Maxwell

Maxwell, born Gerald Maxwell Rivera in Brooklyn, New York, is a singer, songwriter and producer widely regarded as one of the founding figures of the Neo Soul movement of the 1990s, alongside D'Angelo and Erykah Badu. Largely self-taught after receiving a keyboard as a teenager, he built a devoted local following performing in New York clubs before signing with Columbia Records.

His 1996 debut album, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, defined his signature sound: a smooth, jazz- and soul-inflected style built around his falsetto-rich vocals, standing apart from the hip-hop-driven R&B dominant at the time. The follow-up, Embrya, pushed into more experimental, atmospheric territory, showing his willingness to challenge audience expectations rather than repeat a formula.

Over a career marked by long gaps between releases, Maxwell has maintained a reputation for meticulous, deeply romantic songwriting, with songs such as «This Woman’s Work», «Pretty Wings», «Fortunate» and «Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder)» becoming staples of the genre. His BLACKsummers’night trilogy further cemented his standing as one of R&B’s most consistently acclaimed vocalists and album artists.