The first time I listened to Malcolm Todd, after a TikTok video brought me to discover his hit single "Sweet Boy," I was shocked at how such a talented artist could fly under the radar. His combination of R&B sound, smooth vocals, and passionately relatable lyrics made each track feel like it belonged on the discographies of Dominic Fike or early Steve Lacy. But even those comparisons couldn't do his music justice, as each song I listened to blended elements of indie, R&B, and bedroom pop to make something unique and deeply immersive.

With Malcolm Todd being a relatively new artist, it wasn't hard to binge his full discography. After the success of his debut mixtape Sweet Boy in 2024, Todd followed up with the self-titled album Malcolm Todd in April, featuring standout tracks including "Chest Pain" and "Cheer Me On." Thanks to his heartfelt lyrics and genre-blending production, he's quickly gained a loyal fanbase of over 6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. So, here's how this up-and-coming indie artist is rising to stardom — and his top 5 songs you need to add to your playlist.

TikTok Viral

Image Credit: Alexander Shatov from Unsplash

Long before releasing his debut mixtape, Malcolm Todd was just a tenth grader in high school playing baseball. In an interview on the Zach Sang Show, Todd explains that when COVID hit during his sophomore year, he learned to play guitar on YouTube and made his first songs on GarageBand.

After returning to school in person as a senior, he took the opportunity to play at small high school parties and would go on to release his first EP at the end of the year, Demos Before Prom. In his interview with Sang, Malcolm Todd expresses how songs were, and still are, created with the help of a childhood friend, Charlie Ziman.

Malcolm Todd first gained attention by promoting his songs "Art House" and "Roomates" on the social media app TikTok in 2023, both of which would be included in his 2024 mixtape, Sweet Boy. Todd expressed in his interview with Zach Sang how he originally was not a fan of TikTok despite posting videos on the app under #stevelacy to promote his music.

"I don't like TikTok. But like, TikTok, you need it right, you know it's really important, drives the music industry a ton," Todd said.

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Genre-Blending Style

Taking inspiration from artists like Dominic Fike, Steve Lacy, and Childish Gambino, Malcolm Todd's music combines elements of R&B and indie for a unique sound. Todd's songs are also influenced by the bedroom pop genre, an indie pop subgenre known for a more mellow and dreamlike sound.

Bedroom pop artists are often known for their "do-it-yourself" approach, and this is seen in Malcolm Todd's music as he learned to play the guitar and make music on GarageBand on his own, showing a creative ingenuity similar to that of Steve Lacy in his production of "Dark Red," a hit single which Lacy created entirely on his iPhone.

Although Malcolm Todd's catalogue is still on the smaller side, there are still plenty of great songs in his discography worth checking out. Here's my top 5:

#5: "Bleed" (feat. Omar Apollo)

First teased as a snippet on TikTok, Bleed is the 6th song featured on Malcolm Todd's self-titled album, released in April of 2025. I can imagine the track playing during a dramatic scene in an action movie, as the echoey reverb and Todd's emotional vocals give the song a cinematic quality. The lyrical content of the track matches the vulnerability of the vocals, with Todd explaining how he often attempts to mask his underlying emotions but is able to take off that mask around his partner.

#4: "4Me 4Me"

First released as a single in January of 2024 before being included in his mixtape Sweet Boy, "4Me 4Me" is an upbeat pop-inspired track by Malcolm Todd and conveniently takes the #4 spot on my list. While his music is largely about breakups or heartbreak, the artist chose to write a love song with "4Me 4Me."

The accompanying music video shows off Todd's sense of humor, with the Queen being portrayed as Todd's love interest for a humorous twist, as he brings her cardboard cutout on a date around the city.

"I feel like music videos are way too serious nowadays, so I try to be like, kind of goofy in them," Todd explained in his interview on the Zack Sang Show.

#3: "Mr. Incorrect"

The 16th and last track on Sweet Boy, "Mr. Incorrect," sees Malcolm Todd speak directly to an ex-lover about how he's gotten over their past relationship, despite the lyrics suggesting he may still be hung up on her. The chorus begins with Todd explaining their breakup: "I give you my love / You tell me goodbye," and he then focuses on how he has moved on to someone else: "And now I feel great / I got a new friend who kisses my face."

While the "new friend" Todd describes in the song refers to a new lover, the music video shows Malcolm Todd with his childhood friend Charlie Ziman, who produces all of his music. The video displays Todd's cleverness as he asks Ziman in the video to make a "friendship montage," but frames the question like a romantic one, apologizing for "moving too fast" when he doesn't immediately receive an affirmative "yes" to his question.

#2: "Hot in NY"

"Hot in NY," the 14th track on Sweet Boy, features an interesting juxtaposition as Todd sings about a relationship causing him significant distress while the song itself has an upbeat and lively sound. Todd's inspiration for the song title about New York City came from seeing a friend posting about New York when it looked hot and sunny, while Los Angeles, where Todd lived, was going through a prolonged rainstorm.

#1: "Sweet Boy"

The second most streamed track on Malcolm Todd's debut mixtape, "Sweet Boy" is a song about having to let go of someone you love, with lines like, "Can we go home now? You think it's time to give up." Following a similar theme to "Hot in NY," the song is actually quite upbeat despite its heavier lyrical content, and Todd's enthusiasm and passion for his music radiate throughout the song even as he sings about heartbreak.

As a new and rising artist, we'll certainly see Malcolm Todd making more great music in the future, as his first two projects, Sweet Boy and Malcolm Todd, are just the beginning. And any new releases from him would be great news 4Me 4Me. Bad pun, I know.