Anyone who has met me knows that I love music. I may not be able to sight read or play an instrument, but I definitely appreciate a good song. Recently, I have been obsessed with these young, up and coming artists, who you should definitely keep your eye on for the rest of the year.
1. Billie Eilish
This 15 year old from Los Angeles just released her EP, Don’t Smile At Me, and it hasn’t taken long for me to become completely obsessed with her music. Her song Bellyache has over 12 million plays on Spotify and her song Bored was featured in the soundtrack of the hit Netflix original show, 13 Reasons Why, but my personal favorite song by her is party favor. Her style is extremely unique and she is definitely worth a listen, or two.
2. BROCKHAMPTON
I initially heard about this alternative hip hop “boy band” while scrolling through Twitter. Everyone seems to be obsessed with this group of boys from San Marcos, Texas, and with reason too. Their sound is completely addictive and their lyrics are easy to relate to. My personal current favorite song by them is Junky. I can say, without a doubt, BROCKHAMPTON is my favorite group at the moment.
3. Rex Orange County
Alex O’Connor, better known by his stage name, Rex Orange County, is a 19 year old from the outskirts of London. His music captures the essence of being young and feeling free. He was recently featured twice on Tyler the Creator’s new album, Flower Boy, and his new album, Apricot Princess, was recently released. A quick listen to Rex Orange County’s music will definitely make you wanna drop everything and take a road trip with your closest friends.
4. Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy is probably best known for his contributions to the band, The Internet, as their guitarist, vocalist, and, most importantly, one of their executive producers, but his solo work is what got me hooked. C U Girl, by Lacy, is definitely up there on my playlist for chill R&B music. Lacy was also featured on Tyler the Creator’s newly released album and even produced a song on Kendrick Lamar’s recent album, DAMN. On top of all of this, Steve Lacy is only 19, making me even more excited for the obviously amazing career ahead of him.
5. Astrid S
Astrid Smeplass, better known by her stage name, Astrid S, is a 20 year old singer from Norway. Since her breakthrough on Norwegian Pop Idol, Astrid S has been featured on Shawn Mendes’ album, Handwritten, and has even supported singer Troye Sivan on tour. My current favorite song by her is her new single, Such A Boy. The song is super catchy but the music video is what got me obsessed. In the video, Astrid portrays a couple in a completely opposite way than what is usually shown in movies and music videos. She turns the tables and makes the boy the insecure and emotional one in the relationship. In addition, the boy in the music video is played by Herman Tømmeraas, or Penetrator Chris in the popular Norwegian teen drama, SKAM. Her creative outlook and amazing voice makes Astrid S one of my current favorite artists.