Live Review: Khalid

Khalid Robinson aka Khalid, a household name since he debuted in 2016, has made waves in the industry with success after success. It’s almost hard to believe that an artist with such a consistent, steady upward incline throughout his short career is only 21 years old. Tonight we see him take the stage at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, coming off the back of a stellar performance at Spilt Milk.

Khalid @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Photo by Bianca Holderness.

The crowd piles in, revealing a mostly younger demographic, which is no surprise when you consider Robinson’s lyrical themes. They go wild as he takes the stage, singing an intro and then opening with 8TEEN. The crowd are beside themselves, as is Khalid himself, his demeanour lighting up the room, his smile wide as the stage. We hear hit after hit with Twenty One, Hundred and Saved.

Every track is as big as the last, proving the sort of megastar this man has truly become. We hear Better and Fast Car before Robinson moves onto his debut track Location – the song heightens the energy in the arena even more. That energy continues to rise for a fast-paced remix of Silence before American Teen sneaks up and sends the crowd wild.

Khalid @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Photo by Bianca Holderness.

Throughout the performance, Khalid dances, smiles and laughs with a seemingly genuine sense of appreciation. His kindness transmits to the audience, who seem in love tonight. We see an artistic footage reel that monologues not only Robinson’s connection to his latest album, Free Spirit, but also the concept of becoming a 'free spirit'. We hear more hits, which lead us to the finale of Saturday Nights. We close the night on a high with an epic display from Robinson's drummer. 

The lights come on, and the night concludes. Khalid isn’t slowing down any time soon.