Charlotte Day Wilson

Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer Charlotte Day Wilson is known for her atmospheric and textured blend of R&B, folk, and electronic pop. She emerged to acclaim in 2016 with the EP CDW, featuring her SOCAN Prize-nominated song “Work.” In 2021, she released her first full-length effort, Alpha, which included collaborations with BadBadNotGood and Syd, the latter of whom appeared on the Juno Award-nominated track “Take Care of You.” Wilson then signed with XL Recordings, home to her second album, 2024′s soulful and ruminative Cyan Blue. Born in Toronto, Wilson began playing piano at an early age and grew up listening to Motown and bluegrass. She went on to learn saxophone and guitar, and eventually joined the funk and R&B group the Wayo while studying women’s studies and music in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was also during this period that she released her debut EP, Palimpsest, along with handful of tracks including “Avondale,” “Stephen,” and “Montreal.” Looking to focus on songwriting, Wilson left school and spent six months living in Montreal before returning to Toronto to intern at the Arts & Crafts label and perform with the Wayo. She taught herself how to produce music, and went solo in 2016 with the EP CDW, which also featured production by Howie Beck and River Tiber. Included on the album was the single “Work,” which picked up a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination in 2017. The EP was also longlisted for the 2017 Polaris Music Prize. On the heels of her EP’s release, Wilson collaborated with BadBadNotGood on their ’70s-tinged single “In Your Eyes.” She also appeared on Daniel Caesar’s 2017 single “Transform.” At the end of the year, she released her own track, “Doubt,” which paved the way for her third EP, 2018′s Stone Woman. Her debut long-player, Alpha, arrived in 2021 and saw Wilson team up with a host of contributors, including fellow Toronto artists Daniel Caesar, BadBadNotGood, Mustafa, and Merna Bishouty. The album included the hit “Take Care of You” (featuring Syd), which was nominated for the Juno Award for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year. Wilson was also up for Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year. Following featured appearances on Lil Silva’s “Leave It” and SG Lewis’ “Fever Dreamer,” Wilson signed with XL Recordings, and in August 2023 made her debut for Richard Russell’s label with the downcast Snoh Aalegra collaboration “Forever.” Two months later, she reconnected with BadBadNotGood for “Sleeper.” Cyan Blue appeared the following May, and contained “Forever” among other collaborations with fellow producers Jack Rochon and Leon Thomas. Wilson sought spontaneity over perfection during its making. ~ Matt Collar