From El Paso Demo to Global Diamond Hit: the Incredible Journey of Khalid's 'Location'
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Khalid was raised in a military family, moving frequently from Georgia to Kentucky and even Germany before settling in El Paso for his final year of high school. The sense of displacement shaped his creative voice. Feeling isolated in a border city where social circles were already established, he turned to songwriting to process his isolation and build an identity. He recorded initial melodies on cheap desktop microphones, sharing voice notes with collaborators across the country.
The musical foundation arrived when producer SmashDavid connected with Syk Sense and Tunji Ige. They created a sparse, retro-soul chord progression that drifted far from the trap-heavy beats dominating urban radio in 2016. The instrumental arrived in Khalid's inbox with ample room for vocal expression. Working quickly to finish the track before leaving school grounds, he laid down the melodies in a single afternoon session. When he uploaded the El Paso Texas recording demo to SoundCloud, the response bypassed typical regional barriers almost overnight.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
