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If You’re a Fan of These Bigger Artists, Then You’ll Love These Smaller Ones

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter.

Lately, I’ve been listening to the same songs on repeat. It’s annoying to have to listen to the same songs over and over again, or to have to repeatedly sit through your favorite artists’ discography. If you’re searching for some new tunes or new artists, then this is the article for you! Here’s a list of bigger artists that have amassed a larger audience, and then I’ll list some lesser-known artists whose work resembles their counterparts. Let’s get into it!

Phoebe Bridgers → Dora Jar

If you’re a Phoebe Bridgers stan like myself, then you’ll absolutely LOVE California-based artist, Dora Jar. The 26-year-old musician released her debut EP, Digital Meadow, in 2021, and then went on to release her most recent EP, Comfortably In Pain, earlier this year. Dora Jar was even featured in British Vogue’s “The 22 Rising Musicians Set to Rule 2022” article. If Vogue believes that Dora Jar is going to dominate the industry, then you know she’s worth your listen.

Favorite Tracks: “Garden”, “Lagoon”.

Tame Impala → Bibio 

Australian musical group Tame Impala are known for their creativity when it comes to their production. Their beats are celestial, and their songs usually include notable funky guitar riffs. If you’re a fan of Tame Impala’s work, then you’d love to listen to the English artist, Bibio. Throughout his discography, listeners can find funky guitar riffs that are coupled with his distinct voice that’s reminiscent of Tame Impala’s lead singer, Kevin Parker. Some of his work also reminds me of Bon Iver. If you’re a fan of theirs, then you’ll also thoroughly enjoy Bibio’s work.

Favorite Tracks: “Old Graffiti”, “Before”, “jealous of roses”.

Burna Boy → J Hus

Nigerian artist Burna Boy has taken the world by storm by exposing various cultures to one of my favorite genres – afrobeats. Since afrobeats has begun to really take off globally, many artists who make music under the genre have started to gain traction. One artist in particular to keep on your radar is British-rapper, J Hus. He tends to rap on afrobeat rhythms and often collaborates with Burna Boy and British afrobeats producer, Jae5. J Hus also collaborates alongside other afrobeat artists.

Favorite Tracks: “Bouff Daddy”, “Play Play (feat. Burna Boy)”, “Repeat (feat. Koffee)”

Rosalìa → Tokischa

Spanish singer Rosalìa is another artist taking over the music industry. Rosalìa rose to fame for her entrancing voice and her ode to her Spanish roots as she often incorporates flamenco culture into her music. If you’re a fan of Rosalìa, then you may enjoy listening to Dominican rapper, Tokischa. Tokischa also pays homage to her Dominican roots as she often raps on dembow beats, which is a genre of music that can be described as “a movement in the Dominican Republic using fast-paced ‘fever pitch’ Jamaican riddims…”. Tokischa often collaborates with Rosalìa and other Hispanic or Latino artists. Now beware, if you’re not a fan of songs that heavily talk about sex, then Tokischa may not be the artist for you.

Favorite Tracks: “Delincuente”, “Singamo”, “Tukuntazo”.

Lana Del Rey → Agnes Obel

The Winter season is the perfect time to curl up in your room and listen to depressing music. If you partake, one of your go-to sad artists is probably Lana Del Rey. Known for her melancholy and sultry melodies and lyrics, she’s the perfect candidate to leave any listener in their feels. Although, she’s not the only artist that can leave you in this state of sorrow and somberness. Danish artist Agnes Obel is great at setting the gloomy tone in her music that’s often paired with her airy, ghostly voice. Obel’s music gives off a spooky feel that’s emphasized by the instruments that are used in her tracks.  

Favorite Tracks: “Run Cried the Crawling”, “Camera’s Rolling”.

References

Mukhtar, A. (2022, January 17). The 22 musicians set to rule 2022. British Vogue. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/emerging-artists-2022  

Kochhar, N. (2018, June 20). Meet jae5, the east London genre blender behind J Hus’s out of this World Afrobeats Sound. The FADER. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.thefader.com/2017/04/26/jae5-interview-j-hus-producer-did-you-see-common-sense 

Bon Iver Music, videos, stats, and photos. Last.fm. (n.d.). Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.last.fm/music/Bon+Iver  Mota, J. (2019, October 6). The rise of Dominican dembow | Tidal Magazine. tidal.com. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://tidal.com/magazine/article/the-rise-of-dominican-dembow/1-56634

Amaiya Sancho

St. John's '25

Hi! My name is Amaiya Sancho and I'm from Columbia, Maryland. I am the President of Her Campus St. John’s, majoring in Communications with minors in Social Justice Theory and Italian. I'm so happy to have been a part of Her Campus at St. John's for the past three years!