Do you want to expand your music taste, but don’t know where to start or who to start with? Well, I am here to help with that seeing as I’ll listen to just about any kind of music. One way that I find new music is by listening to what Spotify recommends or recommendations from friends. Both of these ways are how I found the artists down below, so if you are looking for new music, consider me a friend – here are some of my recommendations.
- Stray Kids
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Stray Kids are a South-Korean boy group who debuted in 2018. Formed under JYP Entertainment they consist of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Felix, Han, Seugnmin, and I.N. The group is known for its unique song structure, sound, and meaningful lyrics, stemming from the fact that a subunit within the group, 3Racha, writes and produces some of their music. They are currently my favorite K-pop boy group, one of my favorite artists in all of music, and I am very thankful to the friend that showed them to me. While the group was already popular, their most recent comebacks “God’s Menu” and “Back Door” made the group skyrocket even more into fame. Their song “Back Door” was even named one of TIME magazine’s 10 Best Songs of 2020. The note that I’ll end on for this group is that even though they dip into many different genres, you can always tell when it is a Stray Kids song.
My favorite songs: “Voices”, “My Pace”, “YAYAYA”, “Hellevator”, “TA”, “Haven”, “Phobia”, “Easy”, and “Boxer”.
- Pale Waves
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Pale Waves are a band from England that formed in 2014 and consists of four members: Heather Baron-Gracie, Ciara Doran, Hugo Silvani, and Charlie Wood. Their style has mainly been described as indie pop, indie rock, or pop-punk. I just recently discovered this group back in February when their album Who Am I was released, and I was immediately hooked. My Spotify suggested that I give this a listen, and I cannot express how happy I am that the music giant knows me so well. The whole album felt like I had been transported back to an early 2000s movie soundtrack, barrelling out feelings of nostalgia; when I looked them up and saw that they were a current act, I was completely shocked and excited. Their sound is one that I had been searching for and I am so happy that I was able to find it.
My favorite songs: “Change”, “Fall to Pieces”, “Run To”, “She’s My Religion”, “Loveless Girl”, and “Eighteen”
- Crimson Apple
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Crimson Apple is an American band that debuted in 2018, consisting of four sisters that grew up in Hawai’i: Colby Benson, Faith Benson, Shelby Benson, and Carthi Benson. This band is also one that I recently discovered because apparently, my Spotify knows me better than I know myself. They cite their music as being influenced by J-rock, K-pop, indie, and alternative. The combination of these influences creates a sound that is captivating in how their songs flow. The first song of theirs that I listened to was “Break Your Heart Worse” and I knew I had to check out all of their other work. They regularly do song covers and post them on their social media if you want to check those out too. While they do not have that many songs out right now, I am looking forward to everything they release next.
My favorite songs: “Mr. Maker”, “Break Your Heart Worse”, “War With My Mind”, “Who Knows”, “Somebody”, and “Sorry Now”
- The Aces
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The Aces are an American band that debuted in 2016 and consists of four members: Katie Henderson, McKenna Petty, Alisa Ramirez, and Cristal Ramirez. The band’s style has mainly been called indie pop and alternative rock, or a combination of these two styles. Their debut song “Stuck” reached the 38 spot for Billboard Alternative songs back in 2017. They were actually not recommended to me by Spotify, but my freshman year roommate who is a big fan of theirs. They have even released Spanish versions of their songs, which is super cool. While I cannot remember the first song that I heard by them, the one I currently have on repeat is “Daydream”. If you want an instant serotonin boost or are into slow and calming, yet upbeat music, I would recommend checking them out. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!
My favorite songs: “Daydream”, “Zillionaire”, “Volcanic Love”, “Waiting for You”, “Stuck”, “Baby Who”, and “Holiday”