MAJOR.: HOUSTON’S PLATINUM SOUL KING RETURNS!

When MAJOR. walks into the studio, you already know love is in the building. The platinum selling soul singer came home to Houston and stopped by The Madd Hatta Show to celebrate ten years of his signature hit, “Why I Love You”, talk about the road that brought him here and introduce his next love anthem, “May This Moment Never End.”

MAJOR., whose full name is Major R. Johnson Finley, was born in Denton and raised right here in Houston. He grew up in a big blended family with 13 children, so finding his own voice probably was not optional. He started performing young, attended Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and received classical training through the Houston Grand Opera High School Voice Studio. He later attended Berklee College of Music, where he studied entertainment marketing and served as student body president.

Even the way he writes his name shows that business education at work. It is MAJOR. in all capital letters with a period at the end.

But the name goes deeper than branding. MAJOR. told me that before he was born, his mother prayed that he would make a major impact on the world. She shared that with him right before he walked across the stage at Berklee. From that point on, he decided to stand fully in the name and the purpose behind it.

Then came the record that changed everything.

“Why I Love You” was released in 2016 and became one of this generation’s true wedding songs. Ten years later, couples are still walking down the aisle, proposing and sharing first dances to it. The song reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s Adult R&B chart, earned an RIAA platinum certification and has collected more than 42 million streams on Spotify alone. MAJOR.’s official biography credits “Why I Love You” and “Keep On” with more than 126 million combined YouTube views.

Stevie Wonder even called MAJOR. after hearing the record and encouraged him to continue writing about love because God is love. When Uncle Stevie calls and tells you to keep going, that is more than a compliment. That is confirmation.

But “Why I Love You” was not the song that earned MAJOR. his first Grammy nomination. His song “Honest” was nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 61st Grammy Awards. MAJOR. told me that lesson was important. His career could not be built around trying to remake the same hit. The job was to keep showing up fully, doing the work and giving every song his best.

The honors have continued. MAJOR. spoke about being recognized by the National Museum of African American Music, a museum devoted to preserving the history and influence of Black music. He also received hometown recognition when Houston Mayor John Whitmire proclaimed a day in his honor.

That Houston love means something because this city helped build him. Before the platinum plaque, Grammy nomination and national attention, he was a Houston kid learning how to use his voice.

Then came another major moment. T.I. and Tiny flew him to Jamaica for their 16th anniversary vow renewal. MAJOR. sang as Tiny walked down the aisle and debuted his new song during the celebration. Their son Major helped introduce it. The video traveled everywhere, with coverage from People and music and entertainment outlets across the country.

The song is called “May This Moment Never End.” MAJOR. said he created it with producer DLO over Easter weekend. He wanted the emotion of “Why I Love You,” but with the deep voice, romance and big orchestral sound we associate with Barry White.

The result is lush, grown and built for love. This is a first dance song. A proposal song. A vow renewal song. It can work at the wedding, the anniversary dinner or the family cookout when the sun goes down and everybody starts feeling good.

“May This Moment Never End” arrives everywhere Friday, August 21.

Ten years after giving us “Why I Love You,” MAJOR. is not trying to duplicate the past. He is building on it. Houston raised him, love introduced him to the world, and purpose is still pushing him forward.

That period at the end of MAJOR. is there for a reason. It is not a suggestion. It is a statement.