Spotlight: Gallant

Championed by Complex as “the R&B game changer” and predicted by NME to be “the voice that will redefine R&B,” Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Gallant released his full-length debut album Ology (Mind of a Genius/Warner Bros. Records) in April 2016. The album garnered him his first-ever GRAMMY nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. Gallant has been on this pursuit since junior high. Growing up in Columbia, MD, he began tinkering on his computer and making songs after school inspired by everything from ’90s R&B to classic jazz and blues. Rather than write in a journal, the music collated his feelings and emotions. He’d rarely share it with friends though. While attending NYU, he enrolled in summer school, so he could graduate early. Post-graduation and countless hours of meticulous practice later, he was finally ready to share his songs to the world at large. His first online release “If It Hurts” would establish him in the blogosphere, while 2014’s Zebra EP landed him on Spotify’s viral charts and at the top of HypeM. Signing to Mind of a Genius in 2015 and relocating to L.A., he dove into creating what would become Ology with co-producers such as Stint. The first single “Weight In Gold” enjoyed its world premiere on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 Radio show as the introductory entry in the coveted “World’s First” segment. In less than six months, it accumulated over 6.5 million Spotify streams. On “Skipping Stones” Gallant trades vivid and vital verses with Jhené Aiko over a backdrop of horns, heavenly keys, stirring strings, and a jazzy beat produced by composer Adrian Younge. Sir Elton John summed it up best saying, “Gallant is gonna be huge.”

“I’m using music as a means of self-discovery,” says Gallant. “If my songs help somebody do the same thing or realize art can help us improve ourselves, I’d be honored.” The GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to welcome GRAMMY nominee Gallant to the Clive Davis Theater for a special conversation and performance during GRAMMY Week, hosted by Scott Goldman, Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares.