Khaliyah X, Stepping into the Light, is a soul-stirring newcomer whose gripping "What's My Name" is a cascading blend of classic soul with the current flourishes of modern R&B, making her a definite artist to watch. Which is also the title track from her debut mixtape, What's My Name? It has an intensity and realness central to her artistry, unvarnished, naked, and in its feelings.
Written over two years of personal exploration and expansion, my song "What's My Name" is a moment of reflection within a sky of ethereal ear candy and haunting beats. Instead of pre-writing lyrics, Khaliyah took a free-flowing approach to the creative process, letting her emotions build the production in the moment. The result? A sound that is personal but familiar that you carry with you long after the last note has faded.
Audiences have tasted What's My Name since its release last year, gaining over 500,000 streams on platforms and proving how galvanizing Khaliyah is. The track's relaxed but melancholic atmosphere makes for ideal late-night ruminating, whilst its hypnotic groove and infectious appeal are hard to deny.
Where "What's My Name" allows you to explore Khaliyah's sonic world, the mixtape's standout number, "DTP" (Disturb The Peace), cranks it up a notch with an edgier, genre-defying sound. Head here for infectious hooks and dynamic vocal performance, as Khaliyah X shows why DTP is here to shake things up in the R&B space, with comparisons to Kehlani, Summer Walker, and Cleo Sol, yet retaining her own unmistakable identity.
With What's My Name, Khaliyah X is making a statement. And if this single is any indication, the answer is yes: the future of R&B has arrived.