Khalid's fans got a chance to experience his music in a way they'd never experienced before.
On Thursday night, December 19, the Texas native hit the stage at iHeartLand inside of State Farm Park in Fortnite for a special performance of his past and present hits. He began his set with "Talk" before he moved on to other hits like "Location" and Normani-assisted "Love Lies." After performing his fan favorite "Better," Khalid finished off with his latest single "Heatstroke" from his new album Sincere. Following his rare show, the 26-year-old sat down with host Gabby Diaz and opened up about making his third studio album.
"It was really personal for me that's why it took me so long to finish it," he said. "It took me five years to finish that album. I just wanted to make sure that the album was exactly that. Even before I conceptualized the name 'Sincere,' i just knew I had to put my heart into it and had to be intentional because I love making music but I also love when music makes you feel things. So when it comes down to anything I do, I always want to make sure the listeners feel me, empathize with me, and they connect with me. So for me to be able to do that I have to live my own stories and make my own experiences."
Khalid said he didn't have a name for the album picked out until three months before it came out. At first, he wanted to call it Please Don't Fall In Love With Me but he didn't think that statement was true. In the end, he called it Sincere because its "everything I want to be. It's everything I aspired to be." He said he truly connected with the title track when he wrote it. He also shared how his fans played a role in the making of his latest album simply by communicating with him about what they like about his music and how it affects them.
Fans also got the chance to experience the "Only Up" mini-game featuring a Khalid NPC, which is inspired by his single "Heatstroke." Check out scenes from Khalid's performance at iHeartLand in Fortnite below.