Key Takeaways

• Khalid was outed by an ex on social media, a moment he describes as “so nasty” and deeply personal.
• The experience informed the themes and emotional tone of his new album, after the sun goes down.
• Khalid says the project reflects a new level of vulnerability and self-love as he embraces his queerness.

Khalid is opening up about one of the most difficult moments in his life.

In a new interview with PEOPLE published on Wednesday (Oct. 1), the R&B singer opened up about being outed by an ex on social media last year and how it forced him to embrace his truth in public. “I was caught off guard. I think what’s so nasty about it all is that my own story got stripped away from me,” he said. “I decided I’m just going to choose to love who I am unconditionally because it’s all I got on this earth.”

At the time, Khalid admitted that he struggled with the fact that someone else forced his hand. But looking back, he called the moment “a blessing in disguise.”

Living out loud fueled new music

That sense of liberation became the foundation for Khalid’s forthcoming album, after the sun goes down, set to arrive next Friday (Oct. 10). “This album wouldn’t have come to be if I wasn’t outed,” Khalid told PEOPLE. While he had been out to close friends and family for years, he often held back in his music. “I wanted to give enough of myself where I felt like I wasn’t completely hiding, but I didn’t want to give too much where I felt exposed,” the Texas native explained. “As an artist, sometimes you do find the pressure to create yourself to be accepted by all sides.”

Now, he’s leaning into freedom and vulnerability. “This album is a celebration of being out and a representation of my queerness,” Khalid added. “My friends listen to the new music and are like, ‘Khalid, who is this guy? What is this side of you?’ It’s vulnerability, in a sense; I’m embracing my sexuality — relentlessly, fearlessly.”

The project features songs like “out of body” and visuals that nod to his pop idols like Rihanna and Britney Spears. Khalid says he finally feels aligned with the little boy who once dreamed of being a star. “I really tapped into that little boy and gave him his shine that he always wanted,” he said.