Broadway veteran Phillip Johnson Richardson, known professionally as Phil., trades the stage lights for studio intimacy on “stay with me,” released 2nd January 2026.
The Charlotte-bred talent delivers R&B that belongs in the lineage of 90s and early 2000s slow burners.
His vocals shift between registers with purpose, dropping into conversational territory before climbing into falsetto when the emotion requires it.
The atmospheric production gives him room to work: moody keys, minimal percussion, enough breathing space to let each confession land properly.
“All my life it’s always been easy for me to run away / My mind is out the door my heart is telling me to stay” cuts straight to the centre of the track’s tension.
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Phil. sounds like someone caught between self-preservation and surrender, his theatre training evident in how deliberately he phrases each line.
This isn’t about technical flourishes or stacked harmonies. It’s about conveying uncertainty without hedging.
The song works best after midnight when the defences come down and admitting you’re not okay feels less dangerous.
Phil. understands that sincerity requires space, so he doesn’t oversell the sentiment or drown the lyric in unnecessary runs. Smart choice.