It is 2:00 AM. You’re staring at a text bubble that hasn't moved in three hours. That specific, hollow ache of a relationship that has basically turned into a logistical arrangement is exactly what Malcolm Todd captured in "Roommates."
The song didn't just appear; it leaked into the collective consciousness through TikTok snippets that felt more like FaceTime calls than marketing. When the single officially dropped on June 22, 2023, it confirmed what the internet already suspected. Malcolm Todd wasn't just another indie kid with a guitar. He was the architect of a very specific, "lovesick" brand of alternative R&B that made being sad feel... kinda groovy?
The Viral Genesis of Roommates
Most people found Malcolm through a screen. He was working at Cold Stone Creamery and studying at the University of Oregon when things started to move. "Art House" was the first spark, but "Roommates" was the gasoline. Todd’s strategy was brutally simple: post videos of the unreleased track until the demand became a roar. Three specific teasers for the song racked up over 2 million views each.
It worked.
The track eventually landed on his 2024 mixtape Sweet Boy, but its legacy started in those 15-second loops. By the time it hit streaming services, it felt like an old friend.
The production, handled by Todd himself alongside his frequent collaborator Charlie Ziman, is deceptively thin. It relies on a warm, warbling guitar line and a drum pocket that feels like a heartbeat skipping. It’s "bedroom pop" in the most literal sense—music made in a private space, meant to be heard in one.
What Is Malcolm Todd Actually Saying?
Lyrics are where Todd usually wins. He doesn't use metaphors about the cosmos or the ocean. He talks about apartments. He talks about beds. He talks about the awkward, painful transition from being someone's everything to just being a person they share a lease with.
"I wanna share an apartment, a room, and a bed / I wanna tell you I love you, but I cannot reach you / I’m learning to lose, that’s a thing they don’t teach you."
That last line is the kicker. It’s the "Roommates" thesis statement.
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The song explores the "situations I’m not choosing." It's about the inertia of a breakup. Sometimes you don't leave because you don't love them anymore; you leave because the version of yourself you were when you met them is gone. Todd admits to "being dramatic," which is a hallmark of his songwriting—a refreshing self-awareness that keeps the music from feeling too whiny.
Why It Resonates
- The Relatability Factor: Most 20-somethings have lived through the "living together while falling apart" phase.
- The Genre Mashup: It’s not quite R&B, not quite indie rock. It’s textural. It’s the "Dominic Fike" effect, where the melody matters more than the label.
- The Vulnerability: Todd isn't playing a character. He sounds like a guy who’s genuinely bummed out but still wants to dance a little bit.
The Technical Soul of the Song
Musically, "Roommates" is a masterclass in tension and release. The instrumental breaks aren't just filler; they are the moments where the listener is forced to sit with the lyrics they just heard.
Todd's vocals are conversational. He isn't trying to out-sing anyone. He’s whispering in your ear while a fuzzy bassline holds the floor. This "DIY" approach—honed on GarageBand before he ever saw a professional studio—is what gives the track its grit.
By the time he released his self-titled debut album in April 2025, his sound had polished up. Tracks like "Chest Pain (I Love)" and his collaboration with Omar Apollo on "Bleed" showed a more expansive, almost "grunge-pop" evolution. Yet, "Roommates" remains the foundation. It’s the track that proved his "art-house" sensibilities could actually scale to the Billboard charts.
Moving Past the Roommate Phase
If you’re just discovering Malcolm Todd through this track, you’re looking at the entry point to a much larger world. The guy has a sense of humor that most indie artists lack—just look at the "4Me 4Me" music video where he dates a cardboard cutout of the Queen of England.
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But "Roommates" is the serious side. It’s the anchor.
To truly appreciate the song, you have to listen to it within the context of the Sweet Boy mixtape. It sits alongside tracks like "Earrings" and "Mr. Incorrect," forming a narrative of a young artist trying to figure out fame, girls, and why his head hurts so much.
Actionable Insights for New Listeners:
- Check the Credits: Notice the name Charlie Ziman. He’s the secret sauce behind the percussion that makes Todd’s songs move.
- Watch the Visualizers: Todd’s aesthetic—saturated colors, 90s-style film grain—is inseparable from the music.
- Listen for the Samples: Todd loves using spoken snippets and voicemails to ground his tracks in reality.
If you want to understand where indie music is heading in 2026, you start here. It’s less about the big stadium anthems and more about the songs that make you feel less alone in your own living room. "Roommates" isn't just a song about a breakup; it’s a song about the quiet, boring parts of heartbreak that nobody else bothers to write about.