Malcolm Tod - Self-Titled | Album Review
June 23 2025 | Written By Lauren Ketterl
Up-and-coming star Malcolm Todd released his newest project, a self-titled album that explores a more mature sound, in addition to addressing his newfound fame with his audience. This debut album dropped on April 5th, nearly a year on the dot from the release of his first album, “Sweet Boy,” which came out April 4th, 2024.
Thanks to TikTok, Malcolm Todd was able to quickly rise to fame on the app by posting videos of his music while claiming it was unreleased music by Steve Lacy. Now, his songs blow up on their own. Two of the singles from this album, ‘Chest Pain (I Love)’ and ‘Bleed (feat. Omar Apollo)’, both took over TikTok, with ‘Chest Pain (I Love)’ being a number one trending sound on the app.
This new album enters a mature era for Todd and discusses his relationship with music and his fans while opening up about his newfound fame. The first song on the album, ‘Harry Styles’ starts with the lyrics, “Dance monkey, dance. You’re our favorite fool. You’ll never make a profit if you’re just trying to be cool,” followed by, “But if I’m not a Harry Styles, they’re gonna put me on a shelf”, which shows his idea of his relationship with his fans and how having a certain level of fame, such as Harry Styles status, puts them on a pedestal.
The song ‘Doll’ has similar views of his relationship with his fans, in which he is a doll and is being played with or used for entertainment purposes.
On a more upbeat note, ‘Cheer Me On’ talks about relationships in a different way and yearning for someone’s love and attention. The lyrics “I’m living for your eyes,” and “My heart, it beats for you, I live for you to cheer me on,” represent praise and the feeling of comfort in someone.
‘I’ll Come Back For You’ has a love song feel with a slower melody, ending the album with a reassurance that his fans will come back for him. It sounds like a thank-you letter to fans and to himself for the success he has achieved over the past three years.
The album is full of incredibly written songs, some of which explore a new sound for Todd, but some songs have that instant Malcolm Todd recognition, like the song ‘Lying’. The beat sounds of one you’d find on his previous album, “Sweet Boy,” just have that standout alternative sound combined with jazzier instruments throughout. Todd has mastered this unique category of alternative music that few have been able to replicate.
This album has unlocked a new era of music for Malcolm Todd and has helped him once again blow up on the internet, giving him his well-earned recognition. He starts The Wholesome Rockstar Tour on May 1st and will release new music soon.