Malcolm Todd’s Sweet Boy album is underappreciated and one of the only albums I can listen to without skipping songs. I heard the song “Roomates” for the first time in my brother’s car. It was a warm day, and our windows were down. The wind was blowing in my hair, and my brother was singing along. After that day, every time the song came on, we would both be belting the wonderfully written lyrics. More and more songs of his were added to our playlist, and every time one came on, a smile on our faces came with it. His music features good beats and choruses that aren’t too repetitive. The songs have a similar feel that when one comes on, you know it’s his, but they aren’t like other artists, where every song in the album sounds the same. Todd released another album in 2025 called Malcolm Todd. This album has a few good songs, but it doesn’t compare to the mandatory listen of Sweet Boy. His newest release, “Breathe,” is one of my and my friend’s favorites. Todd’s music is soulful and dynamic and is worth a listen.

Todd started gaining fame during COVID by making music in his bedroom and posting on TikTok. He stated that he took inspiration from artists such as Steve Lacy, another one of my brothers’ and my favorites. I have never heard his music on the radio, but Vibrate.com considers him a mainstream artist. He has around 18.3 million monthly listeners, and his most popular song from this album is “Earrings” with 122,890,216 streams. Todd’s first big hit was his song “Chest Pains” from his Malcolm Todd Album, which reached the Billboard Hot 100. 

There are many themes of this album, some being: relationships, vulnerability, insecurity, and navigating breakups. Malcolm Todd’s genre of music is Indie pop and R&B. He is very creative with his lyrics and use of metaphors. I like how most of his songs’ choruses are only sung twice, giving us more lyrics to relate to and listen to. One of my favorite lyrics is: “It’s hot in NY, and I can’t get away from pain. I’m losing my nerves, and you’re losing the way to the game.” (Hot in NY) These two lyrics have many hidden meanings, such as a relationship failing and causing heartache. A lot of his songs are written in a way that makes them catchy while also having a deeper meaning.

Tracks that have hidden implications and are good quality from this album are “Sweet Boy”, “Earrings”, and “Roomates”. Sweet Boy is the song the album is named after, with lovesick and vulnerable lyrics that listeners can agree with. Earrings is popular for a good reason. I enjoy his tracks that have a similar beat to Earrings, such as “Breathe”. These songs are really relatable and fun to sing to. Roomates is one of the tracks with the most significant hidden messages. It has mournful storytelling about relationships and the struggles of moving on. My least favorite song from this album is “Rockstar Boyfriend”, due to the song sounding as if he is talking instead of singing. However, it is really hard to choose a favorite and a least favorite, because I like all of his songs in the album.

This album is one of my favorites, and I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. It is one of the only albums that I like more than 2 or 3 songs in, and though I don’t listen to every song on repeat, this album has a lot of exceptionally good music. Malcolm Todd’s voice is one of a kind, and his storytelling through his lyrics, along with the beat of the tracks, is what makes listeners keep wanting more.