fashion. culture. music.
JUNE 22, 2026
Malcolm Todd is Transcending the Game
Malcolm Todd is not trying to be famous. That’s exactly why he is. I’ve been racking my brain trying to understand why it is that when I get in my car, I immediately play “Earrings”. It’s almost automatic: Savannah sits in car, Savannah plays “Earrings”. Even as I’m writing this article, I’m listening to Malcolm Todd. The more I listen to his music, the more I understand why I’m so utterly obsessed. He’s just cool. He’s not trying to be a rockstar, he’s not trying to be anything. It’s because of this ability to be so nonchalant, that he is so effortlessly cool.
So I did what any fan would do, I went down the rabbit hole. Who is Malcolm Todd really? Where did he come from? Is he a nepotism baby? What I came across only made me more obsessed. After graduating high school in 2022, he told his parents he would be taking a gap year, the words parents dread hearing. He spent every day working on his music, perfecting his trade, making sure his talent would be seen by the rest of the world. In 2024, he released his first album “Sweet Boy”, and lo and behold, it got millions of streams daily. The rest is history.
It’s hard to ignore someone’s tenacity, especially when it’s as strong as Malcolm Todd’s. It’s one thing to write music that people like, but to write music that millions love, then capitalizing off it in more ways than one, is truly astonishing. By now, you’ve seen the video. Malcolm Todd, soft serve in hand, effortlessly loveable on the Erewhon TikTok. The most trendy grocery store in Los Angeles could have named their ice cream after any A-list celebrity, but they didn’t. They named it after a kid who spent his gap year working at Cold Stone and betting on his own talent. When Erewhon names a soft serve after you, the conversation is over.
His music is fun and refreshing, and so is he. His performance with Don Toliver at Madison Square Garden was hard to miss. On stage with a bright orange slouchy sweater and his glasses, casually playing the guitar for Don Toliver’s song “E85”. The audience ate up every second of it, with clips circulating of fans being head over heels obsessed with Malcolm’s performance. An artist’s stage presence never lies, and Malcolm’s is telling us that he’s just getting started, and it’s only up from here.
His story is one that’s inspiring for the Gen Z audience. Not everyone takes the traditional path, and that’s okay. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but some people are meant to take that gap year. Some people are not meant for the 9-5. What matters is that you pick something you want to do, and DO IT. Take that day job at the ice cream shop, and reserve the night shift to work on your dreams. The only way to get what you want is by getting up and making it happen.
So, even if you don’t like Malcolm Todd’s music (which would be crazy because it’s amazing), take his story as inspiration for your own. Now, go make your dreams come true, and stream Malcolm Todd’s new album “Do That Again”.
