Sometimes I discover underground artists whose music I enjoy and deserve much more attention. Having done quite a bit of that, I wanted to share some of the lesser known artists who I have discovered.
Birdy
Jasmine van den Bogaerde known as Birdy is an English singer who is not very well known but is featured on the soundtracks of movies such as The Hunger Games, The Fault in our Stars & Disney’s Brave. Maintaining a small celebrity presence, Birdy has released several songs. She won the Open Mic UK competition and has been producing music ever since age 12. Some of her more popular songs are Skinny Love, People Help the People and Let It All Go. Her style is uniquely her own but is most similar to those of Adele, Lana Del Rey and Lorde.
Rina Sawayama
A British-Japanese pop singer, Rina Sawayama creates bright and glittery songs that are surprisingly exploratory and robust themes. In “Cyber Stockholm Syndrome” lyrics like
“Came here on my own
Party on my phone
Came here on my own
But I start to feel alone”
explore a girl’s connection to her phone and contrasts these themes with fun and upbeat music. Rina has been met with critical acclaim and her music has resembled “90’s R&B and shimmery pop. Despite this, you won’t find typical “girly” and pink bubble themes in her lyrics. In fact, you’ll find buried in the fun pop songs much more. Whether it’s exploring her sexuality in “Cherry” (she recently came out as bisexual), her virtual fantasy “Tunnel Vision” or her own battle with anxiety, Rina tackles them with an unexpected rawness and honestly in her powerful lyrics.
MARINA
Formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds, Marina has released three albums since 2010 in her signature alternative pop fashion. A Welsh singer and songwriter, Marina never had any formal musical experience but has been able to create music that does not fit into a single genre. While some tracks have incorporated indie pop and new wave styles, others have had electropop influences. Despite the frequent transitions in styles, Marina’s music often carries themes of analysis of human behaviour and introspection. Some of her most well-known songs include “Primadona” and “Baby” in collaboration with Luis Fonsi and Clean Bandit. With very unique vocal capabilities, she has been compared to several talented artists such as Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga despite frequently wanting to be classified as herself.
So there you have it, three singers whose music you should check out who you may not have known about before. Check back soon for more commentary on music and the music industry!
