#Repost BET.com: Khalid’s ‘American Teen’ Proves Youth Isn’t Wasted on the Young

Originally published here on BET.com.

There is a beauty in that predestined moment when a song comes on the radio that feels like it was written for you and your friends, and you all begin singing the words together in unison without hesitation. There's an exhilaration found in an uncertain young love, just as there is growth in that first heartbreak you didn’t see coming. There's an excitement found in the freedom of driving on the highway with the windows down after school lets out, just as there is magic in falling asleep in an Uber and not waking up until your friend is shaking you because you've arrived at your destination.

There's a relief in passing final exams and sneaking home without getting caught after a late night hanging out in a parking lot or your friend's parent's basement. There's a tremendous power in not only believing, but also knowing, that you are more than your hometown suggests and the day to explore beyond its familiar borders is finally drawing near.

Khalid, a 19-year-old soul singer from Texas, knows these feelings all too well — because he's still living them. With his debut album, American Teen, he toasts to all of these relatable late-teenage phenomena with an authenticity that proves while he may be wise beyond his years, he's in no rush to grow up overnight either. In turn, that same particular aesthetic is found in his distinctive voice itself, with his maturing vocal talents shining with a polish that suggests he’s been in the game for much longer than he actually has.

Factoring in that this teenage recording artist just graduated high school a year ago — roughly around the same time Kylie Jenner was spotted lip-synching his now-viral hit single "Location" on her SnapChat — this is exactly the magnitude of a debut that doubles as a breath of fresh air.

For his major-label debut, the El Paso native declared his release date (March 3) as the day that will change his life forever. And now that the manifested milestone has finally arrived, Khalid is winning what amusingly feels like a safe bet. While the odds are now stacked in his favor, it wasn't always that way. His own self-awareness gives new life to what otherwise could have been ignorantly written off as just another SoundCloud rapper getting lucky. Khalid did much more than find his way into the spotlight at the right place and at the right time — he came prepared for what happens next.

While our music climate has undeniably, and at-times frustratingly, evolved into a machine where all you need is one single with the potential to be a hit record and a perfect storm of calculated opportunities to take it there, Khalid's debut on RCA has 15 of those, and each one has a beating heart and glowing spirit of its own. It's difficult to skip over songs on this record, challenging the current listening process of new music. American Teen is equal parts cohesive story and collection of separate tales, with its nuanced emotions tied together by a young man experiencing his teenage years as completely and unapologetically as possible. With American Teen as evidence, he’s in it for the long haul while still enjoying every step along the way.

Khalid's lyrics are a direct reflection of his genuine personal story, and his transparency elevates him into an assumed role of becoming a voice for the youth that is as brave and confident as it is vulnerable and honest. In the dismal age of Trump's presidency, it is important, shocking and revitalizing to hear someone — a Black someone, no less — say he is proud to be an American again and be completely serious. As Khalid looks towards his bright-eyed future on his title track, "American Teen," he restores a newfound hope without letting go of being a realist.

His maturation finds strength in a way that doesn't skip over the tough times but addresses his current reality in a way that embraces hardship. He grew accustomed to this as a dreamer who moved around the country with his single mother, whose job in the U.S. Army dictated a lifestyle constrained by both discipline and impermanence. He blindly trusts his struggle is part of the process towards getting to the proverbial other side, each time learning from his mistakes and proving himself right.

With dreams bigger than a hometown not even originally his own, the lead single is perhaps the most culturally impactful on the record, but songs such as "Young, Dumb & Broke," "Saved," "8Teen," "Hopeless," "Nobody Hangs Out Anymore" and "Let's Go" swiftly challenge that claim, each gloriously amplifying a voice of the youth (and for the youth) that is well on its way to capturing a global audience in a new, refreshing way. Khalid is an outsider who naturally assumes the role of a leader, something that is impossible not to commend, if only his humble, calm demeanor would allow that compliment to go unchallenged. On American Teen, adolescence is measured by state of mind, and not by a calendar dictating when life can begin, and Khalid’s “no better time than now” mindset is as remarkable as his experimental production choices. With American Teen, he covers a lot of melodic ground, managing to incorporate the evident influence that '80s pop has had on him personally without completely turning off his peers who gravitate towards the increasingly streamlined trap-infused R&B movement spearheaded by August Alsina, Bryson Tiller and Tory Lanez.

