One of my favorite pastimes is listening to music. Music helps me get through long drives, tough days and study sessions. Because music plays such a big role in many areas of my life, it’s important to me that I have a wide variety of genres in my library. This has led to my never-ending search for new and unique sounds. Thus came the creation of my favorite playlist: underrated artists. From random YouTube videos to Apple Music’s weekly crafted “For You: New Music Mix” playlist, I have found so many artists that I love and appreciate. It would be selfish of me to keep these talented gems to myself, so let me put you on! Check out my current favorite underrated women artists below.
Ravyn Lenae
This 22-year-old R&B and neo-soul artist has always had a passion for music. At 15 she paid for a studio session that led to the production of her first single “Greetings.” She attended Chicago High School for the Arts and studied classical music. I love Ravyn Lenae for her melodic, soothing voice and her unique ability to combine different genres, sounds and decades in every song. The song I heard that hooked me onto Ravyn’s music is “The Night Song,” a feel-good number that celebrates feeling beautiful despite societal standards. The music video pays tribute to the 80s ball and drag culture, showcasing Ravyn’s precocious personality. At such a young age, Ravyn has accomplished much in her career, having toured with SZA and being listed in Rolling Stone’s “Top 10 Artists You Should Know,” and she is definitely someone we all should be listening to.
Beleaux
A rapper from Palm Beach, Florida – Beleaux is all about her coins. Her music revolves around working hard, staying focused and not concerning herself with the distraction of men. Her debut project, Trap Angel, features beats dressed in the flute and woodwind sounds found in a lot of songs that fall under the “trap” genre. Her style differs from many women rappers who don’t often go for the male-dominated trap genre, making her even more of a girl boss in my eyes. Beleaux’s go-getter spirit has led her to become one of my favorite artists to listen to when I’m trying to push through workouts. Although it seems she has taken a hiatus from making music, her previous works are still more than worthy of a listen.
Peyton
Music can’t get any more relatable for me than when it comes to Peyton. This Houston-based R&B singer released her first project in 2016 and has been working hard ever since. The classically trained vocalist/violinist was featured on HBO’s Insecure season three soundtrack and currently has two albums available on all platforms. Her most recent EP, Reach Out, was released in the fall of 2019. It was this project that led me to become a fan. Reach Out follows a narrative most women, or any human can relate to – falling in love, feeling great about it, feeling stupid about it and finally, learning from it. Peyton’s soft and dreamy voice fits in perfectly with the old-school melodies she features on each track of this project. Check out some of her prior work as well for inspiration and stories of perseverance!
You can stream all three artists’ music on all platforms!
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