{"id":270434,"date":"2025-04-25T06:35:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T13:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/livemusicblog.com\/?p=270434"},"modified":"2025-05-16T16:18:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T20:18:14","slug":"chosen-family-generation-us-debut-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livemusicblog.com\/rb-soul\/rb\/chosen-family-generation-us-debut-album\/","title":{"rendered":"GRAMMY Winning & Multi-Platinum Member Superduo Chosen Family Announce Debut Album on Green Hill, and Release First Single, \u201cOnly You Can Save Me\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Grammy wins, platinum records, and chart-topping hits are just part of the story behind Chosen Family\u2014a new superduo whose bond runs far deeper than music. Shawn Stockman (co-founder of Boyz II Men) and Billy Mann (P!nk, David Guetta, John Legend) are longtime friends, fellow South Philly natives, and fathers of neurodivergent children. Their journey together, both personal and musical, finds powerful expression in their debut single, \u201cOnly You Can Save Me,\u201d out today in honor of Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. Their first album, Generation Us, arrives July 25 on Green Hill Music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Stockman\u2019s four Grammy wins (as part of the BoyzIIMen\u2014the biggest selling R&B Group of all time) and Mann\u2019s Grammy-nominated career as a hit songwriter, producer, and executive, Chosen Family brings decades of artistry to a sound that feels entirely new\u2014and deeply human. Their first single is an unexpected soaring Americana-soul anthem that blends brisk acoustic strumming, mandolin licks, and gospel-tinged organ swells into a cathartic, arms-raised chorus. Reminiscent of early Mumford & Sons but laced with Philly soul, \u201cOnly You Can Save Me\u201d features Stockman\u2019s silken vocals trading verses with Mann\u2019s raw, troubadour delivery. Their harmonies\u2014first forged singing side-by-side as teenagers in South Philadelphia\u2019s CAPA high school choir decades ago\u2014land with an emotional weight that only lived experience can bring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the \u201cOnly You Can Save Me\u201d video\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though they built their careers in parallel\u2014Stockman as a global vocal icon and Mann as a behind-the-scenes creative force in music and advocacy\u2014it wasn\u2019t until 2024 that they found their way back to singing together. Along with fellow CAPA alum and guitar virtuoso Clayton Sears (Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Rihanna)\u2014coincidentally also an autism dad\u2014the trio began writing and recording Generation Us in a studio just outside of Philadelphia. What started as special needs dads talking turned into a few songs which organically turned into a full-fledged album steeped in friendship, vulnerability, and a lifetime of perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musically,\u00a0Generation Us\u00a0is a rich acoustic guitar<\/a> mosaic: soul-drenched harmonies, literate folk narratives, a nod to the Isley Brothers, and moments of hush reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel. It\u2019s an album about growing up, holding on, letting go, and finding your way back\u2014sometimes through music, sometimes through love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was an unexpected left turn in my life but I\u2019m enjoying the block!\u201d said Stockman. \u201cNothing better than embarking on a journey with a longtime friend and a couple of guitars, I\u2019m truly living the dream!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole thing feels like d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu,\u201d said Mann. \u201cWhen Shawn and I get on stage together, it\u2019s like muscle memory kicking in from 30 years ago. But this time, we\u2019re not chasing hits\u2014we\u2019ve already done that. Now we\u2019re gathering stories, not just songs. Every lyric, every melody is a reflection of where we\u2019ve been and who we are now\u2014as artists, as dads, and as friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond their shared roots and school days at CAPA\u2014an incubator for talents like The Roots, Leslie Odom Jr., and Christian McBride\u2014both Stockman and Mann have also become quiet leaders in an autism community that can sometimes be fragmented and complex. Stockman and his wife founded Micah\u2019s Voice (to provide education, support and financial assistance), while Mann and his wife Gena (a board member at ABILIS in Connecticut) have worked on everything from lobbying for federal legislation (like the ABLE Act) to grassroots fundraising to support special needs families. Their shared appreciation for the Philadelphia Eagles Autism Foundation has been especially personal\u2014a bridge between their hometown pride and their mission as fathers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experience “Only You Can Save Me” by Chosen Family on YouTube:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Chosen Family - Only You Can Save Me<\/div><\/div>
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