Kevin Garrett

Originating from Pennsylvania with brown eyes and a flair for blue-eyed soul, Kevin Garrett has applied a polished, modern touch to traditional R&B through the EPs Mellow Drama (2015) and False Hope (2017), projects that bracketed his rise after serving as co-writer and co-producer on Beyoncé's "Pray You Catch Me."

Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he took up violin as a child, looked up to Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Sam Cooke, and, upon completing his studies at New York University, inked a publishing agreement with Jay-Z's Roc Nation. Possessing an ethereal tone and enveloping tenderness, he explored themes of affection and heartache on the fittingly named Mellow Drama, which featured the tracks "Coloring" and "Control." His delivery carried the bruised fragility associated with Sam Smith, yet his aesthetic choices and lean, beat-driven arrangements echoed the approaches heard in certain work by Frank Ocean and Jack Garratt.

The multi-instrumentalist expanded his reach in 2016 by co-writing and co-producing "Pray You Catch Me," the opening cut on Beyoncé's Lemonade. Before year's end he issued the standalone track "Precious." Another collection of slow songs, False Hope, arrived the following year. Working with Brad Cook, he delivered "In Case I Don't Feel" in 2018.