Khalid Welcomes the ‘New Normal’, Announces Third Album ‘Everything is Changing’

On Wednesday, Khalid announced his third album ‘Everything is Changing’ with a music video replete with futuristic elements and lovely chords for the single ‘New Normal’.

The singer-songwriter debuted the song live on the 11^th of July, during Virgin Galactic’s Unity 22 Spaceflight launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico, earlier this month. Not only was the song played in the shuttle during its return to earth, but Khalid also performed for the crew after they completed their mission.

The Andy Hines-directed video features a blue-haired Khalid stepping out from a space-age-looking vehicle and walking into his apartment complex where he passes by plenty of drones delivering packages. After entering his apartment, he tends to the numerous plants around him as he assures listeners, “Although I can’t promise you much/ You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.” The song’s positive message was inspired by “the pandemic and the emotional toll that quarantine took on me and my friends,” he said in a press release.

The song has great emotional depth. Delving deep into the emotional processes happening during times of change, Khalid gets into a deep introspective mood. It’s reflective of the growth and personal progress. 

Khalid said that writing the song ‘New Normal’ was his way of coping with anxiety and misunderstanding. He added that he had to come to terms with who he was as an individual and the type of person he wanted to be. According to him, this song embodies hope for the outcome of our future.

“Everything Is Changing as an album really takes a step further with all of the songs centering around trying to find a purpose and a sense of self in a world where everything is digitally connected but emotionally disconnected,” he said. “As we all come out of quarantine and venture more into the world and try to reconnect with people we haven’t seen in over a year, I hope the messages explored within the album open up conversations and allow people to access their feelings in a new way.”

Khalid revealed that the track is about “these new journeys we are taking after experiencing so much change during the pandemic.” He added, “The future is now, everything is changing and this new normal we are all living in, is proof that we can find our way through hard times.”

 “Around this time last year, I was super fascinated and gravitated toward space. I was watching this comet by the name of Neowise last year, and space travel is something that I’ve always been interested in as well,” he said.

“And I’ve been going through the motions of understanding this new, postmodern future that’s coming together, especially when it comes down to technology — it’s something that really excites me.”  

Everything Is Changing will be out this fall and follows 2019’s Free Spirit. 

Check out Khalid’s futuristic musical video ‘New Normal’.

—Silviya Yohannan