Fresh Finds by Female Artists
Written by Parnia Razi on February 14, 2019
Nina Nesbitt, The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change
Nina Nesbitt, Scottish singer and song-writer, has dominated the UK charts with her beautiful voice and elegant style over the past few years. From her famous single “Stay Out” to her most recent hit, “Is It Really Me You’re Missing,” Nina’s songs are on point every time. Her current melodic pop/acoustic rock sound was influenced from when she began playing the guitar from the age of 15. Her background with music is clear with how easily her music flows. She notes being inspired by Taylor Swift’s first album, Fearless, and began playing guitar and wanting to pursue music after that. Aside from music, she’s done incredible philanthropic work alongside legendary women like Nicole Kidman and Cara Delevingne. Nina was also the influence behind some of Ed Sheeran’s music, as she and the English singer dated early in her career. Her most recent release, The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change, has been well-received as the artist has grown and developed in her music. It’s clear this is an important album for her, and the videos for “Colder” and “Is It Really Me You’re Missing” embrace her beauty, womanhood, and a sense of growth and maturity. With a mix of beautiful, deep ballads, as well as some uplifting and energetic tracks, her album surely has something to brighten your day, even when you feel like the sun will never come out.
You can follow Nina on Twitter or Instagram! And check out her upcoming tour dates.
Jamila Woods, “ZORA”
Jamila Woods, best known for collaborations with Chance The Rapper, is a Chicago-based soul singer and song-writer. Her powerful voice is not the only incredible thing about her though – she’s also educated in Africana Studies and Theater & Performance Studies. She first began singing in her church in Chicago, and decided to pursue singing shortly after. With many works published, she is also a poet. She does community organizing through Young Chicago Authors, which works to uplift young voices through arts education and mentorship. Her poetry and music both focus on themes of black identity and history, feminism, and self love. In addition to working closely with Chance, Jamila has also collaborated with artists like Noname and Saba. Her voice, her message, and what she has to offer is incredibly meaningful, powerful, and much needed right now. Her last album, Heavn, hit massive success with its incredible track list. Jamila is back at it this year, with her latest single “ZORA,” flaunting her melodic voice and hitting every note with ease.
Check her out on Twitter and Instagram! And listen to her latest tracks on Soundcloud below.
MARINA, “Handmade Heaven”
Marina (formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds) has taken on a new, fresh, more mature look and sound. Watch out! She’s ready to takeover the world again. She first became popular in 2012 with her album Electra Heart. The Welsh singer moved to London in her early teen years in hopes of pursing music, despite having little musical background or experience. Her raw talent and passion for music came through, and her unique and bold style set her apart from other artists. Her music combines many different genres, from indie-pop, to electro-pop, to ‘new wave.’ She positioned herself for success as she began to gain a strong fanbase in the U.S. as well as the UK. After the success of Electra Heart she decided to take a hiatus from touring to rest and enjoy some time for herself. In 2015, she was back with the album Froot. This gained success across the Billboard UK charts. However, after another recent hiatus, Marina has come back with a new image, but maintains the same magical voice we know and love her for.
Check out the single “Handmade Heaven” on Spotify or check out the music video. Be sure to check out her Twitter and Instagram for more updates on what she’s up to next.
Billie Eilish, “bury a friend”
After building a major name for herself this past year, Billie Eilish has released the official single for her upcoming album, “when we all fall asleep, where do we go?” The album is set to release in late March, but you can already get a taste for the eerie, electro-pop vibes the album will have from this incredible single. Eilish is so unique because not only does she have such a soft, beautiful, and developed voice at her young age, but her style and production too are so vibrant and attention-grabbing. Her raw talent and comfort being in the spotlight are amazing. She is sure to rise to the top over the next year! She’s also going on a world tour this year for her new album with the rap group Earthgang, which is already selling out fast. The position she’s created for herself in music is so unique – considering she’s already garnered a diverse fan base and snagged a spot on this year’s Coachella lineup. What Eilish has accomplished by the age of 17 is incredible. This single in particular definitely has stunning production and captures Eilish’s spooky style perfectly.
You can check out the single on Soundcloud! Keep a look out for her upcoming tour dates and check her out on Twitter and Instagram.
Ariana Grande, Thank U, Next
Queen Ari is taking over hearts and charts with her latest album, Thank U, Next. With Sweetener’s success, it’s surprising to see another album out so soon, only five months later. Ariana has been vocal about how she doesn’t want to abide by the norms of the industry for pop female artists and how she wants to be more like the male rappers who get to drop music whenever and however they want. Consequently, Ariana is definitely redefining the industry and setting her own standards by being real, authentic, and true to her own vision. Teasing fans with the popular singles “7 Rings” and “Thank U, Next,” there was a lot of buzz for this album before it was released. The album has a great balance of slower ballads where Ariana shows off her strong voice and incredible range of vocals, such as on the tracks “Imagine” and “Ghostin’,” Then there are the tracks that are bass-y with more high-energy like “Bad Idea” and “break up with you girlfriend, i’m bored.” Ariana has an incredible voice. Without a doubt, though it’s her vibrant personality, style, and energy that set her apart from any other pop singer with a great voice. She is unapologetically feminine, transcends standards and does what she wants, which is what makes her (and this album) so iconic. Although she can seem out of reach sometimes, tracks like “needy” and “fake smile” remind us that she’s been through a lot and is actually just like us with some of her relatable lyrics.
https://soundcloud.com/ariana-grande-official/sets/thank-u-next-4
Elevating the female voice and highlighting the importance of diversity in music, Fresh Finds by Female Artists is a monthly feature and playlist curated of contemporary women artists across all genres.
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