We adore all of our favorite women of pop such as Beyonce, Rihanna, SZA, and Ariana Grande; however, it is necessary to support talented smaller underground artists as well, especially if they are women and independent artists.
There is a large pool of up and coming artists in today’s time, so you may not even know where to start your search. Do not fret. I am here to help. I will start by telling you all about some of my favorite up and coming female artists that may be a little more well known than others.
Alina Baraz
Whether you are doing homework, winding down with a glass of wine, or spending time with girlfriends, Alina Baraz is a mood. She has a style that resembles Lana Del Rey, who is someone that I am sure we all know as one of our favorite high school vibes. Alina Baraz does not favor Lana in an imitating way, which is good because no one likes a copycat. In my opinion, she actually may have a little more spice than Lana in some ways. She favors her just enough to where, if you enjoy Lana’s style, you will love Alina’s.
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NAO
NAO is always a vibe. She has mellow songs and she has upbeat songs. She is an artist with a very different voice. She has been creeping up into the music industry for years now, but I feel like she still does not get the hype that she deserves. I would say that her most popular song would be ‘Bad Blood’ from one of her older projects. Her vocal abilities and style is like no one else’s out right now. I would not even know who to compare her to if I tried. You will just have to go catch that vibe for yourself.
OSHUN
Just when we thought girl groups were out of style decades ago, OSHUN hit us with a duo that we could not dare to resist. They are a very down to earth group that talks about all of your expected life problems, but they also have a way of being ethereal with their lyrics and points of view. Even their group name, OSHUN, is the name of the mother of the African sweet and fresh waters. Oshun is also known as an orisha, a spirit, or a goddess that reflects one of the manifestations of God in certain religions prominent in West Africa. If that does not tell you all you need to know about OSHUN’s style and influence then nothing will.
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Noname
Noname is an independent artist from Chicago with so much soul and talent. She has so much to say through her music. She recently dropped her second album after having her fans wait two years. As a pretty big fan of her music, her latest album, ‘Room 25’ was well worth the wait. I would include her in the same type of R&B soulful genre as OSHUN, but OSHUN is a duo consisting of one singer and one rapper, whereas Noname does both. When she is not doing both the singing and rapping on her track, she always has amazing features that fit right into the style of her songs.
She is definitely an artist that I recommend checking out if you like that Chi-town soul. Disclaimer: She has been featured on ‘NPR: Tiny Desk Concert Series.’ That performance is truly a must watch.
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Syd
The last, but certainly not least, female artist I am going to include in this list is definitely an underrated artist with great skill: Syd. Syd is the lead singer for The Internet, a band that I have always enjoyed. Although she still makes songs and performs with her band, she has a solo project out that many people do not know about.
If the smoothness of her beautiful R&B style voice is not enough reason to support her forever, she is also a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and uses her music to express that. As an LGBTQ+ ally, this gives me more reason to want to support her music because members of the LGBTQ+ community that are both female and black are surely not the most supported demographic in America.
The moral being is do not just listen to what comes on the radio. Sometimes you have to take it upon yourself when you are bored to just seek out music. You never know what gems you wil find. Maybe with the help of you sharing your non-mainstream discoveries, you wil one day hear some of your favorite underground artists on the radio and be happy to have had a hand in their success.