Artists to Watch in 2019
Emily Lane and Hannah Marshall
With the upcoming music award shows, the industry is preparing to welcome rising talent and award your favourites for their musical dedication. So we want to shine a light on some more well know artists, but also those who are less well known that we believe should be celebrated and brought into mainstream music. We've explored a number of genres ranging from rap to indie rock, so we hope there is something to fit everyone's taste.
Here are our recommendations:
1. LANY
Hannah:
One of the more famous artists on our list, LANY are indie pop band from LA they signed to Polydor Records in late 2015 (others singed include; Years & Years, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Ray, HAIM and more), LANY meaning "Los Angeles New York". I found them through a recommendation from an Instagram story as they linked their album on Spotify, I feel even though they're already quite well-known they still have a lot of creative room to grow and the potential to take their music so much further.
Favourite Song: Run
2. H.E.R
Hannah/Emily:
Again one of more recognisable artists on this list; H.E.R recently won two Grammy's for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance, for both of us we've followed her for a while but recently she's gained a lot of attention. Not only is she an extremely talented guitarist (watch her Grammy performance here) she's also a beautiful vocal artist, but has she peaked too early: where will she be in the next few years?
Favourite Songs: Gone Away, Changes and Carried Away
3. Alina Baraz
Hannah:
I found her through the song collab she did with Khalid, Electric, I really liked her voice so I went discovered the rest of her music and with her most recently release I found it to be so much more musically mature then her previous work.
Her music is generally of downtempo, alternative/contemporary R&B and pop genres, which I feel are quite niche areas of music, meaning that she isn't as mainstream as she could be but this isn't something to hold her back but to actually help to expand mainstream music and help creative a diversity in the genres.
Favourite Song: I Don't Even Know Though
4. Nao
Emily:
NAO has been a relatively low-key artist until her 2018 album release ‘Saturn’ which is easily her best work yet. I discovered her looking for summer aesthetic songs and her 2016 track ‘Get to Know Ya’ was exactly what I was looking for. A lot of people are taken by surprise by her unique high-pitched voice (especially in 'Another Lifetime') as very few artists have the ability to sing at that range. She showcases this very well in ‘Saturn’ and I would highly recommend the album-it caused a few waves upon release but it definitely deserves more recognition.
Favourite Song: If You Ever
5. SZA
Emily:
We should all know who SZA is at this point. She is easily one of my favourite artists at the moment and although she is more recognisable than some of the other artists in this article, she still deserves more recognition. 'Ctrl' is one of the best albums to come out of 2017 and still holds the same prestige 2 years later. Everyone has heard of ‘The Weekend’ but please please please listen to ‘Go Gina’, ‘20 Something’ and ‘Broken Clocks’ for the best R&B experience of your life. I’m still waiting for new 2019 material that isn’t a collaboration (although I did lose my tiny mind when she collaborated with Lorde, Post Malone and Khalid with their 'Perfect Places' remix).
Favourite Songs: Go Gina [explicit] and 20 Something [explicit]
6. The Japanese House
Emily:
The Japanese House is a young female solo singer/songwriter called Amber Bain. It took me a while to realise she was a solo act as all her songs have so many layers and elements to them. She sings the vocals and plays the drums, keyboard, bass and the guitar. I have a lot of respect for artists who write their own music let alone write, sing and perform every element of every record. She has been producing singles and EPs since 2015 with some of them gaining a lot of traction like her 2017 single ‘Saw You in a Dream.’ Her recent songs ‘Lilo’ and ‘Cool Blue’ set to be songs on her upcoming full-length album debut later this year.
Favourite Song: Lilo
7. Chase Atlantic
Hannah:
Chase Atlantic has been a group that I've always loved, I've following them for more than 2 years now so I guess I would call myself a fan in a way, in my eyes I would say they're quite well recognised but not as much as I thought as I've mentioned them to people in the past and they've had no idea who they were. In January this year they released their EP called 'Don't Try This', mixing a combination of R&B, rock, pop, and alternative, they were able to create a wide spread of songs all taking a different style to the other, which is what makes them so engaging to me.
Seeing them in concert is one of the best experiences I've had, as they clearly had a passion for what they do and their energy was transferred to the audience, and the atmosphere was like no other concert I've been too.
Favourite Songs: Dancer in the Dark and DEVILISH [explicit]
8. No Rome
Emily:
No Rome signed to Dirty Hit in August 2018 (Dirty Hit also have The 1975, The Japanese House and Pales Waves signed on - just to name a few) then they collaborated with my favourite artist The 1975 in October 2018 with their song ‘Narcissist’ which was an instant breakthrough hit with The 1975 fanbase. Even if you’re not a fan of The 1975, No Rome have some incredibly well produced songs with catchy beats and rhythms: 'Saint Laurent' was the song that converted me to love No Rome for their musical ability rather than their ties to my favourite artist.
Favourite Song: Saint Laurent
9.Tobi Lou
Hannah:
A more recently but well loved discovery of mine, I found out about him through going through other people's Instagram pages and some how finding him and I'm glad I did. For me he has one of the best sounds in the industry, which I haven't found in any other artist, mixing popular culture and rap he is able to create a unique blend in his music.
