2026 HAS FOUND ITS HEART-BREAKOUT BOY

Heartthrob is a term I don't hear thrown around often in today's music landscape. Maybe that's because the most recognizable male singers we grew up with in the last decade have full blown families, or maybe it's because the recognition of a heartthrob has shifted with social media fanbases. Gone are the commonly found magazines at checkout aisles gushing about poster tabloids, or those who cut pages out of said magazines for their locker decor. Instead much of today happens in our pockets, and not via money but time in content. Edits of songs over photo gallery montages, Pinterest mood boards for album aesthetics, Posts about how broke everyone is yet will still be grinding for cash to buy tickets. All of this to say that the collective of fanbases yearn still, but often for simpler times before it all happened fully virtual. Times when iCarly poked fun at content creators, when people sat down to cut collages of their favorite artist crushes, and tickets were regularly sold at booths. Believe it or not, some artists not only understand the desire for the feeling these past moments brought us, they've embraced them in modern terms. In comes 2026's standout 'wholesome rockstar' Malcolm Todd. At 22 years old, he has lived through these same shifts just like the rest of us growing alongside rapid technology advances. His first project "Demos Before Prom" speaks for itself in the title, trying the music thing out before even graduating (amidst a global pandemic). In what jokingly has been deemed "White Steve Lacy" fashion, Malcolm shreds guitars, belts his heart out romantically, and dresses like the 2000's live in his closet. That is to say, he doesn't overcomplicate things and is a huge fan of love. Fast forward to today where his smash hit "Earrings" is climbing the charts and scoring him Late Show performances, The outward thrown love is returning like a boomerang. It all circles timely around his newest project "Do That Again." As Todd shows throughout the album, love comes with loss and picking up the pieces afterwards. In what I can best describe as "hitting a heart shaped piñata," bits fly out everywhere post breakup as themes of loneliness, adoration, and uncertainty seep into the guitar licks. The songs shout unapologetic romance in both lyrics and their catchy earworm fashion production. Exposure wise, "Do That Again" had no issue showing the world how ready it is for an artist like Malcolm to shine bright. Debuting at #5 on the Billboard 200 alongside an immediately sold out tour (not even mentioning the Erewhon ice cream collaboration), he certainly has this year on lockdown. Claiming the color red for this summer, this album is all about having fun and not taking things too seriously. Fans who scored tickets are already glowing in excitement for this fall to take him back on the road. Between performing at last years Camp Flog Gnaw Festival and opening for Omar Apollo's most recent tour, Malcolm has come a long way in what feels like the blink of an eye in holding his weight as a solo artist (all credit due to his band too). It may be his first time with this many accolades simultaneously, but Malcolm Todd shows no signs of not doing it again.