Review: KHALID at Rockhal

One of the most expected events of the season. This weekend, the Rockhal was proud to present the singer and songwriter Khalid, a rising star in American music known for his work in R&B and hip hop. The largest stage was reserved for this beloved artist, who saw a vast crowd of teenagers and young adults gather to enjoy some of their favourite hits. This night had quite a bit to unpack, so let us get right into it.

The two performers responsible for the warm up were the British singers Raye and Mabel. While both have had great success in R&B and pop, their styles felt significantly different and unique. Raye had a very relaxed interaction with the audience, marvelling everyone with her songs, her tireless energy and her charming mannerisms. Mabel gave us a performance with a greater production value, where very well-choreographed dancers complemented her act with almost flawless numbers.

But the man of the night was Khalid, as the crowd reminded us when the young artist finally turned up. It is simply impossible to deny that he belongs on stage - he is a natural when it comes to talking to his fans and every single thing he does shows just how comfortable he is in his shoes. His voice is great, and his performance style never fails to transmit deep and meaningful emotion. Behind him, the large screen was set to display a very rich and diverse content, from fine and well filtered angles of the show itself, to previously recorded scenes of interviews and loose thoughts on art and life. Khalid's vocal prowess was better displayed during the acoustic songs played at the beginning, while the moments of greater entertainment value came closer to the end, when the dancers were more deeply engaged in the act.

This being said, there are a couple of suggestions we would like to make, that might improve upcoming shows. Firstly, a practical recommendation that has to do with time. If you are going to schedule a long-duration show on a Sunday, don't start performing at 10 PM, after two singers and a considerable delay, especially when your audience is mainly composed by teenagers and pre-teens. Multiple fans could be seen leaving the venue well before the end of an event that opened its doors at 7 PM, obviously not as a protest, but simply because of how long the night was dragging. If Lady Gaga can be punctual while dressed up as a space chandelier, don't be this late if your outfit is a sweater and a pair of sneakers.

Also, it would be nice to hear the artist a bit more than what we ended up hearing. We know that in this music genre artists often produce multiple overlapping verses, but if a very significant percentage of the lyrics are pre-recorded, while most of what we get from the singer is a repetition of yeah and wow, sparsely sang in a reduced vocal range, then there is no added value in watching a live performance. The group of dancers that often joined in the background made some of the songs more appealing to watch, but Khalid also had a fairly limited participation in the dance sequences. Assuming that jumping, pointing at the audience and performing the traditional end-of-the-song squat don't count as actual dance moves.

We hope Khalid comes back to Luxembourg soon, and we thank everyone involved for a night that greatly entertained those attending.

Image Credit: Khalid's official website

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