some of the songs in American Teen, I’ll tell you that.”
Khalid will perform at RAC Arena on November 18.
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