How a DIY heartbreak track became a global chart-topping sleeper hit
In short: Malcolm Todd's "Earrings" didn't find its audience immediately. Released in 2024 as a personal intro to a heartbreak mixtape, it spent two years in relative obscurity before a viral resurgence transformed it into a certified platinum global phenomenon, eventually sparking a controversy over streaming fraud.
Originally appearing as the opening track of Todd's 2024 debut mixtape, Sweet Boy, "Earrings" was designed as an intimate exploration of lost connections. Todd and co-writer Jonah Cochran crafted the piece to serve as a psychological walkthrough of reaching out to someone who has drifted away. The production, handled by Todd, Cochran, and Charlie Ziman, intentionally leans into a DIY aesthetic. It features a relaxed pace characterized by "sloppy" drums, nasal-sounding keyboards, and multitracked vocals. Critics have noted its stylistic similarities to Steve Lacy's 2022 single "Bad Habit," blending retro-infused keys and guitar riffs into a psychedelic collage of fuzzed-out harmonies.
The song's trajectory is a classic example of a "sleeper hit." It did not achieve major success until 2026, two years after its initial release, when it went viral on TikTok. On 14 April 2026, Columbia Records issued the track as a single for US pop radio due to this natural growth. The impact was significant: the track reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Todd's highest-charting entry to date. The record achieved global success, peaking within the top 10 of charts in Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia, plus reaching the top 20 in the United Kingdom, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Malaysia, Lebanon, and Ireland.
Despite its commercial success, the song's journey was complicated by a digital integrity scandal. In July 2026, after the track topped Spotify's daily U.S. chart for the first time, the platform removed approximately 500,000 streams. This action followed allegations of betting fraud on the platform Kalshi. The song's cultural footprint was further solidified through reciprocal artistic gestures, such as when Audrey Hobert covered the track on Triple J's Like a Version in May 2026, honoring her brother Malcolm Todd's previous appearance on the same program.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Earrings (song)
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