★★★☆☆
Khalid’s new album, after the sun goes down, lives up to its title—most of the tracks are perfect for an Uber ride on a girls’ night out, and not much else.
Khalid, known for his catchy pop hits like “Young Dumb & Broke” and “8TEEN,” achieved massive success with his 2017 debut album, American Teen. Since then, he has released two albums and two EPs, none of which topped charts quite like American Teen.
after the sun goes down is Khalid’s first release since publicly coming out in November 2024 and was anticipated as an opportunity for the artist to get personal with his listeners. Instead, Khalid produced a trendy pop album hearkening back to his early success with American Teen, falling short of any masterful lyricism or powerful themes.
“angel boy” and “whenever you’re gone” are the album’s most explicitly romantic tracks, though the songs end up lacking despite their endearing messages.
“It’s not enough / I’m longing for your joy (Oh) / It’s not enough / It’s not enough / It’s not enough / Without my angel boy,” sings Khalid on “angel boy.”
It was challenging to differentiate between most tracks on the album, and “angel boy” is no different. Featuring hi-hats on even beats and overpowering background harmonies reminiscent of church choirs, “angel boy” is strikingly similar to “please don’t call (333),” “medicine,” and “nah.”
“whenever you’re gone” stands out from the crowd more than “angel boy.” The song starts slower and more melodic than other tracks on the album, similar to Khalid’s hit, “Better.”
After 60 seconds, however, the song picks up to match the album’s quick tempo. The second verse of the song is a welcome change. Lyrics are spoken over the backing track in a style more akin to rap than to Khalid’s typical melodic R&B-inspired singing that features prominently on the rest of the album.
“Yeah, won’t lie, now I’m stranded / So tired, up, manic,” sings Khalid.
A few other tracks stand out, most notably “out of body.” The melodies and tone of the song are entirely different. The track is much steamier than the album’s other songs, the video drawing inspiration from Britney Spears’ hit, “I’m a Slave 4 U.” It is the best track on the album, and the only one that should be worked into DJ sets.
Another standout track is “momentary lovers.” Khalid sings 90 percent of the album in an autotuned falsetto typical of R&B-inspired pop today. This song begins with Khalid’s real voice, which was so refreshing that it felt like a featured artist at first.
Still, “momentary lovers” did not bring things home the way “out of body” did. The weak chorus of “You’re my baby for the summer / Blue skies, California,” repeats four times throughout the song, but it felt like 4,000.
Weak lyrics, combined with an overuse of backing harmonies and auto-tune, produced an almost boy-band vibe for much of the album.
Lyrically, “rendezvous” emerged as the most risqué song of the album. The lyrics felt almost vulnerable from Khalid, who seemed to refrain from getting detailed for much of the album despite his previous ease in singing raunchier lyrics.
“I know you want me, you feeling naughty, you can’t hide that / Ride me like autobahns, be on autopilot,” sings Khalid.
after the sun goes down is Khalid doing what he does best: R&B-inspired pop great for a night out. Unfortunately, it’s not the deep, personal album fans may have expected, lacking in variety and strong lyrical choices.
