On June 12, Khalid performed at Radio City Music Hall as part of his 25-date “It’s Always Summer Somewhere Tour” with supporting act Lion Babe. The energetic set of 37 songs covered the last decade of hits from multiple singles and EPs released by Khalid, who has accumulated more than 54 million monthly listeners on Spotify. This marked Khalid’s second headlining show at Radio City Music Hall, one of the largest venues on the tour, with approximately 7,000 tickets sold.
Lion Babe opened with a 25-minute set of R&B-influenced music that blended well with Khalid’s sound. Khalid took the stage at 9 p.m. on a single-stage platform shared with backup dancers and a screen designed to emulate a spaceship. The live experience on Khalid’s tour is immersive and engaging.
As a solo act, Khalid created a production that felt like a full-band experience through the use of dancers and EDM, pop and R&B-influenced music. Opening with “Motion” from his acclaimed 2018 LP Suncity, he proceeded to perform songs from across his catalog, including material from his new album, After the Sun Goes Down, as well as older releases. He incorporated songs such as “Out of My Body” from the new record before seamlessly transitioning into “Eastside,” his 2018 collaboration with Benny Blanco and Halsey. The song was received enthusiastically by the crowd and has amassed more than two billion streams on Spotify.
Every three or four songs, Khalid addressed the audience, introducing more recent tracks such as “Please Don’t Call (333)” and “In Plain Sight,” which resemble the sound of early 2000s Justin Timberlake. Khalid evokes nostalgia for listeners who grew up in the 2010s listening to his EPs and following his career to this point. Before performing several songs from his debut album American Teen, released by RCA Records in 2017, Khalid reflected on the fact that nearly a decade had passed since those songs helped launch his touring career.
Later, Khalid transitioned into an acoustic set, sitting on a stool with a guitar while performing covers of favorites such as “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman and “Holding Back the Years” by Simply Red. The segment served as a welcome interlude in what was otherwise a high-energy show. Khalid has collaborated with artists across multiple genres throughout his career, and he performed “Lovely,” his 2018 collaboration with Billie Eilish, which stood out as one of the highlights of the evening.
In 90 minutes, Khalid performed 37 songs, none of which were shortened or combined into mashups to save time. The final stretch of the set included “Silence,” one of his biggest hits to date, which had the crowd singing along at full volume. Blending pop, R&B and EDM influences, it created the loudest and most energetic moment of the night. Closing with “Talk” from his 2019 album Free Spirit and “Young Dumb & Broke” from American Teen, Khalid delivered an engaging performance that showcased both the depth of his catalog and his continued growth as a live performer.
Setlist.
Motion
Better
8TEEN
Out Of Body
Eastside (Benny Blanco Cover)
Everything We See
Outta My Head
Please Don’t Call (333)
Another Sad Love Song
In Plain Sight
Skyline
Dumbstruck
Whenever You’re Gone
Yes No Maybe
Adore U
Please Don’t Fall In love With Me
Right Back
Nah
Cold Blooded
Coaster
Saved
Holding Back The Years (Simply Red cover)
Fast Car (Tracy Chapman cover)
Sincere
Lovely
Rendezvous
Eleven
Love Lies
OTW
Silence (Marshmello cover)
Rollin (Calvin Harris cover)
Medicine
Location
Saturday Nights
Vertigo
Talk
Young Dumb & Broke
Leave a Comment