Shallou makes music for summer sunsets, winter wonderlands, and other contexts where sharpened senses meet heightened emotions in the glow of a profound, often wistful calm. Born Joe Boston in Washington D.C., Shallou grew up in Rockville, Maryland, studied in New Orleans, and moved to Chicago to focus on music before eventually resettling in LA. He released his EP, Souls, in 2018, with lullaby-grade chimes and breathy falsetto melodies. The overall mood is a delicate flavor of bittersweet, in which even the deepest melancholy gives delectable pleasure. He released his debut album, Magical Thinking, in 2020. On the record, Shallou sharpened his songwriting as he teamed up with singers like Zachary Knowles (“Mutual Love”) and Daya (“Older”) and stretched his sound into wide-screen pop on “Silhouettes,” featuring Vancouver Sleep Clinic. The same year, he teamed up with Petit Biscuit for “I Leave Again,” proving that even the most solitary feelings are best enjoyed in good company.