Khalid makes music to drive around to-period! His new single is an even slower beat than his usual soulful tracks, and this one will make you want to take your lover on a car ride at “Eleven” O’clock at night. Let us go through the lyrics and meaning behind this song.
“Eleven” is expected to be the second single to the upcoming third studio album by Khalid. The single follows his 2019 release “Up All Night.” The new single was initially teased on Khalid’s social media, with a blurry image of vehicle lights, just two days prior to the release.
In an interview with Zane Lowe, Khalid spoke about the inspiration behind this track; “I love making music you could drive to, and I feel like “Eleven” is, like, the perfect track to just play on your stereo, grip the wheel of your car and just, I mean, just go where the wind takes you. That’s what this song makes me feel like. This one, I just wanted to do something different. I’m R&B to my core, an R&B household, my mom lives, breathes, sleeps R&B music. So I really feel like this is the ode to, just, people who came before me. I really love, you know, it reminds me of, you know, like, that Timbaland era with Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, just where, music just felt so good that you just wanted to turn it on and drive to nowhere.”
Listen to “Eleven” by Khalid
The song describes a late-night car ride with the singer’s significant other. The slowed-down tune matches the late-night rush of the road-which is non-existent.
Verse 1
Khalid narrates a scenario where he and his girlfriend has taken a long ride towards nothingness. Currently, they sit outside the car and are enjoying a smoke. Their high state is a perfect match for the beat of the song. Should she cry in the car, it is going to be a long night.
Isn’t this an experience we have all been through?
Pre-chorus
Khalid tells his girlfriend that if she thinks love is far away, she will have to keep on searching for a long time. Is she not realizing that ‘love’ is right there with her right now?
The strangest thing this girl tells Khalid is that he is the type she likes to “keep around.” These two words dumb down the full gravity of the situation that we speculated as being in love. Keeping someone around is non-committal and not the most romantic of gestures. Maybe Khalid is on board as well. Maybe he means to say that there is no love in this relationship. It’s just midnight drives and late-night conversations.
Chorus
In these lyrics, Khalid lets us know that some things seem to have changed over time in their non-committal and near-perfect arrangement. Of late, the girl has been giving off a different vibe. Khalid is unsure if this is a path he wants to take. He realizes that he is her favourite drug, and there might come a day that she only wants to get high off of him.
Verse 2
In the second verse of “Eleven,” Khalid draws a picture of him riding around in his BMW M5 model car. He imagines himself driving around in this luxurious sports sedan with the windows down, a blunt in his hand and his gorgeous girlfriend sitting right next to him. What a life!
Let us hear what you think about this song by Khalid and what you think these lyrics mean? Is this the perfect song to cruise around at midnight or not? Drop a comment below.