He's so low-key that he doesn't even have a Wikipedia.
Favourite Song: Sadderday [explicit]
10. Spilt Milk Society
Emily:
Are a relatively new band formed in the summer of 2015 but came onto my radar with their breakthrough hit ‘She Tastes Like Summer’ in 2017. I instantly fell in love with their combination of electronic instruments and indie-rock style so this song instantly became my summer anthem, but their most recent 2019 release ‘Orange’ might be my new favourite. These young A-Level aged artists have so much potential and I can’t wait to see where they take their music next.
Favourite Song: Orange
11. Jagwar Twin/Roy English
Hannah:
Adopting the moniker Jagwar Twin for his most recent project, Roy English released a 11 track-long album, with not much prior announcement other than releasing the debut single 'Loser' for the new moniker on September 7, 2018 on Beats 1 radio, the album later dropped in late September. English has been and will still be an inspiration of mine, being one of the first artists I discovered outside the mainstream bubble of pop, he uses alternative/indie sounds to create his tracks.
Favourite Song: Good Day
12. Viratempo
Emily:
So this band is Portuguese and I actually have no idea what they’re singing at all, but their music is such an 80s chill vibe that it actually doesn’t matter. My favourite song is ‘O Quatro’ (Google translate tells me it means ‘the fourth’) closely followed by ‘Se Eu Soubesse’ (if I knew). I only discovered them last month and I love them for their old school synth and simple vocals. The ambiguity of not having a clue what they’re saying is what makes them interesting to me personally. It’s a bit of a weird one but if you want to unwind to some 80s synth then you’ll love Viratempo.
Favourite Song: Se Eu Soubesse
13. Pvris
Hannah:
An American rock band from Massachusetts, they take a more subtle approach to the rock sound that they hold but still include heavier parts in their songs. They have a very specific sound with notes of pop and electronic mixed into the rock base of their songs, originally being a post-hardcore band this is a big change to what they're making now.
They've been one of my favourite bands for a long time, I can't remember how I found them but I know that I fell in love with their music straight-away.
Favourite Song: Nola 1
14. Kehlani
Emily:
Kehlani is an artist I have started listening to in the new year. Her stripped back acoustic style and melodic voice is perfect relaxation material. My favourite song of hers is ‘Keep On’ which is from her most recent 2017 album. I'm buzzing for her upcoming mixtape, ‘While We Wait’ including new songs called ‘Nights Like These’ and ‘Butterfly’ which should be out this February.
Favourite Songs: Keep On [explicit] and Nights Like This [explicit]
1. LANY
Hannah:
One of the more famous artists on our list, LANY are indie pop band from LA they signed to Polydor Records in late 2015 (others singed include; Years & Years, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Ray, HAIM and more), LANY meaning "Los Angeles New York". I found them through a recommendation from an Instagram story as they linked their album on Spotify, I feel even though they're already quite well-known they still have a lot of creative room to grow and the potential to take their music so much further.
Favourite Song: Run
2. H.E.R
Hannah/Emily:
Again one of more recognisable artists on this list; H.E.R recently won two Grammy's for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance, for both of us we've followed her for a while but recently she's gained a lot of attention. Not only is she an extremely talented guitarist (watch her Grammy performance here) she's also a beautiful vocal artist, but has she peaked too early: where will she be in the next few years?
Favourite Songs: Gone Away, Changes and Carried Away
3. Alina Baraz
Hannah:
I found her through the song collab she did with Khalid, Electric, I really liked her voice so I went discovered the rest of her music and with her most recently release I found it to be so much more musically mature then her previous work.
Her music is generally of downtempo, alternative/contemporary R&B and pop genres, which I feel are quite niche areas of music, meaning that she isn't as mainstream as she could be but this isn't something to hold her back but to actually help to expand mainstream music and help creative a diversity in the genres.
Favourite Song: I Don't Even Know Though
4. Nao
Emily:
NAO has been a relatively low-key artist until her 2018 album release ‘Saturn’ which is easily her best work yet. I discovered her looking for summer aesthetic songs and her 2016 track ‘Get to Know Ya’ was exactly what I was looking for. A lot of people are taken by surprise by her unique high-pitched voice (especially in 'Another Lifetime') as very few artists have the ability to sing at that range. She showcases this very well in ‘Saturn’ and I would highly recommend the album-it caused a few waves upon release but it definitely deserves more recognition.
Favourite Song: If You Ever
5. SZA
Emily:
We should all know who SZA is at this point. She is easily one of my favourite artists at the moment and although she is more recognisable than some of the other artists in this article, she still deserves more recognition. 'Ctrl' is one of the best albums to come out of 2017 and still holds the same prestige 2 years later. Everyone has heard of ‘The Weekend’ but please please please listen to ‘Go Gina’, ‘20 Something’ and ‘Broken Clocks’ for the best R&B experience of your life. I’m still waiting for new 2019 material that isn’t a collaboration (although I did lose my tiny mind when she collaborated with Lorde, Post Malone and Khalid with their 'Perfect Places' remix).
