For his latest release, Khalid takes us down memory lane. In "Last Call," the uber-talented singer-songwriter highlights key moments from his career success, while also adopting a new mindset and convincing his potential love interest to join him on the journey.
“Last Call” is a catchy, mid-tempo song that starts off with the faint sound of the drum machine and keyboards before Khalid’s smooth, soothing vocals and the bass kick in. His voice transitions effortlessly from low to high tones between the verses and the chorus. Produced by Chicago-based producer Digi and written by Khalid, the lyrics are very relatable as we are in a time when many of us have had to put a pause on our normal lives and things we want to do.
The video, co-directed by Levi Turner and Cody Laplan, has many twists and turns, integrating scenes and themes from Khalid’s past albums, life experiences and successes. The opening scene starts with a lightning-quick photo and video montage, then segues to Khalid sitting in a classic, red Chevy that has an American flag tied to the driver’s side mirror, in an ode to his first album American Teen.
As he sings the first verse from that car, he reminds us to, “Search for what’ll set you free / It’s not 2017 anymore.” The reference to 2017 is significant because “Last Call” was released exactly five years to the day after the release of American Teen. Khalid is expressing that we all can take a little time to admire our accomplishments, but we need to keep it moving and determine what’s next.
Khalid then appeals to his love interest to join him on his quest to enjoy the finer things in life and experience new and exciting things. We are then taken to a scene that shows him as a passenger in a green, vintage International Harvester Scout convertible (with a license plate that appropriately reads LAST CALL). This ride is consistent throughout the video and effectively illustrates how Khalid is now moving. The chorus most definitely co-signs that as he sings, "We’ll be ridin’ ’round drop-top when it gets hot / Doin’ donuts in an empty lot like 'Woah' / I’ll give you the finer things / Suddenly there’s nothing worth comparing to your soul."
Khalid and his friends drive into the night and eventually into a tunnel. While there, they transcend into the land of animation as he professes to his potential partner, “If this is worth it, I’m guessin’ that we’ll both find out in the end / You show me purpose and give me presence that I’ve never met.”
During the clip, we are treated to a steady stream of vintage photos of Khalid and concert moments with vocal crowds. At various points in the video, we see symbols of his past two albums: a neon sign spelling out Scenic Drive and the vintage, custom van which graced the album cover of Free Spirit. The last minute or so shows Khalid at night, pulled over on the side of the road and leaning on that same green Scout. He sings the lyrics to an unknown song that emphasizes how not to let current circumstances affect the journey.
- Advertisement -Khalid tells a great story with “Last Call”: it is OK to reminisce, but we need to have a sense of urgency about fulfilling our dreams while we have time to do it. Get into the audio and video below, and stay tuned for more from Khalid – maybe even the rest of that song he gives us a sample of.