Gospel Singer Chris Malachi Pushes Toward Debut Album After Brighter Days Breakout

Roughly half a year since Brighter Days exploded online, gospel vocalist Chris Malachi has turned his attention to what he believes could become the defining work of his young career: a first full-length album.

Known for Everything Cool, Malachi took the stage at Sunday's Eternal Father Awards with performances of Hallelujah and Brighter Days. Speaking with THE WEEKEND STAR, he said recent months have largely been spent in the recording booth shaping the project, which he intends to put out before the year ends.

Studio commitments have not crowded out inward work. Malachi said he has been taking stock of where he wants his music, his daily life, and his wider ambitions to lead.

"I've actually been busy working on myself, trying to understand all of the goals I have in my career, life and everything else. I found it important to work on my fitness, diet, and build up my structure so that I can maintain everything that I have [been] working on and working towards. So far, it's been good, and I've been learning about discipline and structure these days. It's a good thing to be a creative and have that under control, but you also have to pay attention to the other side," he said.

That shift has included a demanding exercise programme. Malachi laughed that his coach shows little mercy in sessions.

"The routine in the gym changes constantly, as my trainer nah ramp wid me. Every day, he gives me something I feel I can't do, but I do it. So, I guess it's something you learn about life, that, just when you think you can't, you actually can. My diet has been good for the most part because it's just about being intentional. It's not about being super rigid, in that you can't have this or that. You know, I haven't cut out much. It's just portion size and control, really and truly," he said.

The groundswell around Brighter Days still drives him, Malachi added, and sharpens his sense of why he records in the first place.

"Just to see the level of impact that one song has had is incredible. I've had people come up to me, literal strangers, telling me how much the song has encouraged them through their hard times. That's really what I seek to do whenever I make music. To see it actually panning out that way just confirms that I'm really walking with purpose."

Although he is not a parent himself, Father's Day offered another moment to salute the man he regards as his foremost example — his father, Anthony Morris.

"[He] is a great father because he showed me how to be a responsible and compassionate person. He's a pastor but he also has a 9-to-5 job. So, I grew up watching him go to the country every single weekend to work on the church and come back home, do his church events, and go back and forth between Kingston and Mandeville several times for the week. He would drop home musicians in May Pen and Portmore and get home late and get up the next day for work. So he taught me about having a strong work ethic and building a vision, so he's very inspirational to me as I try to build my own legacy," he said.