Carl Thomas, Dave Hollister and Syleena Johnson Reintroduce R&B Supergroup The Chi

R&B supergroup The Chi has a new member. Grammy-nominated vocalist Syleena Johnson has joined the group consisting of Carl Thomas and Dave Hollister.

The Chicago natives announced the news over the weekend at the 2024 Black Music Honors in Atlanta. 

“Welp, the cat is out the bag in a good way. I am officially a part of an R&B trio that is SURE to shake the table in R&B music‼️” Johnson wrote in an Instagram post.

She continued, “It’s an honor to be able to share the stage with these two vocal Giants‼️ So THIS is our next Chapter and we couldn’t be more ready. It’s official, My brothers @carlthomasnow and @davehollister and myself are the new R&B supergroup THE CHI.”

All three members of The Chi performed at the star-studded event, which airs Saturday, June 1, at 8 p.m. ET on the Stellar Network. The show will also broadcast on Bounce TV on Juneteenth (June 19) at 9 p.m. ET.

Johnson’s addition to The Chi comes nearly three years after the original lineup, which included Donell Jones, was announced.

“Yesssss it’s happening! The level of music and songwriting will be impeccable and you already know the voices! It’s only right for us to come together and represent Chicago and R&B to the fullest,” Jones wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. 

While Jones has seemingly moved on from the group, no love has been lost. “This is dope bro!!!!” Jones commented on Hollister’s Instagram post of the new trio. 

Since its formation, The Chi has yet to release music officially under its moniker. The closest we got to a musical release this far was in 2021, when Thomas and Hollister, along with RL and Jacquees, appeared on Jones’ “Karma (Remix).” 

With Johnson’s addition, perhaps new music will be on the horizon. Until then, each member will still be catering to their longtime fanbase. Johnson is gearing up to release her next album, Legacy, sometime this year. The album, a follow-up to 2020’s Woman, will include the lead single “Monsters in the Closet.” The song was released in late summer 2023, with three remixes released in the fall, including one with Omari Hardwick. 

“I felt like it was time for ‘Monsters in the Closet’ because we are suffering a mental health crisis in this world right before our eyes,” Johnson told Rated R&B. “As creatives and artists/entertainers, we can no longer be excused from activism through our art. We have to be bold with our lyrics to help to promote healing.”

She continued, “Omari Hardrick’s lyrical genius has been evident to me for many years, and so he was a perfect fit to help me express the deep sentiment of this record.”

Additionally, Legacy will include the current single, “Black Balloon,” featuring her late father and soul singer Syl Johnson. (The album itself also pays homage to her father, known for his Billboard-charting singles “Is It Because I’m Black” and “Different Strokes,” among others. 

As for Carl Thomas, the R&B veteran is currently supporting Tank on The R&B Money Tour along with Keri Hilson. The tour kicked off May 10 and will wrap up June 23 at The Pearl in Las Vegas. 

In a 2020 interview with Rated R&B, Thomas mentioned that he had a new project in the works. “I’m currently working on two projects right now. I’m working on a Carl Thomas project — a full-length album — and I’m also working on an EP that is a project that is all about the relationship between people and their dogs,” he told Rated R&B.

Neither project has been released thus far. Thomas’ last album, Conquer, was released in 2011. It included a feature with rap legend Snoop Dogg on the “Don’t Kiss Me (Remix).” 

Dave Hollister hasn’t released an album since 2016’s The MANuscript. The album included the single “Definition of a Woman” and the Angie Stone-assisted track “Receipts.”

Two years before that, he released Chicago Winds…The Saga Continues, which featured his popular single “Spend The Night.” In the same year, Hollister appeared on “Harmony” from Johnson’s album Chapter 6: Couples Therapy.

“Dave Hollister’s and my voice together just sounds so cool. I wanted to work with him for so long,” Syleena Johnson told Rated R&B in a 2014 interview. It’s a perfect marriage. He’s so soulful, and he’s got that same kind of thing going where no one sounds like him, and he has that different voice. So, to merge our two voices together is really powerful.”

Last year, Hollister embarked on a spring tour, where he played at various City Winery locations across the U.S.

See Syleena Johnson’s announcement about joining R&B group The Chi below.