As the ambitious 15-track collection unfolds, Khalid details that "oh s**t" post-graduation moment not wanting to fall in love with social media's illusions and rising above the preconceived notion that your life has already been chosen for you by someone else. His debut album discusses how love may be born through technology, but the yearning for a larger IRL connection will never be satisfied by a subtweet. Khalid is an old soul who will never be entirely defined by the universal teen anthems found on his debut album, helping to further solidify the sultry and seasoned Frank-Ocean-meets-Bill-Withers vibe his music emits, while carving a lane of his own on the same highway his idols have traveled down.

As we get to know Khalid through his music, it becomes clear that just because he intuitively knew his moment would one day arrive doesn't mean he shouldn't still celebrate — and celebrate we will.

#Repost Billboard x Spotify: Ed Sheeran, Lorde, Coldplay, Khalid & Gryffin Are Spotify Editors' Picks for New Music Friday

Every week, Spotify updates their "New Music Friday" playlist, featuring 50 of the freshest new tracks hitting the service that week.

On the heels of Billboard's partnership with the streaming giant, we'll be tapping Spotify's editors to sift through the soon-to-be-hits and highlight the best of the bunch.

Check out the picks and listen to the entire "New Music Friday" playlist below.

Ed Sheeran - Divide (album) - "Dive," "What Do I Know," "Hearts Don't Break Around Here Anymore"

After tiding fans over with singles such as "Castle on the Hill," "Shape of You" and "How Would You Feel (Paean)" Ed Sheeran has finally released his highly anticipated third studio album, Divide. With roughly an hour of new material to digest, the beloved English singer-songwriter shows us the several different sides that make up him and his artistry, both in the sense of his musical direction and in his storytelling lyrics alike. With tracks like "Dive" detailing his hesitancies to open up his heart to someone for the first time contrasting with tracks like “Perfect,” a tear-jerking ballad likely dedicated to his girlfriend, he soundtracks various milestones as he himself directly experiences them, adding to the 26-year-old's undeniable charm. After taking a self-imposed sabbatical away from social media and releasing music, Divide humbly proves that the personal decision to take a hiatus worked in his favor, resulting in some of his best work to date. With radio-friendly pop singles such as "Shape of You" balanced with intimate acoustic tunes such as "Hearts Don't Break Around Here," Sheeran covers a lot of ground on this project, with each song highlighting a wide variety of moods, impeccable instrumentation and smart risk-taking. With the album creating an array of powerful and impassioned moments, Ed Sheeran’s Divide is poised to be one of his most celebrated releases to date. Despite what he sings on "What Do I Know," he's much more than "just a boy with a one-man show."

Lorde - "Green Light"

At the age of 16, Ella Yelich-O'Connor, an artist more commonly known as Lorde, had her dreams start coming true to fruition at an unpredictably rapid pace when her debut single, "Royals," went on to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the youngest solo artist to climb to the top of the chart since 1987. As she garnered impressive international success and arguably became a household name five years before she can even legally drink alcohol in the United States, the New Zealand-born singer has handled her time maturing in the spotlight exceptionally well. Now that she's 20, all eyes are on her ability to come into her own through her artistry. With the release of the lead single from her forthcoming sophomore album, Melodrama, she continues to build a sound argument that she is a prolific songwriter in the making. Her debut album, Pure Heroine, helped spark a movement of dark pop, going on to influence artists such as Tove Lo, Alessia Cara and The Weeknd, and now that she's readying her follow-up studio album, she's taking her signature sound to new heights. With "Green Light," Lorde opens the track with her distinctive voice leading the way over a looming melody, with the song going on to invite all sorts of drama as it progresses. When it comes to composition, Lorde is consistently masterful in her abilities to orchestrate multidimensional and theatric art, creating a song that is as intriguing as it is complex and one that interestingly and subtly appears to evolve with each listen. Enlisting a backing chorus to help plump her vocals before the song's euphoric nature goes on to erupt into infectious chanting, "Green Light" is another solid offering for Lorde, jam packed with nuanced emotions, such as vulnerability, heartache, perseverance, confidence and wisdom. In her own words, Lorde shares that the single is "the first chapter of a story I'm gonna tell you, the story of the last 2 wild, fluorescent years of my life. This is where we begin."

Khalid - "American Teen"

Back in January, Khalid, a rising 19-year-old recording artist, declared March 3rd a day that will change his life forever, and now that this fated day has now arrived, it's clear just how point-on his manifested prediction was. Today releasing his debut album, American Teen, the soul singer has been building up to this moment for years, an impressive feat considering he's a recent high school graduate. His lyrics directly reflect his personal story, as he croons, "I've been waiting all year / To get the hell up out of here / And throw away my fears." Throughout the ambitious 15-track collection, the El Paso native details a glorious assortment of relatable themes such as rising above the life he knew in his hometown, not wanting to fall in love based solely off of social media's illusions and not letting all-too-familiar teenage angst bring him down. With eyes on his future, Khalid takes listeners along for his ride towards self-discovery. From stealing the attention of Kylie Jenner, who infamously recorded herself lip-synching along to his loose single "Location" last summer, to signing to RCA, his come-up has been an exciting journey to cheer on from the sidelines. As we get to know him better through his music, with American Teen marking his first official collection of tracks that weren't released as singles, it's clear that, much like his bright-eyed lyricism suggests, the best is yet to come.

