Do you ever find yourself in a music hole? You see it’s kind of like falling into a show hole after you’ve finished binging all 8+ seasons of your favorite TV show on Netflix. You’re just left feeling a tad lost…maybe even disappointed that you didn’t pace yourself so that you wouldn’t finish the series until you’ve lined up your next show. However, a music hole is a little different. With music, you can easily put a song, an album, or a playlist on repeat and just listen to it as many times as you want ━ no shame. But every now and then you may start to get sick of the same old tunes and want to switch things up a bit. So here are some artists to check out that I personally enjoy and don’t think get talked about enough:
- Noah Kahan
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You may have heard 22-year-old Noah Kahan’s hit “Hurt Somebody” featuring Julia Michaels, but he has several other songs that’ll get you hooked too. I would describe his sound as gloriously melodious yet spontaneous, and if enjoy music by Ed Sheeran or Vance Joy, then you’ll probably like his music too.
- Greyson Chance
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No longer a little boy singing on the Ellen show, 22-year-old Greyson Chance recently made a big splashy comeback with his latest album Portraits. Greyson’s sound ranges from emotionally eloquent to funky and jubilant, but no matter what the vibe of each track is, all of his songs are total bops. Seriously, if you don’t start listening to his music I may just have to “Unfriend You.”
- Lennon Stella
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Straight out of CMT’s Nashville, 19-year-old Lennon Stella is one to watch. With a sound that I would describe as wonderfully complex and sweetly savage, Lennon’s songs are such a vibe. If you are familiar with Nina Nesbitt or enjoy Ariana Grande’s music, I think you’ll like Lennon’s music too because it has similar feel.
- Ivy Adara
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A 24-year-old singer/songwriter from Australia, now based in Los Angeles, Ivy Adara wrote her first song at 7-years-old. I would describe Ivy’s sound as buoyant, energetic and quite literally what summertime sounds like. So prep for summer early and check out some of her songs ━ I think they’ll definitely help you get over that end of the semester slump.
- Wrabel
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Just when he was thinking about pursuing a career as a songwriter instead of an artist himself, he found hope from a songwriter/producer he admired. His music captures the smaller moments of life and brings them to life in a much bigger and deeper way, making it more personal. The only way I can think to describe his sound is as sing-even-though-you-know-you-can’t worthy ━ especially with his song “11 Blocks” (my absolute favorite.)
- Sasha Sloan
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Branding herself as “Sad Girl Sloan” across her social media accounts, Sasha and her music really capture an ‘angsty introverted’ vibe. I would describe Sasha’s sound as subtely-stormy and genuine. If you want music that is relatable, moving, and lively, I think you’ll enjoy her music!
- Sody
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As an anti-bullying advocate, Sody’s music embodies a sense of positivity and empowerment. I think this 18-year-old up and comer is striving to support such a good message while having a sound that is lofty yet enchanting.
- Grace VanderWaal
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You might have heard of 15-year-old Grace after winning America’s Got Talent at age 12. What makes her sound so distinctive is its boho-chic vibe that really showcases her old-soul vocals while still remaining age appropriate. If you like Lennon Stella, Sody, or even Florence and the Machine, I think you’ll like her sound too.
- Conan Gray
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From Georgetown, Texas, and influenced by The Dixie Chicks, Adele, and Lorde, I think 19-year-old singer/songwriter Conan Gray has an interesting style. I would describe his sound as effervescent, high-spirited, and rich. If you like Ivy Adara, I think you might like Canon’s music too.
- James TW
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Citing John Mayer and Ed Sheeran as influences, I think 21-year-old James TW is a rising pop singer/songwriter to watch. I would describe his sound as mellow/vibey, yet fun. If you like Noah Kahan or Wrabel I think you’ll like his music too.
I’m definitely the type of person that rewinds and replays parts of shows and commercials just so I can Shazam whichever song was playing. I’m also the type of person that falls down a rabbit hole because I just can’t stop clicking through the “Fans Also Like” feature on Spotify. But if I wasn’t like this I wouldn’t have been able to find these amazing artists, so I 10/10 recommend going the extra mile to find yourself some new favorite tunes and artists to listen to.