# After the Sun Goes Down
**After the Sun Goes Down** (stylized in all lowercase as *after the sun goes down*) is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Khalid, released on October 10, 2025 through Right Hand Music Group and [RCA Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/rca-records).[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down/) The album was written in the aftermath of Khalid being publicly outed as gay by a former partner in late 2024, and he has described it as a statement of personal and artistic freedom.[2](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Artist | Khalid (Khalid Donnel Robinson), 27-year-old Texan singer known for "Location" and "Young Dumb & Broke"[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-the-sun-goes-down/1831865098) |
| Release | October 10, 2025; Right Hand Music Group and RCA Records[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down/) |
| Length | 17 tracks on digital editions (16 on the European CD), about 53 minutes[4](https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/74b762e3-0030-4843-bf8e-f02176a55d2f) • [5](https://riffiter.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down) |
| Genre | Pop, R&B, soul; contemporary R&B and dance-pop[5](https://riffiter.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down) • [6](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1430079-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down.php) |
| Lead production | Ilya Salmanzadeh as executive producer, with BloodPop, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Elvira Anderfjard, Mattman & Robin, and others[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down/) |
| Personal context | Written after Khalid was outed on TikTok by an ex in late 2024; he called the album an attempt to take his power back[2](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/) • [7](https://bellisariostudentmedia.psu.edu/story/after-the-sun-goes-down-album-review) |
| Critical reception | Critic score 75/100 from 4 reviews; user score 68 from 761 ratings on Album of The Year[6](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1430079-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down.php) |
## Background
Khalid rose to fame as a teenager with his debut single "Location" and its follow-up "Young Dumb & Broke", and had released three studio albums before this record.[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-the-sun-goes-down/1831865098) He began conceptualizing his fourth album about a year before its release, but the direction changed when a former partner outed him as gay on TikTok in late 2024. He described the incident as nasty and a shock, but told Apple Music's Proud Radio that it clarified what he needed to say: "It's time to make the album that solidifies who I am, not only as an artist, but just as a person in this world."[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-the-sun-goes-down/1831865098) • [2](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/)
In a press release he framed the record as "taking my power back, living in my truth, and being able to express myself freely," and said the queer community's embrace gave him a new spark of creativity.[7](https://bellisariostudentmedia.psu.edu/story/after-the-sun-goes-down-album-review) • [2](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/)
## Production and collaborators
The album was made with a large team of producers and co-writers, helmed by the Swedish producer Ilya Salmanzadeh, known for his extensive work with [Ariana Grande](https://www.edgepedia.org/ariana-grande).[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down/) • [8](https://www.hotpress.com/music/album-review-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-23115868) Production and writing credits also include BloodPop, Rodney Jerkins, Elvira Anderfjard, and Mattman & Robin.[1](https://songsuey.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down/) Khalid shares writing credits with [Tove Lo](https://www.edgepedia.org/tove-lo) and [Julia Michaels](https://www.edgepedia.org/julia-michaels), and recruited Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins for "out of body," a club track the Apple Music description places stylistically in 2001.[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-the-sun-goes-down/1831865098) Serban Ghenea mixed several tracks and Randy Merrill mastered them, per the album's credits.[9](https://khalid.fandom.com/wiki/After_the_Sun_Goes_Down/Credits)
## Music and themes
The album is an upbeat, throwback-leaning meditation on love in its many forms, from lust and devotion to defiance and post-passion coldness.[10](https://apnews.com/article/949282644ba085aef4bba77c7bd3f6cc) It draws on early 2000s R&B and pop, with Khalid citing inspiration from artists including Rihanna, Britney Spears, and [Janet Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/janet-jackson).[7](https://bellisariostudentmedia.psu.edu/story/after-the-sun-goes-down-album-review) The Irish Times described the overall pace as a blissed-out meander across 17 luxuriant tracks, with the opening song "Medicine" pairing diaphanous, jazz-steeped beats with explicit, cheerful lyrics.[2](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/)
Several tracks mark specific stylistic turns. "whenever you're gone" yearns over hyperpop, while "in plain sight" channels [Craig David](https://www.edgepedia.org/craig-david) in a [UK garage](https://www.edgepedia.org/uk-garage)-inspired meditation on infidelity.[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-the-sun-goes-down/1831865098) "Tank Top," written with Tove Lo, is an Auto-Tune-heavy pop track, and the closer "Nobody (Make Me Feel)" is a brooding electro ballad.[2](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/) "hurt people," which reviewers identified as the album's most exposing track, addresses the loss of Khalid's father at a young age and features background vocals from his mother, Linda Wolfe.[7](https://bellisariostudentmedia.psu.edu/story/after-the-sun-goes-down-album-review)
## Reception
Critics received the album positively. Album of The Year aggregated a critic score of 75 from four reviews and a user score of 68 from 761 ratings.[6](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1430079-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down.php) Ed Power of The Irish Times called it a gorgeously gauzy record on which Khalid basks in the glow of love and freedom.[2](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/) The Associated Press wrote that large sections sound like they could be on a [Troye Sivan](https://www.edgepedia.org/troye-sivan) album, so lusty and confident has Khalid become.[10](https://apnews.com/article/949282644ba085aef4bba77c7bd3f6cc) Hot Press rated it 7/10, finding most of the 17 tracks excellent while noting that some feel like pop thrown at the wall to see what sticks.[8](https://www.hotpress.com/music/album-review-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-23115868) Reviewers repeatedly framed the record as a transition point: Melodic Magazine called it the most important transition in Khalid's career so far, and Beats Per Minute wrote that it captures the relief of finally stepping into one's own skin.[11](https://www.melodicmag.com/reviews/album-ep-reviews/khalid-falls-back-in-love-with-making-music-on-after-the-sun-goes-down-album-review/) • [6](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1430079-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down.php)
## References
1. [After the Sun Goes Down (2025) Songwriting Credits, SongSuey](https://songsuey.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down/)
2. [Khalid: After the Sun Goes Down review, The Irish Times (Ed Power, 10 October 2025)](https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/review/2025/10/10/khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-review-the-soul-of-bedroom-pop-the-ache-of-billie-eilish/)
3. [after the sun goes down, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-the-sun-goes-down/1831865098)
4. [Release group "after the sun goes down" by Khalid, MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/74b762e3-0030-4843-bf8e-f02176a55d2f)
5. [after the sun goes down by Khalid, Riffiter](https://riffiter.com/artist/khalid/after-the-sun-goes-down)
6. [Khalid - after the sun goes down, Album of The Year](https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/1430079-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down.php)
7. [After the Sun Goes Down - Album Review, Penn State Student Media (Caelli Johnson, 3 November 2025)](https://bellisariostudentmedia.psu.edu/story/after-the-sun-goes-down-album-review)
8. [Album Review: Khalid, after the sun goes down, Hot Press (Peter McGoran, 3 November 2025)](https://www.hotpress.com/music/album-review-khalid-after-the-sun-goes-down-23115868)
9. [After the Sun Goes Down: Credits, Khalid Wiki (Fandom)](https://khalid.fandom.com/wiki/After_the_Sun_Goes_Down/Credits)
10. [Music Review: Khalid bounces back with complex look at love in 'After Sun Goes Down', Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/949282644ba085aef4bba77c7bd3f6cc)
11. [Khalid falls back in love with making music on 'after the sun goes down', Melodic Magazine](https://www.melodicmag.com/reviews/album-ep-reviews/khalid-falls-back-in-love-with-making-music-on-after-the-sun-goes-down-album-review/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › R&B and soul albums › 2020s R&B albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license