New York's Sheldon Charlot has been gaining attention in the past year due to the success of his instrumental track, "might start singing," which went viral, and it's no wonder why. His music has a groovy and captivating quality, enhanced by his contemporary vocals. This combination results in an innovative sound that can be heard in songs like "all night" and "so damn good." Sheldon's inspirations shine through in his music, blending together to create his own unique vibe. Get to know Sheldon Charlot below: 

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“just go away” is such a dope track. Take me through the creative process of it, and how it came together. 

I made the instrumental, and then I wrote the lyrics. It is written from a place of wanting to find independence. I am like, “Yo, I’m done with this. Go away. Leave me alone.” It was inspired by fake friends I made when I was in high school. They tend to keep up with me, but they don’t reach out. It gives me anxiety. I don’t like it. It is weird. 

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You produce your own stuff?

Absolutely. 

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Your production is sick. How did you come up with your sound?

As a kid, I spent my whole life on Soundcloud. I was listening to Kaytranda, Sam Gellaitry, and J.Robb. Everyone from the selection scene. I was listening to a bunch of people like that. I kind of had an ego death like last year. I started leaning into more of the stuff I listened to growing up like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Funkadelic. I was listening to a lot of 70s and 80s stuff. It blended itself together with the Kaytranada, Michael Jackson, and Prince sound. I like funky, groovy music.

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When did you start getting into being a musician, and when did you know it was what you wanted to do?

I have been around music my entire life. I have been singing as a child. In high school, I was a part of the ensemble so I was doing keys and singing. I knew this was my thing when in 7th grade I downloaded FL Studio, and I picked it up really quickly. I was very intuitive with it. It was really natural. I knew what I was doing when I made a song. 

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You also have a really cool aesthetic that coincides with your music. How important is that to you? 

It means a lot to me. It is like an entire identity. I want to be able to say what I mean through these songs and get my message out. I want people to know what I am thinking through my music. 

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What is the message you want your fans to get from your music?

I want them to know that this young kid can make really good music. 

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How important is consistency to your success?

I think if you keep putting your heart into your work, people will start to gravitate toward it. Just keep going.

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How have you taken in the success of everything from the past year, especially with “might start singing?”

That song was really an anomaly. It was really fascinating because I didn’t do anything at all. It blew up because people liked it so much. After it blew up, it was the green light for me to keep making original music. I started off as a producer. Like I was saying with the whole ego death thing, I was just like, “I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to make beats anymore. I want people to hear my voice.” Now, I am just figuring it out. 

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Looking forward, where do you see your career going?

I want to be like Tyler, The Creator. He is a star. We basically watched him get to where he is now. He was in the public eye his whole career. I want people to see me evolve.

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If you could have dinner with any artist, who would it be?

Michael Jackson. His music is timeless. He is amazing, and he really is the king of pop.

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