Singer-songwriter Khalid stole our hearts last year with his debut single “Location.” Now the Texas native has taken his talents across the pond to the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge to add another amazing cover of a classic hit to their collection. For his second visit to the infamous set, Khalid gives us an acoustic rendition of “Location” and does a straightforward take on Tracey Chapman’s 1988 classic “Fast Car.”
To say we weren’t surprised by Khalid’s performance of “Location” would be an understatement. We’ve heard the singer rock out acoustic style before and this time was just as magical. Not just a straightforward version, the guitar player has fun with the melody and Khalid gets in where he fits in, adjusting pitch and tone to keep the vibe going. The end result takes a song we’ve heard a million times and makes it feel as fresh and new.
As for Khalid’s take on “Fast Car,” the track might be a little too much in Khalid’s wheelhouse. A song about being young, poor and ambitious, it not only covers similar subject matter as Khalid’s “Young, Dumb, And Broke,” but he sounds eerily similar to Chapman. If you close your eyes and just listen, you may think you’re actually listening to Tracy sing after a rough night. It’s beautiful and perfect but almost a little too on the nose. But, if that’s the only criticism we can levy, we’re just going to let Khalid be great.
It’s been a year since Khalid released his debut album, American Teen. Since then, he's toured across the country, been nominated for a GRAMMY, collaborated with R&B chicks and inspired countless teens to pursue their own dreams. Now we’re waiting to hear what’s next. In the meantime in between time, get into Khalid’s performances from the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge below.
