Khalid Turns In His Sultriest Verse To Date On Sabrina Claudio’s ‘Don’t Let Me Down’
April 4, 2018
If you thought Khalid’s Love, Simon duet with Normani, “Love Lies,” was his steamiest collab to date, you might want to reconsider. The American Teen crooner and rising R&B star Sabrina Claduio come together on a new bop called “Don’t Let Me Down” that gives “Love Lies” a run for its money (sorry, ‘Mani).
The dreamy, mellow collab is an addictive mix of Khalid’s soulful vocals and Claudio’s sultry energy. “I told you things about me / Don’t let me down / I let you put your arms around me,” they sing in harmony over a bed of synths. Khalid’s verse models the same vulnerability that he delved into on American Teen, while Claudio’s lush vocals prove exactly why she’s one to watch this year.
Speaking to Beats 1 about the new song — which marks a slight sonic departure from her previous material — Claudio said, “I don’t really do uptempo, but it just seemed really natural and I think, melodically, it stays consistent. It still has a soft tone with the more uptempo background and sonics and all that kind of stuff, but it just happened and it became everybody’s new favorite.”
As for her collaborator? Claudio revealed, “I had the whole song written but I was like, ‘This is missing something.’ So Khalid came to mind and I just sent him the song over text and I was like, ‘Tell me what you think. Honestly, I hear your voice on this. If you’re willing to jump on it I’d be honored.’ He came to the studio the next day and wrote his verse in an hour, perfected it, and it was done.”
This is the second single Claudio has released this week, following the sizzling “All to You.” And she’s apparently not done yet — the 21-year-old has also hinted that a video for “Don’t Let Me Down” is coming soon.