Christopher Joseph Gallant III, widely known as Gallant, was born on November 14, 1991, in Washington, D.C., and is an American singer and songwriter hailing from Columbia, Maryland. He is signed to Mind of a Genius Records and Warner Bros. Records. Gallant began to gain prominence in the music industry with the self-release of his debut EP, Zebra, in 2014. His debut studio album, Ology, was released globally in April 2016 and received critical acclaim, earning him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album.
Early Life and Education
Gallant's family moved to Columbia, Maryland, during his childhood, where he attended Atholton High School. He began recording songs while in middle school, drawing inspiration from R&B artists before later exploring alternative rock influences. In 2013, he graduated from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University, where he focused on music.
Musical Career
2013–2015: Early Career and Zebra EP
In the fall of 2013, Gallant relocated to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a music career. He released his debut EP, Zebra, in 2014, which he described as "a sonic diary about dealing with the aftermath of New York." The following year, his single "Weight in Gold" gained significant attention when Zane Lowe featured it on Beats1 during its inaugural broadcast in June 2015. Additionally, Gallant toured North America with Sufjan Stevens, performing 18 shows across the country. Following these events, he was recognized by Spotify as one of 15 artists predicted to "breakout" in 2016. Gallant also collaborated with Zhu, contributing to the track "Testarossa Music" from the Genesis Series EP, and served as the opening act for Zhu's "Neon City" tour in April and May, starting with Coachella.
On February 5, 2016, Gallant released "Skipping Stones," a collaboration with Jhené Aiko, produced by Adrian Younge and co-produced by Stint. The song showcases Gallant's renowned falsetto and Aiko's signature soothing vocals. It was included in the Red Bull Media House's Red Bull Sound Select collection. Gallant performed at Coachella in both weekends of 2016, where he made memorable appearances with Seal and Jhené Aiko, performing "Crazy" and "Skipping Stones," respectively.
In the Room
On January 6, 2016, Gallant launched In the Room, a collaborative series where he performed alongside various artists. The first episode featured Sufjan Stevens, and the second, released on March 9, showcased Seal. In this episode, they performed "Weight in Gold," with Seal expressing his admiration for Gallant. The series continued with Gallant covering Janet Jackson's "I Get Lonely" with Jack Garratt and collaborating with John Legend on "Overload." He also worked with Andra Day and Dua Lipa in subsequent episodes. Gallant described In the Room as an ongoing project to pay tribute to and create alongside artists who have inspired him.
2016–Present: Ology, Sweet Insomnia, Neptune
Gallant's debut studio album, Ology, was released on April 6, 2016, by Mind of a Genius Records. The album received widespread acclaim, with Pitchfork rating it 7.5/10 and The Guardian giving it 4/5, noting that "if this is what R&B’s future looks like it’s brighter than ever." Entertainment Weekly also recognized Ology as one of the 25 best albums of 2016 (so far), praising Gallant's unique sound, voice, and lyricism.
On May 12, 2016, Gallant made his national television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, performing "Weight in Gold" to a standing ovation. Fallon praised Gallant's performance, stating, “Oh my goodness! I told you… Watch out for this guy [GALLANT]!” Gallant continued to gain visibility with performances of "Bourbon" and "Weight in Gold" on Later... with Jools Holland in September 2016, and he was a Special Artist at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards, where he performed "Weight in Gold." In January 2017, he was named Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month and performed on NBC's Today show. He released "Cave Me In," a collaboration with Tablo and Eric Nam, on January 26, 2017, and served as the opening act on John Legend's Darkness and Light tour in the spring of 2017.
Sweet Insomnia
Gallant's sophomore album, Sweet Insomnia, was released on January 25, 2019, featuring collaborations with Sabrina Claudio on "Compromise" and 6lack on the title track, "Sweet Insomnia."
Neptune
On March 26, 2021, Gallant released his second EP, Neptune, which includes features from Brandy, Arin Ray, and the R&B duo VanJess.