Coldplay - "Hypnotised"

Less than one week after collaborating with the likes of the Chainsmokers, Coldplay has returned with yet another new offering, further proving that the veteran rock group still has a ton of significant music left in them to create. Pairing their new single, "Hypnotised," a whimsical anthem with an appropriately fitting title, with the confirmation regarding their forthcoming 5-track EP being released this summer, Coldplay's latest news ended up doubling as a perfect birthday celebration for frontman Chris Martin's 40th lap around the sun. Much like other singles found in Coldplay's vast, celebrated catalog, "Hypnotised" brilliantly combines that dreary, rainy day type of a feeling with curious optimism as it unfolds, a trademark quality Coldplay has been honing for years in its aesthetic, such as found within 2011's "Paradise." Expertly creating the contrast between light and dark, Coldplay finds success lyrically detailing these familiar parallels, while the melody majestically weaves in and out of those conflicting themes. With lyrics such as "Been rusting in the rubble, running to a faint/Need a brand new coat of paint," helping to add some scenery to the track's melancholy, pensive nature, Coldplay's minimalist narrative is then further strengthened by an exciting accompanying visual film by Mary Wigmore. As the track transforms from a soothing lullaby to a mysteriously uplifting anthem, the thoughtfulness and tact behind this effort is one that listeners can't help but find themselves in awe of. Well done, Coldplay, well done.

Gryffin x Daya x Illenium - "Feel Good"

After emerging in the electronic music scene as a trailblazer to absolutely keep on your radar and playlists alike, Gryffin continues to solidify himself as one of the most impactful dance music producers, remixers and DJs in recent memory. With each conscious and tactfully crafted release, Gryffin wins over new audiences and as exemplified by his latest single, "Feel Good," his talents are further enhanced whenever he collaborates. For "Feel Good," he wisely links up with fellow producer and remixer Illenium, as well as enlists the vocal talents of singer-songwriter Daya, and together the three musicians play off of each other's respective areas of expertise. With Daya fresh off of winning a Grammy for her involvement on the Chainsmoker's multi-platinum track "Don't Let Me Down," her vocals find a happy home over the production of Gryffin and Illenium, as the song balances a big-room cinematic feel with soulful, intimate details. Musically, Gryffin's background as a guitarist and classically trained pianist is exemplified in the fringes of the song's foundation, crafting a swirling, hypnotic soundscape that builds expertly alongside Daya's stunning voice. With the song traveling through peaks and valleys, Gryffin utilizes different synths from the unknown depths of his toolbox, creating a song that is able to have moments of intensity without steering too far from the over "Feel Good" vibe the title suggests.

#Repost BET.com: Stormzy’s Empowering Debut ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’ Is a Grime Epic for the Ages

Originally published here via BET.com.

When tracing the timeline, stacking receipts and evaluating his raw talent, it's undeniable that U.K. rapper Stormzy was destined to become an heir to the throne of grime, a genre of music emerging out of East London in the early aughts, influenced by various sounds and styles found in U.K. electronic music, Jamaican dancehall and traditional hip-hop alike. That time for Stormzy to step up has now officially arrived on his terms and his terms only.

Although the 23-year-old's earliest rhymes can be curiously traced back to when he was of a single-digit age, something happened following his 10th birthday that shook the culture of grime music forever and not just in his native England. With the release of Dizzee Rascal's album Boy in da Corner, a 15-track opus that received universal acclaim, the power behind the U.K.-bred genre finally garnered mainstream exposure overseas and elevated Dizzee's career to unprecedented heights as he went on to become the U.K.'s first internationally recognized emcee. Watching the heroes of his beloved homegrown genre rise to international acclaim for the first time was the definition of inspiration, something that Stormzy, born Michael Omari, allowed himself to be captivated by from the start, diving in headfirst and making sense of it later.

