The first few words that come to mind when I think of music are “my safe place”.
Growing up, music was a huge part of my life. When I wasn’t at the piano getting lost in playing a new song, I would be listening to music on one of those old-school portable CD stereos―where I regularly shuffled through my favorite Disney CDs at the time. If I felt stressed or upset, music eased my troubled thoughts. If I couldn’t find the words to express how I felt, music became my voice. And if I was overcome with joy, it amplified my emotions. Curating and perfecting my playlists was (and still is) one of my favorite pastimes. Because of this, I wanted to share some music close to my heart right now.
Here’s a little snippet of some of the latest on my playlist: underrated artist edition.
- Jake Scott
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If you’re a hopeless romantic like me, you’ll fall head over heels for Jake Scott’s music. He creates a lot of songs based around the topic of relationships, some of which I suspect are inspired by his wife (she’s a lucky one), and his lyrics are truly heartwarming. His love songs range from upbeat melodies to super sweet ballads, and he’s truly committed to pushing himself creatively as a musician―which is evident in the fact that he releases new music every month, so there’s always something to look forward to.
- Tyler Shaw
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Tyler Shaw is a Candian pop artist that’s been around for a while (more specifically since 2012) but has released a number of singles over the years with his latest album back in 2018. His songs are addictingly catchy, and his older songs are just as good as his most recent ones. I highly recommended giving his song “To The Man who Let her Go” a listen―it’s my favorite song of all time (no joke, it’s been my top song on Spotify for the past two years). Pay close attention to the lyrics of this song and you’ll see what I mean.
- James TW
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If you’re a fan of Ed Sheeran’s songs, you’ll definitely love James TW. He’s a British singer and was first discovered by Shawn Mendes, which led him to become the opening act for Shawn while he was on tour for his “Illuminate” album. James writes these beautiful and lyrical romantic ballads that will make you fall in love with the idea of love (even if you don’t believe in it). His latest album is “Chapters” and it’s one of the only albums I can listen to from beginning to end.
- Clinton Kane
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You might’ve already heard or seen some of Clinton’s songs on TikTok, but when I first discovered him I was immediately drawn to the unmistakable passion he has for his music. His music is a mix between James Arthur and Lewis Capaldi, and his lyrics are chock-full of his raw emotions, which makes sense because every one of his singles was inspired by one of many difficult experiences he’s had in his life. It can’t be easy having a million strangers on the internet witness some of his heavy experiences through his music, but that’s truly what makes him so admirable.
- Fiji Blue
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I first learned of Fiji Blue when I came across some videos on TikTok that embedded one of their more popular singles called “Butterflies.” One song led to another, and I can now say I’m officially a fan. Their songs are classified as “pop” but their musical style is far different and unique from what you’d typically hear with mainstream pop songs. Their beats are insanely catchy, fun to dance to, and overall, just good music to vibe to. For reference, imagine driving along a beach in the summer with your windows down, hair whipping everywhere in the wind while the sky is exploding in all sorts of colors. That’s what their music makes me feel like.
Hope you check these artists out! Trust me, you won’t regret it.