Music is a universal language that brings everyone together and has no barriers. It is meant to make you feel something and to move you. I love music with all my heart and I enjoy finding new artists to listen to. My YouTube playlist can attest to that because there are currently over 800 videos saved there. One of my favorite things is sharing new music with others so I hope you get the chance to appreciate the singers on this list and maybe find a new favorite of yours!
1. Kiana Ledé
You may recognize Kiana Ledé from her role as Zoe Vaughn on MTV's "Scream," but in case you don't know her, now is your chance! Her newest EP "Selfless" came out this past July, and "Ex" is her most popular song on the project. I became a fan of her a couple of years back stumbling across her YouTube covers. She puts her own original spin on them and her smooth angelic voice just makes it all better. She's been singing since a young age — winning the 2011 KIDZ Star USA at 13 — and will now be touring with Ella Mai this year.
2. Nao
Nao is an English singer-songwriter and record producer from East London, and I am absolutely obsessed with her! Her sound is a mix of soul, electronic music, funk, and R&B that works perfectly together. Her voice is so unique and it makes me feel like I'm floating on clouds tbh. She's known for her collaborations with Mura Masa, and "Bad Blood" is a popular song of hers. She released her second album "Saturn" (which I can't get enough of) in October and is now touring.
3. Chloe x Halle
By now I feel that we all should know who Chloe and Halle are. These sisters are simply amazing, their vocal skills and talent are unmatched. Their style is so unique that they're in a lane and genre of their own. They were doing covers on YouTube when they were discovered and signed by Beyoncé. They've been opening acts for Beyoncé and Jay-Z and are nominated for two Grammy's this year. Their first album "The Kids Are Alright" came out in March and not only do they sing, but they act, too! You can see them as Jazlyn and Skylar on "Grown-ish."
4. Umi
Umi is going to be the next thing! She is down to earth and is a student so I can easily relate to her and her songs. She's currently independent and writes and records her own music. Her musical sound is alternative neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop, and lo-fi which gives it a fresh and nice feel. She came out with a new song called "High School" a week ago and it's been on repeat just like how I would put "Remember Me" on repeat. "Remember Me" perfectly expresses the thoughts on lost love that will leave you feeling nostalgic and it beautifully represents different types of relationships.
5. Mahalia
Mahalia is another English singer that I find myself always listening to. She wrote her first song at eight and got signed to a major record label at 13. One of her songs from her album "Diary of Me" was in my recommended list on YouTube and my love for her took off from there. She has three EP's out, her recent one being "Seasons" which this song "Surprise Me" is featured on. My favorite songs by her are "Sober" and "I Wish I Missed My Ex."
6. FKA Twigs
Listen, FKA Twigs is an artist in every sense of the world. Her work is genre-bending and when she shows up, she performs, you guys. Everything from her voice to her outfits and choreography screams professional and out of this world. I admire her and her craft so much and can't help but root for the success of this sweet soul. Her musical style is drawn from electronic music, R&B, trip-hop, choral music, industrial, and avant-garde. You may not think her stuff is for you but definitely pay attention to her lyrics. I love her album "LP1" and her EP "M3LL155X." Recently she was featured on ASAP Rocky's song "Fukk Sleep" and killed it!
7. Ella Eyre
I found out about this gem Ella back in 2015. Her stripped version of her song "Home" and rendition of "We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off" is what hooked me. I loved her look and her voice and aspired to be just as fierce as she is. Her album "Feline" is absolute gold and her song "Comeback" is the perfect badass breakup song to get your spirits up. She is well known for her collaborations with Rudimental and just released another collab with Sigala called "Just Got Paid" along with Meghan Trainor and French Montana. She is now working on her second studio album.
8. Alina Baraz
My first exposure to Alina was with the EP she made with Galimatias — a Danish electronic producer — "Urban Flora." Their song "Fantasy" off of that project was my anthem for summer 2014. She released her first solo EP "The Color of You" in April and her song "I Don't Even Know Why Though" was very popular. I love her song "Electric" that features Khalid and she just released a new song in September called "Feels Right."
9. Summer Walker
Summer Walker — the Atlanta native — took us all by surprise in 2018. She came out of nowhere and blew us all away. She released her album "Last Day Of Summer" in October and had everyone singing "Girls Need Love" everywhere. She brings back the raw and soulful energy to R&B and I love how she can play the guitar. Her new EP "Clear" was just released last week and has been seeing a lot of success. She was also on Jimmy Kimmel performing "Session 32" and "Girls Need Love."
10. Grace Carter
Last but not least is Grace Carter! I found her accidentally after letting an album finish playing through on SoundCloud. The song I heard was "Why Her Not Me" and it's a very emotional and raw song that hit hard. In the description of the music video, Grace writes, "I wrote this song about my father choosing another life over raising me. This video represents the literal and emotional journey I took, only to find out he wanted them and not me. Everyone can relate to the feeling of not being good enough and the frustration that comes with that." I gained respect for her seeing how open she was with her music and I'm currently cheering her on because she's truly a great singer.
There are more music recommendations to come in the future and I want to thank you for taking the time to go through the list and checking these talented ladies out. Let me know what you think and if you end up listening to some of their other stuff!
