Charlotte Day Wilson is a Name You Should Already Know

Watch our interview with the Toronto-based musician, where we chat about political messages, the role of fashion and the fan name her younger fans should give themselves.

By Meghan McKenna

Date September 25, 2018

Chances are you already know Charlotte Day Wilson’s name, but even if you don’t, you’ll likely recognize her face. For the past couple of months, her photo has been plastered on bus stops, streetcars and billboards across the city as a part of Roots 2018 Sweatstyle campaign. Oh, and if you’ve listened to any Canadian Spotify or Apple Music playlists over the few years, you’ll recognize her truly singular voice, too.

With musical roots ranging from R&B to folk to jazz, Wilson’s soulful sound attracted the attention of ears around the world with the 2016 release of her debut EP CDW. Her breakout single, “Work,” became a somewhat anthem of the women’s march movement, and brought her home the 2017 Prism Prize for Best Canadian Music Video. (She’s used her prize money to create the Work Film Grant, a one-time $10,000 grant that will be awarded to a female or gender non-binary Canadian director. We told you she was cool.) Her second project, Stone Woman, is a six-track EP which she self-released in February, chronicles the collapse of a relationship, as Wilson enters a chapter defined by clarity, vulnerability and strength. We’re looking forward to whatever she brings her voice to next.

With every move she makes, Wilson is continuously labelled “the next big thing out of Toronto.” And so, it only feels fitting that she’d participate in a Canadian apparel campaign that previously saw Daniel Caesar and Jessie Reyes as its stars. Joining her on 2018’s roster of rising musical talent are: 18-year-old German/Canadian artist Megan Bülow, Toronto-based rapper Killy and multi-instrumentalist Langston Francis. With each artist, Roots is celebrating individuality. “In addition to their incredible musical talent,” said Mangala D’Sa, Roots Vice President, Marketing, “each of our 2018 artists has a unique fashion sense that is an expression of who they are.”