12 Female Artists & Female-Led Groups You Need in Your Life Right Now
We're ALL about supporting women, and that comes across in the music we listen to. Here's a few girls and women we're obsessed with atm.
Billie Eilish
FOR FANS OF: Halsey, Hayley Kiyoko, The Neighborhood
WHERE TO START: Eilish's single "Ocean Eyes" (written when she was just 13) put her on the map. "Bellyache" is my favorite from the past year.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT HER: She's only 16 (coincidentally the same number, in millions, of monthly Spotify listeners that she has racked up), and she's WEIRD. Seriously, you guys. This chick is strange, but in the most charming way. She doesn't take anyone's shit. She also writes, records, and produces all of her own music with her brother, Finneas.
King Princess
FOR FANS OF: Maggie Rogers, John Mayer, Adele, Julia Michaels
WHERE TO START: "1950" is her biggest hit to date, but most fans will argue that "Talia" is one of the best songs to come out during this decade.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT HER: As a member of the LGBT community, she writes love songs about women instead of carefully avoiding he/she pronouns.
Verite
FOR FANS OF: Ellie Goulding, Broods, machineheart, Ella Vos
WHERE TO START: Hmmm, that's a tough one. "When You're Gone" and "Nothing" are two of the most successful songs on her debut LP, Somewhere in Between. My recommendation, however, is to listen to the entire 13-song album in order from start to finish.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT HER: Verite is an independent artist who has managed to amass more than one million monthly listeners on Spotify. She deserves it, too. Verite worked at Applebee's in Times Square while she saved money to record EP after EP before finally saving enough to put out an entire album. On top of that, she is the executive producer of the album, she booked all of her tour dates, and did all of her own A&R. She is easily one of the most impressive artists in my short list and was my most-played artist of 2017.
Pale Waves
FOR FANS OF: The 1975
WHERE TO START: "Television Romance." When Pale Waves opened for The 1975 on their tour in 2017, they had only released one song, "There's a Honey." All of the other songs they played were unreleased and unknown. Their debut album drops this August.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT THEM: Front woman Heather Baron-Gracie is dreamy. She is the perfect goth pop princess the world didn't know it was missing. And their music will put you in a good mood no matter what, so everyone wins.
Amy Shark
FOR FANS OF: Lorde, Sara Bareilles, Troye Sivan
WHERE TO START: "Adore." No question about this one. And while you're on her page, go ahead and listen to her debut album Love Monster, released July 13.
WHAT WE LOVE MOST ABOUT HER: She's just simply good. She has a nice, clear voice, and her songs are easy to listen to. Plus, "Adore" has earned it's spot at the top of our list of first dance songs.
FLETCHER
FOR FANS OF: Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, LAUV
WHERE TO START: "Wasted Youth" (DUH). We're still anxiously awaiting the release of Fletcher's debut album. No word yet on when we'll get that.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT HER: FLETCHER, a 24-year-old from New Jersey, has been very vocal on her support of the LGBT community and her views of sexuality. In an interview with Billboard, FLETCHER said, "It's really important to just be talking about sexuality, because the more we talk about it and it's normalized, the more the next generation will never have to come out. It's so stupid that people have to even come out. The more we talk about it, the less in the future that will have to happen.”
The Aces
FOR FANS OF: HAIM, Bleachers, Paramore
WHERE TO START: "Stuck" (Album Version). This was the first song I ever heard by The Aces, and the version that made it onto their debut album has the best production and mixing. All of their songs are incredibly catchy.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT THEM: Vocalist Cristal and drummer Alisa are sisters who started playing music together when they were very young. The sisters convinced their friends Katie and McKenna to learn instruments and play with them. Now, the 4 girls from Provo, UT, are set to go on tour with 5 Seconds of Summer this fall.
MUNA
FOR FANS OF: The 1975, Bleachers, HAIM
WHERE TO START: "Winterbreak" and "Around U" show two different sides to the MUNA's songwriting. My suggestion, though, would be to listen to the entire album start to finish. Every single song is brilliant.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT THEM: MUNA expertly mixes dreamy alt-pop production with serious lyrics. They do not shy away from real-life topics including sexual assault and failed relationships. Their songs are honest and relatable.
Charlotte Lawrence
FOR FANS OF: Julia Michaels, Phoebe Ryan, Maggie Lindemann
WHERE TO START: My personal favorite from Lawrence is "Seventeen," but "Sleep Talking" has been her most successful release to date, racking up 21 million streams on Spotify alone.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT HER: She's young and has a lot of potential. With a clear pop voice and a sultry demeanor, Lawrence seems to be at the beginning of something big.
Bea Miller
FOR FANS OF: Fifth Harmony, Olivia Holt, Phoebe Ryan
WHERE TO START: I'm obsessed with "buy me diamonds." It's a perfect summer girl anthem (although it came out last summer, I can listen to it every day). "buy me diamonds" is on her sophomore album, aurora.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT HER: Miller sings in a lower register than most pop artists. Something about that just appeals to me, maybe it's because it's easier for me to sing along to her songs, who knows. Her voice just sounds low, sultry, and hard. It's nice.
ALMA
FOR FANS OF: MØ, Tove Lo, Charli XCX
WHERE TO START: "Phases" and "Fake Gucci" -
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT HER: Just look at her!! With that hair, it's obvious that ALMA doesn't give a f*** about anything. Similar to Billie Eilish, this anti-pop artist has swag that can't be touched.
Hayley Kiyoko
FOR FANS OF: Kehlani, Halsey, Kim Petras, Ariana Grande
WHERE TO START: "Curious," "Sleepover," and "Girls Like Girls" - Kiyoko started releasing songs a few years ago, but in the past few months has really blown up.
WHAT WE LIKE MOST ABOUT HER: Affectionately called the "Lesbian Jesus," Kiyoko has a sweet, fun-loving demeanor at all times. After getting her start on Disney Channel, she is now touring the country as an opening act for Panic! At The Disco. She has released the catchiest songs lately, and we're into it. Oh, and did we mention she can dance, too??
Be on the lookout for new music and tour information from these artists.
