Khalid is closing out 2024 by releasing singles with three of the most prominent women in music: Chlöe, Ayra Starr, and Normani. Unfortunately, the “Talk” artist’s rollout was preceded by him being outed as gay by an ex-lover.
With that came social media users speculating that he staged the outing to promote his upcoming music releases. However, on Tuesday (Dec. 3), Khalid took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to clear the air, as he had done before when his sexuality was revealed. “Some of y’all are delusional,” the musician wrote. “A few of y’all are giving me too much credit, like I promise y’all… I would never try that hard to come up with a scheme. It ain’t that deep.”
On Sunday (Dec. 1), Khalid announced “PERSONAL” with Normani. The record, slated to drop on Friday (Dec. 6), will mark their first together since 2018’s “Love Lies.” He then shared that “Make It Up To You” and “MIA” featuring Ayra Starr and Chlöe would also be coming on the same day.
Considering all three women released projects of their own — DOPAMINE, The Year I Turned 21, and Trouble in Paradise, the three-pack could possibly make its way to the deluxe version of Khalid’s Sincere. Across its 16 tracks, he teamed up with Arlo Parks on “Breathe,” with other standout cuts being “Please Don’t Fall In Love With Me” and “Heatstroke.”
“This is the one I have been waiting five years to put out, and this is the one full of music that I’ve been harboring over the past half-decade for the perfect moment, and no moment is more perfect,” Khalid told Billboard regarding the body of work. It notably debuted at No. 43 on the 200 chart, only nine positions below 2021’s Scenic Drive (The Tape).
As it relates to Khalid’s sexuality, his ex, Hugo Almonte, apologized in a statement on Instagram. “I understand why people are upset, and I take full responsibility for my actions. I made a mistake — a serious one,” he said.