2024 has brought me many recent music hyper-fixations, especially as endless tour announcements and TikTok fandoms have caused an uproar in the music scene. Here are some of the artists I simply cannot get out of my head.
Chappell Roan
I recently got into Chappell Roan due to her opening for Olivia Rodrigo on the Guts World Tour. Chappell Roan, full name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, is a midwestern singer/songwriter known for her extremely campy music which is heavily influenced by queer culture, specifically drag queens. Her first studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, is a staple album in my playlist. Challenges in Roan’s life such as self acceptance and finances heavily influenced this album. Roan has claimed that this album allowed her to accept her queerness.
The album is thoroughly catchy, bold, and upbeat. It is the perfect album for any situation, from getting ready for a night out or just for a late-night drive.
Bleachers
Bleachers have been an obsession of mine since 2017. Jack Antonoff, the head man of the band, leads the Bleachers down a different path than any other artist he produces. Antonoff is known for producing for artists such as Taylor Swift, The 1975, and Lana Del Rey just to name a few.
Their new self-titled album, which came out March 8th, is one of their best albums to date. My favorite songs on the album include “Modern Girl,” “Jesus Is Dead,” and “Call Me After Midnight.” One thing that attracts me to Bleachers more than any other band is their use of horns and sound engineering, reminding me heavily of The 1975 (which is one of my favorite bands as well.) Bleachers’ music is so special to me, and I believe it always will be.
MarQ
MarQ is a significantly small indie/alternative artist that is from Illinois. He takes heavy inspiration from Malcolm Todd, Steve Lacy, and other bedroom pop artists. With only 32,000 listeners on Spotify, the time is now to become a fan before it becomes the bandwagon, for he is incredibly talented. My favorite song by him so far is definitely “For Youuu.” I am overly excited to see his growth and development this year.
Wallows
Wallows is another band I have been obsessed with since 2017. The trio containing Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters, and Cole Preston, make some of the most popular hits within the indie/alternative music scene. Their latest release, “Calling After Me,” is (in my opinion) one of their best songs to date. I absolutely adore this song.
Their new album is set to be released on May 24th of this year, and it’s safe to say it will be an automatic “add to playlist” for me. Their tour, “The Model Tour,” will follow up the album release. They will be headlining the Kia Forum and Madison Square Garden for the very first time in their careers. I am so happy for them, even though I am a little upset that they are not touring anywhere near me. If you are going to take anything from this list, please listen to Wallows. I promise you will not regret it. Make sure you take a deep dive into their older releases as well.