Sometimes it can be difficult to find new music when you already have artists that you love. If you are looking for some new artists, here are 6 musicians that have similar styles and themes to the popular artists you already love, including Harry Styles, Ariana Grande and more.
- Harry Styles/Josef Salvat
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With the success of Harry Styles’ latest album Fine Line, Styles creates a new sub-genre of pop by mixing some pop, rock and folk. If you are looking for an artist with a similar style, I suggest listening to the music of Australian singer-songwriter, Josef Salvat. As a long-time fan of Salvat’s, I find some similarities in his music with themes of love and heartbreak with Salvat’s music having more of an electronic edge. His album from 2016, Night Swim, remains to be one of my favorite albums with upbeat anthems like “Paradise” and heartbreaking ballads like “Till I Found You.” Salvat made the decision to make this album gender-neutral, as it does not include references of “he” or “she” (read the full interview with The Line of Best Fit here). His more recent releases (with a second album set to release in May) include the track “in the afternoon” with a similar optimistic beat to Styles’ “Adore You.”
- Lorde/Avonlea
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Avonlea is a 19 year-old American artist who may not sound very similar to Lorde’s discography but has the same edge that I believe Lorde has, especially when she released her 2013 album Pure Heroine. In her interview with Cool Accidents, Avonlea talks about her musical theatre background, her time on America’s Got Talent and being homeschooled. Her song “Cars and Boys” is reminiscent of Lorde’s “Royals” as it explores how Avonlea’s experience being homeschooled made her realize that the high-school experience is “really romanticized” in the media. Other personal favorites of Avonlea include “It Sucks” and “Again.”
- Conan Gray/Lauren Aquilina
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Conan Gray has quickly become one of my favorite artists over the past couple of years and I have since tried to find artists with a similar music style. Gray’s music varies with darker songs about loneliness and upbeat angry ballads about relationship culture. Another artist that has a similar range is English singer-songwriter, Lauren Aquilina. Her style has evolved over the past few years, with recent releases like “Psycho,” which explores similar themes as Gray’s hit “Maniac,” and the more grounded “Bad People,” which pairs well with Gray’s recent track “The Story.”
- Clairo/Alexandra Savior
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Clairo’s (Claire Cottrill) music paved the popularity of the low-fi bedroom pop genre with her chill style and melodic lyrics. Alexandra Savior, another personal favorite artist, has a similarly chill beat with a more haunting melody that makes her music unique from Cottrill’s. Her debut album, Belladonna of Sadness, included collaboration with Alex Turner from rock band Arctic Monkeys. This collaboration allowed the unique, almost poetic lyrics to shine in tracks like “Shades” and “Mirage.” Her latest album, The Archer, continues this style some years later with her unique wordplay and visuals.
- Ariana Grande/Sofi de la Torre
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With Ariana Grande’s latest albums, Sweetener and Thank U, Next, Grande demonstrates a range between songs on glamor and confidence such as “7 Rings” and songs that expose the more stressful moments with “breathin.” Sofi de la Torre is a Spanish artist with a similar range and emphasis on lyrics of female empowerment. Speaking four languages, Sofi de la Torre’s music varies from Spanish to English. Her newest EP, No Soy Nada Sensata, includes the upbeat anthem “Estamos Mal” that is reminiscent of Grande’s themes in “7 Rings” and “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored.”
- LANY/FELIX SANDMAN
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Indie pop band, LANY’s discography is full of dreamy songs about love and heartbreak. FELIX SANDMAN is a Swedish singer-songwriter and actor, who I discovered after seeing his performance in Netflix’s Home for Christmas (Hjem til Jul) as Jonas (read my review of the show here). His music is a mixture of LANY’s themes and beat with American artist, Lauv’s vocals. His latest release, “BOYS WITH EMOTIONS,” emphasizes how boys should show their emotions in non-violent ways (watch the interview here). Other hits like “IMPRINT” and “MOOD FOR YOU” are personal favorites.
I hope that these recommendations are helpful for you to find your next favorite artists. Happy listening!