Everyone knows popular artists like Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Frank Ocean, and Chappell Roan, but what about the unknown musicians who make equally good music? I love listening to small artists who don’t get the recognition they deserve. For example, Malcolm Todd: a small artist who scooped ice cream for a living while promoting his music on TikTok. During COVID, Todd learned to play the guitar through YouTube videos leading to the release of his first song “Demos Before Prom” in his senior year of high school. Consecutively, Todd would decide to no longer pursue college. Instead, he dreamt of becoming a rockstar, which would come true only a year later, when his single “Art House” blew up on social media platforms. Malcolm Todd’s songs are perfect to listen to when experiencing a rough patch with a significant other. The songwriter prefers to layer his lovesick songs over an alternative R&B sound, achieving a result not heard by anyone else.
One of his most popular songs that blew up on all social media platforms, “Roommates”, got over 38,394,209 views. This song appears on his latest album Sweet Boy, and tells the story of a problematic relationship as it comes to an end. The narrator expresses that he feels as though he doesn’t know himself anymore due to the consuming path his relationship took, leading him to question his actions when not with his love interest. Post-breakup, he continues to struggle with his identity, finding that even as he meets new people he still thinks of the other person. Eventually, he realizes that the relationship he used to have cannot hold so much power in his life and that he must move on.
The upbeat R&B sound and love-struck lyrics of “4Me 4Me” make it my favorite song from his album Sweet Boy. He talks about his pure infatuation with his love interest and what he thinks about when he’s around her. The lyrics “To you, to you, what’s mine is yours” show the purity of his love and how much he is willing to give up for her. His admiration shines through the lyrics when he says “I miss you so persistently, I lose my head”. The relatability of the lyrics as well as the strong beat always has me dancing and singing along.
Malcolm Todd started his career as a simple senior in high school with a big dream and has worked to be the amazing artist he is now. Since the release of “Roommates,” Malcolm has released 2 EPs and continues to promote his music on TikTok. As of now, he is currently working on a new album hoping to release it in 2025. Everyone should give small artists a chance once in a while and listen to their music, you never know who you might find.