Khalid titles new EP after iconic spot in El Paso, opens up about inspiration from city

El PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso's very own R&B star Khalid is once again paying homage to the Sun City with the release of his new song "Present."

The cover art for the single shows Khalid standing outside a convenience store that has El Paso's area code, 915, on it.

The singer spoke to Apple Music's Zane Lowe about the single which is from his upcoming EP/mixtape "Scenic Drive, The Tape."

The title of the singer's EP has a direct connect to El Paso.

"Scenic Drive is actually one of the spots that I go to or I went to a lot in El Paso, they call it scenic drive. It's this drive up this mountainside and you look to the left and you see Juarez and see El Paso," said Khalid.

Lowe asked Khalid about the significance of Scenic Drive.

"It's one of those places you go with your friends and you park on the side and you hop out the car and you just sit in awe of how beautiful the city is."

"Scenic Drive" is not the first time the singer has integrated El Paso into his projects.

In 2018, Khalid released an album and a song titled "Suncity."

RELATED: Khalid continues to pay homage to the 915 in EP titled 'Suncity'

Also featured on the album is the song, "9.13," which includes audio from El Paso's former mayor Dee Margo.

Margo presented Khalid with a key to the city in 2018.

Lowe jokingly asked Khalid about what the key to the city gets him.

"As far as I know it's not getting me anything," Khalid said with a big grin.

RELATED:Khalid receives key to the 'city of the 915'

Further, into the interview Khalid opened up to Lowe about the meaning El Paso has to him.

El Paso is where I got my start as an artist. If I didn't move to El Paso I wouldn't have written my first song that I did, or at least it wouldn't have been the song that I wrote," said Khalid. "Saved would have never been a song, coaster would have never been a song, location would have never been a song. Location was my break and american teen, I not only wrote it about being an american teen, but I graduated from Americas High School...[El Paso] accept[s] me for who I am, they embrace me, they show me the most love, so I gotta go back and let people know how inspired I am of this city.

Along with the release of "Present" on Friday, Khalid also shared a promotional video for his upcoming EP.

The video includes landmarks from around El Paso including Scenic Drive, the windmills along I-10 at Airway, and the Star on the Mountain.

Khalid revealed to Lowe that his new EP will feature eight songs and six of them are collaborations.

Some of the artists he collaborated with include Ari Lennox, Majid Jordan and JID.

Khalid's first single off the EP, "Present," is about living in the present moment, something the singer said he is trying to do more of.

"Achieving things in the present tense, instead of being so fixated on the future that you're not gonna experience until it comes," Khalid said.

Khalid is also working on an album which he expects to release next year.

Apple Music subscribers can listen to Khalid's full interview with Lowe here.

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