There used to be only one path to becoming a music star. First, a producer discovers you. Then, you work with him or her to make your first album, and hopefully, it becomes a hit.
Khalid’s path to stardom was different. He spent much of his childhood bouncing around different places because of his mother’s job as a US Army singer. As a result, he often felt sad and alone. At that time, he was not yet a musician but had a strong love and talent for music thanks to his mother’s influence. In his own words, he “was raised through music.”
For his senior year of high school, Khalid ended up in El Paso, Texas. To help deal with his feelings, he wrote songs and posted them on SoundCloud. As the day of his senior prom got closer, the young man wanted to put out a special song for the occasion. This turned out to be his breakthrough single “Location.” The song launched Khalid to fame after a social media star played it on her Snapchat, which happened to be on the same day that Khalid graduated high school.