Favourite Songs: Go Gina [explicit] and 20 Something [explicit]
6. The Japanese House
Emily:
The Japanese House is a young female solo singer/songwriter called Amber Bain. It took me a while to realise she was a solo act as all her songs have so many layers and elements to them. She sings the vocals and plays the drums, keyboard, bass and the guitar. I have a lot of respect for artists who write their own music let alone write, sing and perform every element of every record. She has been producing singles and EPs since 2015 with some of them gaining a lot of traction like her 2017 single ‘Saw You in a Dream.’ Her recent songs ‘Lilo’ and ‘Cool Blue’ set to be songs on her upcoming full-length album debut later this year.
Favourite Song: Lilo
7. Chase Atlantic
Hannah:
Chase Atlantic has been a group that I've always loved, I've following them for more than 2 years now so I guess I would call myself a fan in a way, in my eyes I would say they're quite well recognised but not as much as I thought as I've mentioned them to people in the past and they've had no idea who they were. In January this year they released their EP called 'Don't Try This', mixing a combination of R&B, rock, pop, and alternative, they were able to create a wide spread of songs all taking a different style to the other, which is what makes them so engaging to me.
Seeing them in concert is one of the best experiences I've had, as they clearly had a passion for what they do and their energy was transferred to the audience, and the atmosphere was like no other concert I've been too.
Favourite Songs: Dancer in the Dark and DEVILISH [explicit]
8. No Rome
Emily:
No Rome signed to Dirty Hit in August 2018 (Dirty Hit also have The 1975, The Japanese House and Pales Waves signed on - just to name a few) then they collaborated with my favourite artist The 1975 in October 2018 with their song ‘Narcissist’ which was an instant breakthrough hit with The 1975 fanbase. Even if you’re not a fan of The 1975, No Rome have some incredibly well produced songs with catchy beats and rhythms: 'Saint Laurent' was the song that converted me to love No Rome for their musical ability rather than their ties to my favourite artist.
Favourite Song: Saint Laurent
9.Tobi Lou
Hannah:
A more recently but well loved discovery of mine, I found out about him through going through other people's Instagram pages and some how finding him and I'm glad I did. For me he has one of the best sounds in the industry, which I haven't found in any other artist, mixing popular culture and rap he is able to create a unique blend in his music.
He's so low-key that he doesn't even have a Wikipedia.
Favourite Song: Sadderday [explicit]
10. Spilt Milk Society
Emily:
Are a relatively new band formed in the summer of 2015 but came onto my radar with their breakthrough hit ‘She Tastes Like Summer’ in 2017. I instantly fell in love with their combination of electronic instruments and indie-rock style so this song instantly became my summer anthem, but their most recent 2019 release ‘Orange’ might be my new favourite. These young A-Level aged artists have so much potential and I can’t wait to see where they take their music next.
Favourite Song: Orange
11. Jagwar Twin/Roy English
Hannah:
Adopting the moniker Jagwar Twin for his most recent project, Roy English released a 11 track-long album, with not much prior announcement other than releasing the debut single 'Loser' for the new moniker on September 7, 2018 on Beats 1 radio, the album later dropped in late September. English has been and will still be an inspiration of mine, being one of the first artists I discovered outside the mainstream bubble of pop, he uses alternative/indie sounds to create his tracks.
Favourite Song: Good Day
12. Viratempo
Emily:
So this band is Portuguese and I actually have no idea what they’re singing at all, but their music is such an 80s chill vibe that it actually doesn’t matter. My favourite song is ‘O Quatro’ (Google translate tells me it means ‘the fourth’) closely followed by ‘Se Eu Soubesse’ (if I knew). I only discovered them last month and I love them for their old school synth and simple vocals. The ambiguity of not having a clue what they’re saying is what makes them interesting to me personally. It’s a bit of a weird one but if you want to unwind to some 80s synth then you’ll love Viratempo.
Favourite Song: Se Eu Soubesse
13. Pvris
Hannah:
An American rock band from Massachusetts, they take a more subtle approach to the rock sound that they hold but still include heavier parts in their songs. They have a very specific sound with notes of pop and electronic mixed into the rock base of their songs, originally being a post-hardcore band this is a big change to what they're making now.
They've been one of my favourite bands for a long time, I can't remember how I found them but I know that I fell in love with their music straight-away.
Favourite Song: Nola 1
14. Kehlani
Emily:
Kehlani is an artist I have started listening to in the new year. Her stripped back acoustic style and melodic voice is perfect relaxation material. My favourite song of hers is ‘Keep On’ which is from her most recent 2017 album. I'm buzzing for her upcoming mixtape, ‘While We Wait’ including new songs called ‘Nights Like These’ and ‘Butterfly’ which should be out this February.
Favourite Songs: Keep On [explicit] and Nights Like This [explicit]
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Honourable mentions:
High recommendation: Foals HONNE Jessie Reyez Daniel Caesar flor Anderson .Paak Conan Gray Nothing But Thieves Sigrid Hey Violet Allie X Iyla Young Lions Ella Vos You Me At Six Drug Drawer Rationale Majid Jordan Le Voyageur MNEK Majid Jordan We've also created a playlist of songs we recommended from the artists. Check it out to the right. |
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