Khalid
Aragon Ballroom // Chicago, IL // November 29, 2017
Khalid now has 5 Grammy nominations, and he deserves every last one.
Red Bull Sound Select’s #30DaysinChicago had some incredible acts, but their penultimate evening was arguably the most memorable. The day before his Chicago show, Khalid found out he was nominated for five Grammys, including Best New Artist. While he seemed elated about the nominations, it didn’t seem like the news got to his head. “It’s major, guys,” he said with a sheepish grin on his face to the sold-out crowd at the Aragon Ballroom. He didn’t brag or drag on about it, though; instead, he let his performance speak for itself. The 19-year old singer-songwriter released his debut album American Teen in March and received critical acclaim from fans and artists. Having toured with Lorde and collaborated with fellow Grammy-nominated artists SZA and Alessia Cara, Khalid is really taking the pop world by storm.
Rising artist Amber Mark opened for Khalid and put on a hell of a show. Having recently toured with Glass Animals and performed at the Aragon in September, Mark is still flying high and making new fans. Although most of the crowd was there for Khalid, there were quite a few people in the front row shouting Mark’s name and singing along to her big hits. The R&B artist has a way of holding the crowd in the palm of her hand with her sultry voice and stripped-down melodies. Her EP 3:33am has drawn attention from Vice, Vogue, and Pitchfork, and deservedly so. There’s no doubt that as she continues to make music and tour with incredible artists, she’ll start selling out venues on her own.
It’s hard to believe Khalid graduated from high school in 2016; his showmanship and love for performing make him seem like a veteran pop star. He played his biggest hits “Location” and “Young Dumb and Broke” to fans who came from all over to see him. One group of college girls flew up from St. Louis just to see his show (they flew in at 6am and waited outside the Aragon for 4 hours). His show featured a full band, backup dancers dressed like cheerleaders with the American Teen slogan, and some seriously impressive moves from Khalid himself. There’s no way that he’s slowing down any time soon, but come January 28th, he may just be a Grammy award-winning American Teen.
Khalid is heading to Europe in February before playing shows in the States in May. For info on his tour dates, check out his site HERE.
