“it’s a shame you don’t want me,” intones Khalid through the tech-y stringed din of “Intro,” before swimming into “Bad Luck” with a mournful falsetto and a bushel-full of doubt. No longer surrounded by the fellow “young, dumb, and broke” high school pals of “American Teen,” Khalid must wade the machinations of his new world all on his own. This time, though, the problem with being Khalid has at least as much to do with fame and notoriety as the pre-existing condition of restless youth. But the first album’s sense of anxiety and insecurity remains. Everybody’s got to grow up someday, and for Khalid, two years of maturation has made something of a difference with “Free Spirit.” Here, at 21, the El Paso-raised vocalist and composer kicks - or shuffles - everything up a notch with a handful of fresh producers (including Digi, Charlie Handsome and Hit-Boy), richer, more lustrous sounds, and further explorations into AutoTune.
