For some being outed about your sexuality is the worst possible thing, but for Khalid, it was a “blessing in disguise.”
In a new interview with People magazine, the 27-year-old singer shares how he navigated being outed online by an ex nearly a year ago in November 2024.
While he sees the situation as “a blessing in disguise” now, initially he recalled being “caught off guard.”
“I think what’s so nasty about it all is that my own story got stripped away from me,” he continued. “I decided I’m just going to choose to love who I am unconditionally because it’s all I got on this earth.”
The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, who first broke out in 2017 with “American Teen” and smash hits like “Location” and “Young Dumb & Broke,” found himself at the center of headlines last fall when an ex-partner aired their private business in a messy thread on X. The posts accused him of manipulative behavior and dredged up details from their past relationship, sparking speculation and a frenzy of commentary online.
At the time, Khalid took it in stride publicly and eventually explained in a post on X: “I got outted and the world still continues to turn. Let’s get this straight (lmao) I am not ashamed of my sexuality! In reality it ain’t nobodies business! But I am okay with me, love yall.”
That moment, he now says, became transformative. Not only did it push him to live more openly, but it also inspired his upcoming album, “After the Sun Goes Down.” Unlike the pop-R&B hybrid that made him a household name, the project leans into a rawer, more vulnerable sound, one he describes as embracing his sexuality “relentlessly” and “fearlessly.”
“This album is a celebration of being out and a representation of my queerness,” he told People, adding that it likely “wouldn’t have come to be if I wasn’t outed.”
“After the Sun Goes Down” is slated for release on Friday, October 10.