Grime music, much like any musically driven culture born out of the underground, has gone through phases of evolution over the years, all while staying true to the defining sounds found at its core. With the scene's veteran leaders, such as Skepta, Wiley and Kano, continuing to reign supreme, each releasing milestone albums in the past year, the time has come for the spotlight to shine on the next generation. Though a seemingly daunting torch, Stormzy has now extended a wise-but-eager hand to grasp hold of it. As signified by the Last Supper-inspired cover art of his highly anticipated debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, Stormzy not only accepts his role as the new leader of the lively, studio-hungry pack, but he knew this day would come.

Stormzy has been consciously and carefully setting up the pieces for his arrival since putting out YouTube videos in 2011, allowing his "Wicked Skengman" freestyles to chart independently, along with his previous biggest single to date "Shut Up," which also appears on Gang Signs & Prayer. It isn't a coincidence that his debut album received a worthy co-sign from the likes of Adele. He's put in that work, turning the dial up for the past 18 months and perfecting every detail of his glorious come-up. Although Gang Signs & Prayer is technically his first album, it certainly doesn't feel that way. The towering 6-foot-5 rapper revealed himself in bits and pieces over the years and his self-awareness only strengthens his project, giving him plenty of room to surprise everyone and dive as deep as he sees fit.

While the biggest front-running single from the project, "Big for Your Boots," has an infectious big-room quality that demands it be played on repeat, it is not representative of the album as a whole. With the ferocious battle cry of a track doubling as the very tune his diehard grime-eyed fans wanted him to make along with "Cold," "Shut Up" and "Bad Boys," he utilizes the remaining minutes of the project to flex his creativity, expose pieces of his soul and epically remind everyone that he was the chosen one. The album includes a snippet of a phone call from legendary grime emcee Crazy Titch referring to him as “#TheProblem” and charmingly singing his praises for a full two minutes. In turn, the project's collection of sixteen tracks is beautifully balanced, creating sixteen sound arguments that Stormzy is a legend in the making and this is merely the first chapter.

The project's first tune, a fitting introduction produced by Mura Masa, is a brilliant way to kick things off, with Stormzy spitting, "Like, alright, first things first, I've been putting in the work / I'm a rebel with a cause (with a cause)." Throughout the track, he details an autobiographical retelling of his challenges, including canceling his tours to the delight of his haters, finding God and battling his inner demons, with the line, "You was fighting with your girl when I was fighting my depression.” He weaves in his hero Adele for the first time, admits he wasn't yet ready for the spotlight and goes on to divulge that before he could "shine bright" he had to take some time to get his mind right. This is exactly the type of tune that will universally win over audiences for the first time, laying the foundation and introducing the clear street-meets-spiritual theme, "Before we said our prayers, there was gang signs."

Stormzy's unapologetic perspective and personality remain a consistent and massive ingredient aiding in his musical successes, helping make Gang Signs & Prayer so accomplished. His trials become triumphs and he lays it all out in the music with wit and intense passion, with his rough-around-the-edges nature smoothed out by the fact that he not only can sing himself, but expertly knows when to enlist the likes of someone like Kehlani to add her magic into the mix. With their collaboration "Cigarettes & Cush," Stormzy reveals his romantic side, but doesn't sacrifice any of his realness along the way. His chemistry with Kehlani marks one of the album's strongest offerings, a song that organically has crossover appeal without trying too hard and is able to call Stormzy’s debut album its home without anyone finding the need to raise an eyebrow. That same creative risk-taking proves it'd be an ignorant mistake to write off the project as solely the work of a grime emcee, with tracks such as the two part gospel-leaning "Blinded by Your Grace," the "Dear Mum"-style anthem "100 Bags" and the flip of NAO's "Velvet," proving that his music deserves the same respect as both Frank Ocean and Skepta — and in Stormyz's own words, Adele too.

The album's inspirational nature is not without genuine intent, with Stormzy himself stating that his driving force behind creating this project over the course of the past 18 months was empowerment. During an interview with The Guardian, he shared passionately that he feels compelled to act as an example to inspire, saying, "So I need to talk to my young Black kings, because I’m one of you, we who are always last. And I say to them, ‘You are sick, you’re nang, you can do this. You’re better than anything anyone’s ever told you that you are. You’re just as powerful as me.'"

Considering the magnitude of the tracks found on Gang Signs & Prayer,  which effectively merges grime, gospel and R&B, the project is more appropriately labeled an ambitious victory than it is an introduction. With his debut album perfectly timed, existing as a way to maintain through the madness found around the world and on an individual scale, Stormzy has a fire deep in his belly and a vision to match, proving that he knows he's bigger than a movement previously said to be bigger than him. It’s safe to say a storm is coming to America once again, perhaps even the biggest since Dizzee Rascal shook things up the first time in 2003. Get ready for it.