St. Thomas junior Edward Dennard has released three singles and a four-song extended play on major streaming services since 2019 and is poised to keep growing.

Even though his first release was only a year ago, Dennard has been interested in making music long before Spotify and Apple Music existed.

“I was about five when I first started singing,” Dennard said. “When I was younger, my sister would sit me in front of the TV and make me watch Usher concerts, and I would imitate his dancing and everything, so I think the dancing led me to singing.”

Dennard’s sister, RaShonda Muhammed, said he was fascinated by Usher.

“He was mesmerized by this man moving on the screen,” she said. “From watching Usher, he just started to move like him, and his movements became rhythmic.”

Dennard initially began singing in church and school choirs before attempting his own music.

“The first song I ever made was actually in ninth grade,” Dennard said. “It was on the iPad and I put it on SoundCloud, but it was so bad.”

Dennard kept working at making music and has moved from an iPad to various studios.

“In Minnesota, I record at my friend Jeremiah’s; we have a studio in Brooklyn Park,” he said. “When I’m not in Minnesota, I record in New Orleans at The Loyalty Club.”

Dennard releases music through the label 7EVEN SIDE, who he got the opportunity to sign with through his friend.

“[Jeremiah] was signed already, and I kind of just went with the flow,” he said.

In June, Dennard released his first EP, titled “Live and Learn,” which consists of four R&B-style songs. Dennard showed off his voice as well as his writing ability and earned his most streamed song, “All Night,” from the project.

Dennard is excited to start releasing music in different ways to try to gain more fans.

“I’ve been dropping music, but I want to start doing visuals,” Dennard said. “When I drop a song, I’m going to drop a video and not just show me singing, but that I can dance too, and it’ll be like mini-movies with meaning behind the video.”

Dennard believes that with this attitude, he will become even more successful.

“I know I will catch a big break,” he said. “Everybody says that, but I truly do want to be successful to the point where when it comes down to it and people start to categorize who is the best artist, I want my name to be at the top.”

Muhammed believes in her brother and thinks he has what it takes.

“He’s a hard worker, he’s a go-getter, and I know those are the things that it takes to become a star,” she said. “He is going to go far in whatever he does, and it’s super exciting to watch him climb this ladder.”

Scout Mason can be reached at maso7275@stthomas.edu.