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In August 2024, Khalid released what he described as his most personal album to date, Sincere<\/em>. The US singer-songwriter\u2019s third record, he said, was returning to his roots.<\/p>\n Three months later, he was outed by an ex-boyfriend on social media.<\/p>\n Rather than shy away from the unexpected scrutiny, Khalid immediately got to work on his fourth album, After the Sun Goes Down<\/em>, which is out today. This record, he says, is \u201ctaking his power back.\u201d<\/p>\n But don\u2019t be fooled \u2014 that\u2019s not why Khalid is back with new music just 14 months later.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew I was always gonna follow up with something quickly when I was writing Sincere<\/em>,\u201d he tells Rolling Stone AU\/NZ<\/em> over Zoom.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause although it took me four years to write that album, the last year that I wrote the album \u2014 I think this was 2023 \u2014 I wrote the most songs for the album. It was the year I wrote, like, eight songs that made a 15 or 16-track album.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was when I got into a major car accident. I was on tour with Ed Sheeran at this point, [and I] got into a major car accident that changed my life completely. It reminded me of how fragile life actually is. And I got caught in this highly inspired time period, and I finished the album. I just wanted to find that spark, and I did.<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian\/New Zealand music and globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cBeing aware of the reception of Sincere<\/em>, you know, there were a lot of people who I feel [were] maybe conflicted on my eras, because I\u2019ve collaborated with so many different genres, I\u2019ve worked with so many different artists\u2026 some people are hopping on from [2021 track] \u2018Skyline\u2019, but some people are hopping on from [2024 single] \u2018Please Don\u2019t Fall in Love with Me\u2019. So people don\u2019t know what to expect. I think I knew that my next move, I wanted it to be as quick and as fragrant as it possibly could because I wanted people to feel where I was currently in that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n After the Sun Goes Down<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>could be a career-defining moment for Khalid.<\/p>\n Not only is the record executive produced by Ilya Salmanzadeh, who has worked with some of pop\u2019s biggest names like Sheeran, Ariana Grande, and Sam Smith, but he has also recruited the likes of iconic producer Darkchild, who\u2019s credits include Destiny\u2019s Child, Whitney Houston, and Jennifer Lopez.<\/p>\nLove Music?<\/h2>\n