Making it big in the music industry is no simple feat. It takes a lot more than just skill, it requires determination and passion. Which is why when a fresh face hits the scene, everyone loves to embrace them and get on the bandwagon. With the help of Spotify and Apple Music, it has never been easier to find hot hits for your summer playlist. Here are five adept Artists you should be watching and more importantly listening to right now.
1. Daniel Caesar
Daniel Caesar is a Canadian Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter with a voice that sounds how red velvet feels. He released his debut album Freudian in August 2017 that garnered widespread acclaim. Recently he brought his debut headlining world tour to Auckland for a single show at Silo Park that completely sold out.
2. Hayley Kiyoko
Former ‘Lemonade Mouth’ star Hayley Kiyoko has proven to be a force to be reckoned with this year following the release of her debut album Expectations. Kiyoko is a triple threat as an actress, singer-songwriter/dancer and even director. She directs all of her videos herself including the video below ‘What I Need’ featuring Kehlani. Kiyoko is redefining the ‘new normal’ in the pop industry one carefully crafted music video at a time.
3. SZA
New Jersey born and bred singer-songwriter Solána Imani Rowe aka SZA has been on an upward slope this year and is not slowing down any time soon. SZA self released her debut EP, See.SZA.Run, back in October 2012 but began to receive global acclaim with the release of her single The Weekend in 2017, as a part of her debut studio album Ctrl. From there she has only gained momentum collaborating with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Khalid, Maroon 5 and even our very own Lorde. She describes her genre as ‘neo soul’, an alternative sort of R&B with hints of soul and hip hop. Her unique sound is a breath of fresh air for the music charts.
4. Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa had a very successful 2017 with the exceptional success of her self-titled debut studio album that spawned several chart-topping singles such as New Rules, IDGAF and Be the One. Her triumphs have continued into 2018 with her winning several Brit Awards and MTV Europe Music Awards. She is dominating the charts right now with her single One Kiss featuring Calvin Harris. We barely have to tell you to keep an eye out for her as you will most definitely be seeing her around in the future.
5. Brent Faiyaz
Brent Faiyaz is the perfect example of an underrated artist with massive potential. He is an American singer and record producer who released his debut album in 2016, an EP entitled A.M Paradox. He released his second successful album Sonder Son in October 2017. An entirely solo and label-less artist he writes almost all of his own songs and produces them himself. With a cool, smooth R&B sound and soothing voice, Faiyaz is the full package. Currently, on his Sonder Son national tour, we hope to see him voyage to NZ shores sometime in the future.
