Shanice Harris

I remember the day like it was yesterday. I was sitting in the back of a rented, black 4-door sedan on a brisk, sunny day on my way to Myrtle Beach. My younger siblings were next to me, my mom in the passenger seat looking intently at her phone, and my dad—quiet—as he navigated the car. The windows were down and the SiriusXM radio was low, fixated on The Heat. I had my headphones on...nose deep in a book.

I don’t ever listen to the radio, but I heard a voice that made me freeze. I’m pulling my weiiiight iiiiiin gooooold. I clicked the pause button on the side of my headphones and looked up from my book. Call me anxious, call me broke. But I can’t lift this on my own. Who. Is. That? I squinted my eyes and looked over the back of the passenger seat. I peered at the screen and waited as the blue text scrolled across the screen. Gallant. I immediately hopped on Google and entered his name into the search engine. I needed to know more.

From that moment on, Christoper Gallant (professionally known as Gallant), was my new obsession. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore R&B. I grew up in the 90s, so a good run and a great melody just does it for me. Some of my first artists were Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child, Alicia Keys, and Usher. As music continued into the mid-2000s, I was all over Emancipation of Mimi, Year of the Gentleman, and Trey Day. But, in my High School years, R&B kind of...lost its essence. Hip-hop was just starting to see a revitalization with newcomers (at the time) Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Wale, and J. Cole. R&B and Hip Hop were starting to mix even more and soon R&B became synonymous with melodic rap.

I was well into college by the time I heard Gallant, but he reminded me of how people used to sing. He wasn’t a singer-rapper (sapper...or ringer, as I like to call them). I mean, that music is cool too...depending on the artist, but Gallant was different...nostalgic. Just like Frank Ocean, Luke James, or even more recent artists like Lucky Daye, G brought both talent and soul to his craft.

In 2016, he dropped his debut album, Ology, an album that is both haunting and sexy, vulnerable and powerful. Since that day (Three. Years. Ago), he has dropped several singles. All beautiful, may I add. From a hazy record like Gentleman, to a futuristic hit like Sharpest Edges, I am reminded why I first fell in love with him that day in the car. But...Gallant...G...where’s the album? We need the album! I know, I know...artistry needs time. But I’m dying here. No more singles...please. Your music is meant to be experienced as a body of work. Not just an arm. Not a kneecap. A body.

So until then, I will be listening to Ology on repeat...as I have for the past three years! No pressure.

Until next time…

Shanice