SAN FRANCISCO — Malcolm Todd brought a little romance to Golden Gate Park on Saturday.

The Los Angeles-based artist opened his set beneath a staggering screen awash in red. As he stood behind a matching cherry-colored microphone, his name appeared in cutout lettering behind him while live footage of his performance played inside each letter. The 4:45 p.m. set drew fans from across California, some of whom had traveled to the festival specifically to see Todd. Later in the performance, Todd brought his older sister – singer-songwriter Audrey Hobert – onto the stage, where the two performed together. Throughout his set, he danced between soft melodies into full-throttle screams as he pounded his electric guitar. Between songs, the singer repeatedly turned his attention toward the crowd, eventually calling the audience a “friend crush.”

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“I’m in a tank top / I’ve got a drink in my hand,” Todd sang.

His performance featured electric guitar riffs and shifting vocals, blending bedroom pop and R&B. Todd donned a plaid jacket, accented with a fur collar and a pair of Gucci sunglasses. A four-piece band accompanied him as he opened with “Jean Skirt” in a punchy, unfiltered emotional build.

Throughout the hour-long performance on the Twin Peaks stage that varied in volume and tempo, Todd repeated a singular phrase as he addressed the crowd.

“I love you,” he said.

The Golden Gate Park set came amid a breakout year for the singer-songwriter. Todd has emerged as a 2027 Grammys contender, with Billboard naming him an early contender for Best New Artist.

Fans sang along before Todd had even begun some of his tracks. Festival attendees shouted back lyrics to “Sweet Boy,” the title-track of his 2023 debut mixtape. During “Earrings,” the crowd repeated the song’s lyrics, prompting a grin from the artist. As the song’s electric guitars, laid-back drums and warm bassline echoed, fans raised their hands and swayed to his sultry vocals.

“Breathe,” the first single from his latest album, “Do That Again,” drew one of the most energetic responses of the afternoon as the opening guitar groove sent fans dancing across the hillside. Its slick pop production was reminiscent of early 2000s Justin Timberlake tracks. After the electronic pulses faded, fans erupted in cheers.

“We have this beautiful misty weather,” Todd said. “Thank you, sky.”

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Some fans traveled from across the state to see Todd at the festival. Caitlin Lopez, who began following the singer last year, said she was visiting from the Inland Empire to attend the performance. Lopez added that she previously saw his show at the Fonda Theatre in LA with her younger sister. Listening to Todd, she said, drew the siblings together.

In black sunglasses and a white half-sleeve top, Hobert, a frequent Gracie Abrams collaborator and Todd’s older sister, appeared next to him.

“Not often does the person who makes your favorite song live in your house as well,” Todd said. “I want to sing one of my favorite songs, and I actually know the person who wrote it. … So she’s gonna sing with me.”

The duo performed “Phoebe” off Hobert’s debut album “Who’s the Clown?” – a bittersweet anthem named after the character Phoebe Buffay from the TV show “Friends.” As the song faded, the siblings wrapped their arms around one another. Before Hobert could leave the stage, Todd picked his sister up and spun her around before the duo high-fived one another.

“It’s so rare when siblings come together,” Hobert said. “Love you.”

Lopez said Todd and Hobert’s relationship mimicked the connection between her and her sister. Seeing their dynamic added to the emotional appeal of Todd’s music, she said.

As Todd began the second half of his set, he swiftly moved between upbeat guitar-driven tracks and slower, more revealing songs. The musician’s “I Saw Your Face,” a 2026 single, brought a softer turn as Todd leaned into romantic lyrics before later returning to heavier drums and electric guitar. Somewhere in Golden Gate Park, someone turned on a bubble machine sending a soft wave floating in from the edges of the crowd towards the stage.

Pilar Martinez, one of the eventgoers standing alongside the stage’s barricade, said she became a fan of Todd two years ago after the release of his 2023 single “Roommates.” She added that his music helped her find her confidence.

“His music touches your heart at a moment in your life where you just break down,” Martinez said. “He taught me how to bring back my life.”

Todd closed with “Leave It All to Me,” a cover of the theme song from the 2000s series “iCarly,” and the crowd bobbed to the beat. He shed his jacket to reveal a white sleeveless top and continued to strum the guitar before ditching the cutoff shirt altogether. The crowd sang along as he rounded out his performance with “Roommates.”

“You guys have been a 10-out-of-10 crowd,” Todd said. “I want to say I’m thankful for you guys. … You guys woke up today and chose having a blast.”