Artists to Watch | August 2018
Keep your eyes and ears peeled
From viral sensations to mysterious up-and-comers, 2018 is producing an incredible crop of new artists that remind us why we listen to music at all. Here are some of our favorites so far. They are the future!
Dennis Lloyd
© 2018 Dennis Lloyd. All rights reserved.
This Israeli artist’s real name is actually Nir Tibor – Dennis Lloyd is his stage name (despite it sounding like a real name).
He lived in Bangkok, Thailand for a year, which inspired his hit single “Nevermind,” when he was worried his girlfriend at the time would meet someone else.
On repeat: “Leftovers”
ONR
© 2018 ONR. All rights reserved.
While driving around to gigs in his old van in 2016, he only had one CD to listen to, The Suburbs by Arcade Fire, which he played on repeat.
In 2005, he started his own label and released a debut album as a teenager.
His first US show in San Francisco sold out, and he’s now touring with Mondo Cozmo on the East Coast.
On repeat: “Jericho”
Mahalia
© 2018 Mahalia. All rights reserved.
This English artist wrote her first song when she was 8 and was signed to Atlantic Records at 13, but decided to finish school before releasing anything significant.
If she weren’t a musician, she would probably have become a scientist.
Her latest video for “I Wish I Missed My Ex” was shot in reverse over 22 hours. The director, Andrew Litten, hired a linguist to teach her the song backwards, which she learned in two days.
On repeat: “I Wish I Missed My Ex”
grandson
© 2018 Alternative Press. All rights reserved.
This former McGill student (he attended for a short time) used to work at nightclubs, DJing and cleaning tables in Montreal.
His music touches upon social issues like inequality, social justice, and environmental accountability. His last single “Thoughts and Prayers” was written about gun violence and lack of action taken by politicians, shortly after the Parkland, Florida shooting.
On repeat: “6:00”
Rosalia
© 2018 Tom Tom Magazine. All rights reserved.
The Spanish singer discovered flamenco when she was thirteen years old in a village on the outskirts of Barcelona.
Her debut album, Los Ángeles, was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2017.
On repeat: “Malamente”
Ruel
© 2018 Ruel. All rights reserved.
This Australian teen first started playing guitar at age eight.
In the last year, he’s seen much success - he supported Khalid on his Australian tour, had his song “Don’t Tell Me” in a Beats by Dre commercial, and performed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
He’s received direct praise from Elton John, who described him in 2017 as having “the most amazing voice [he’s] ever heard from a male singer at 14 years of age.”
On repeat: “Dazed & Confused”
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
© 2018 Blurt Magazine. All rights reserved.
The five-person Australian band is a tight-knight family, consisting of two brothers and two cousins.
Their newest album Hope Downs is named after a massive ore mine in the Australian Outback.
The band is unconventionally made up of three vocalist-guitarists.
On repeat: “Talking Straight”
B Young
© 2018 B Young. All rights reserved.
Since his debut single “Jumanji” was released in January, this UK singer and rapper has amassed more than 1.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify – the single has 16m plays (as of April 2018).
Before pursuing his solo career as a rapper, he worked behind the scenes mixing for other artists.
On repeat: “Jumanji”
Stela Cole
© 2018 Belmont Showcase Series. All rights reserved.
In her sophomore year of high school, she suffered a back injury that prevented her from pursuing soccer. Because of this, she pursued music instead.
Growing up, she was inspired by a wide range of artists like Otis Redding, John Mayer, and Childish Gambino.
On repeat: “You F O”
Teyana Taylor
© 2018 Billboard. All rights reserved.
You might remember her as the dancer from Kanye’s eclectic video for “Fade.”
A multi-talented artist, she was helped choreograph Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” music video, has designed and released sneakers with Adidas, and has acted in movies and TV shows.
In 2017, she launched her Fade2Fit Workout Program, which incorporates dance with fitness in 15- and 20-minute videos.
On repeat: “Issues / Hold On”
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