What Comes After the Grammy? For STANLEY, It’s Chapter II

The first time STANLEY made a CD, he was five. Not "I made a song and sang it for my parents" five — we're talking "burned CDs and sold it to family and friends" five. "It was called A Swim in the Ocean," he laughed. "Five songs, me on keys, playing and singing." With help from a piano teacher at his church and his mom running point on the packaging, STANLEY wasn't just dreaming of being an artist; he was already one. "A little entrepreneur," he grinned.

That early spirit hasn't gone anywhere. These days, STANLEY is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and self-sustaining creative force who just dropped his most personal project to date. His new EP, Chapter II, is a reflection of that evolution. It is the first project he has entirely produced, mixed, and recorded himself. No studios. No outside producers. Just him and the tools he taught himself to use. "I always had the capability," he said, "but I was working with other people, co-producing, paying production fees. And then, one day, I left a session and thought, I can do this at home. I'm too talented not to."

That decision unlocked something deeper. Chapter II feels like STANLEY at his most grounded, creatively and personally. It blends the smoothness of classic R&B with funk, pop, and whatever else feels true in the moment. "Sonically, it touches a lot of spaces," he said. "It's my favorite body of work so far. I hope every project I make is my favorite at the time."