Chicago’s own Mali Wilson is having a full-circle moment. Fresh off the release of her debut album Retro in Real Time: Where Love Feels Safe, Wilson returns to the city that helped shape her for a special one-night performance on April 3 at the Epiphany Center for the Arts.
Released March 20 under the Mali Wilson name, the album marks a defining creative chapter for the Grammy-nominated, Emmy-winning artist. It is both a personal statement and a reflection of the discipline she developed early on in Chicago’s commercial music scene.
Long before the accolades and global collaborations, Wilson was honing her craft in late-1990s Chicago under the mentorship of legendary composer Alan Moore and late commercial music radio guru, “Radio Bob” Monachino. Their influence instilled a philosophy that still defines her work today: serve the emotion, elevate the story, and never overpower the moment.
That foundation carried her into agency work at Leo Burnett, FCB, and DDB, where she contributed to major campaigns for brands such as Gatorade and Kellogg’s. Along the way, she built a reputation as a trusted creative partner, with early support from collaborators who recognized her instinct for emotional storytelling.
Wilson’s career has since expanded across music, television, and live performance, working with artists including Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Lenny Kravitz. She has also played a key role in creating safe, high-trust creative environments for artists, a throughline that carries into her own music.
A central collaborator on Retro in Real Time is her husband and songwriting partner, Eric D. Wilson, who co-wrote much of the album. Together, they run StoneWood Studios and the StoneWood Ranch in Atlanta — a 10-acre creative hub dedicated to recording, artist development, and storytelling across music and film. Listen to a couple of the tracks from her new album below:
“Retro in Real Time: Where Love Feels Safe is my offering, a world where love is intentional, soft, and protected,” Wilson tells Reel Chicago. “I stand on the shoulders of the women who came before me, who paved the way and shaped the sound of truth in music. This album is me honoring that lineage while stepping fully into my own voice, timeless, rooted, and free.”
Despite her global reach, Chicago remains core to Wilson’s identity. From early agency days to reconnecting with the city’s creative community through supporters like Sandro and Claudine Miller, the relationship has never faded.
“Chicago is home, my foundation, my rhythm, my truth. Every time I step back into this city, it’s not just a performance, it’s a return. This is where I was shaped, so to share this chapter here feels iconic, sacred, and full circle,” Wilson noted.
Now, with her debut album out in the world and momentum building, Wilson is bringing it all back home.
Her April 3 performance isn’t just another show. It’s a return.
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