Khalid, in plain sight | Song Review 🎵

Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum pop and contemporary R&B artist Khalid sounds much more fun and loose on his brief and engaging single, “in plain sight.”

“Oh, I got so much to tell you / ‘Cause somethin’ ain’t right.” Oh, snap! Khalid, king, tell us, what’s the tea? “Should’ve saw it comin’ (Hidden in front of me) / In plain sight.” Ooh-wee! The Grammy-nominated contemporary R&B singer/songwriter returns, with more personality than usual (as of late) on “in plain sight”. After being outed by Hugo Almonte (shame on him, by the way), on “in plain sight,” he sounds more chill, looser, and frankly, more engaging and interesting.  Khalid’s best career moments hailed from his multiplatinum debut album, American Teen.  After Teen, the talented vocalist became a bit, um, blasé… No shade or disrespect, of course.

“In plain sight” is solidly produced by Savan Kotecha, ILYA, and Mattman & Robin. It has a respectable, relatively sleek sound. There is one oddity, though. There is a production switch at the end of the brief song that comes out of left field.  I’m not sure it was necessary, even with Khalid’s affirmatory “okay, okay, okay(s).” As always, Khalid brings strong vocals, singing expressively, in a nuanced fashion.  “In plain sight” finds him embracing his queer identity and not shying away from it. “What’s the tea ‘bout him? / Said he was just a friend / If it’s a coincidence, baby / Okay, okay, okay, okay,” he sings, with some swagger in the first verse.  The second verse is alluring, too: “He was inside our home (Home) / He was inside our space, baby / Even wore my coat / He can keep that shit.” Damn! The chorus, excerpted earlier, is sweet, extended in the post-chorus. While I’m not fully prepared to characterize this new Khalid as fun just yet, after hearing “in plain sight”, he takes a step in the right direction.