Hey everyone,
We're wrapping up 2018. What's next? We’ve compiled a playlist with some of the best up-and-coming female talent out there. With this broad range of artists, there's something for everyone.
Here are the new faces destined to become your new faves:
1. Melanie Martinez
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The 23-year-old Melanie Adele Martinez appeared as a contestant on the American reality show ‘The Voice’ in 2012. She brought her own version of Toxic by Britney Spears and basically rose to stardom after that audition:
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She became the 6th finalist on the show before being eliminated. However, she's known to be one of the most successful participants of the show until this day. She released her debut single, Dollhouse, in 2014. This single is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA):
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So far she has released one album and three EP’s and all have been a hit on music charts. We bet you'll enjoy her most streamed song, Pity Party:
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We expect Melanie hitting all the top charts in 2019, as she's been doing great the past few years. More and more people are discovering her music, with now almost 3,000,000 monthly listeners on Spotify!
Fun facts:
- Melanie has a vintage collection of dolls and toys from the 50’s and 60’s.
- Due to her emotional state as a child, she claims to have been referred to as a cry baby by others, which sparked the creation of her debut album, Cry Baby.
2. Davina Michelle
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Michelle Davina Hoogendoorn was born in the Netherlands. In 2016 she auditioned for the 5th season of Idols. She made it through a few rounds but unfortunately after the duet round, which took place in Bali, she was sent home.
This didn't discourage the now-23-year-old singer and she started her own YouTube channel to share her talent with the world. One of her covers, What About Us by Pink, went viral after Pink reacted to it in a Glamour Magazine video in October 2017, just 9 months after Davina posted her first video. Just have a listen yourself and you'll understand why this cover now has almost 5 million streams on Spotify:
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Davina went on to do some great covers, such as I'll Never Love Again by Lady Gaga and she even nailed No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande:
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In just one year, she gained over half a million subscribers. In 2018, she appeared on a show called Beste Zangers ('Best Singers') where she performed Duurt Te Lang (Taking Too Long) originally written by MC Fit. Just 2 days after being broadcast on TV, the song became the most downloaded song in the Netherlands. A little bit after that, it reached #1 in the Dutch Top 40, the Mega Top 50 and the Dutch Single Top 100 charts. But enough statistics, let's listen to the song (and yes, it's a Dutch song, but I'm pretty sure you can find a translation somewhere online):
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When Davina was asked in an interview what she was planning for 2019, she said:
"I will search for who I am, what my style is and what kind of music I like to make. Do I think this success will continue? I really hope so. But if it doesn't, that's just how it is. The most important thing is that I keep enjoying it and stay healthy."
We sure hope to see more of her!
Fun Facts:
- She broke a record by being #1 in the Dutch Top 40 for 8 weeks straight. This had never been done before.
- When Pink heard her cover of What About Us, she said: "That's better than I will ever sound".
3. Jade Bird
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Jade Elizabeth Bird is a British singer, songwriter and musician. She began learning piano aged 8 and started playing guitar and writing songs when she was only 12. When she was 16, she was already playing at several gigs a week while attending the BRIT school. A few years later, in 2017, she began touring the US with Brent Cobb, an American country music singer-songwriter and artist.
Her debut EP, Something American, is the one that put her on the map:
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So who is Jade Bird really? People say it’s not only her music, but her talent, charm and unpredictable wit that have won over a lot of new fans. She’s gaining a huge fanbase rapidly. Let's listen to her highest streamed song on Spotify, What Am I Here For:
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It is accurate to say that the 21-year-old is the new face of female rebellion in music. After releasing several singles in 2018 already, we're eager to see what she'll be up to in 2019.
Fun Facts:
- Jade traveled around as a child due to being in an army family. She lived in the United States, South Wales, Chesterfield and Mönchengladbach, Germany. This had a big influence on her music.
- Rolling Stone described her vocals as "raw and robust" with Tony Visconti stating, "She sings so adroitly, she's very intelligent as a singer and there's nothing she can't do".
4. Sigrid
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The Norwegian singer Sigrid got off to a flying start in 2018 when she won BBC’s Sound Of 2018 award (an award won in previous years by the likes of Adele and Sam Smith). Her first hit single, Don’t Kill My Vibe, immediately got heads turning when it was released back in 2017. It’s a revenge pop song with a raw energy to it on a par with Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato:
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Despite having only released one full EP by mid-2018, but with another one in the works, she already had a following at festivals, having displayed her youthful exuberance in live performances as a supporting act for several bands throughout the year and having performed on countless late night and talk shows in the UK and the US.
Her second EP, Raw, got people even more excited. It continued in much the same vein as the previous one, focusing on the importance of not being afraid to be yourself, as well as putting down the superficial and the unauthentic. High Five bears Sigrid’s signature explosiveness and is brutally unapologetic about the sell-outs and the phoneys of the world. Here it is in all its glory:
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As the year drew to a close, fans were left wondering when she would finally release her long-awaited full-length album. Well, she didn’t disappoint, and she announced that her latest single, Sucker Punch, would also be the lead single of her new album of the same name, which is due for release in March of 2019. Here's that single:
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If this song is anything to go by, then there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about 2019 and what it holds for the young Norwegian. With a tour lined up and festival dates selling out already, she is sure to leave a mark on pop music in the new year and to be a factor for many years to come.
Fun Facts:
- Her song Don't Kill My Vibe has been immortalised in Simlish in The Sims 4 - you can check it out here.
- She had her first hit in Norway, Sun, while she was still in high school.
It was tough to make a choice, as there are so many female heroines to write about! This is why we made a playlist with even more of our choices:
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Be sure to let us know in the comments which female artists you're keeping your eyes on in 2019 🔍
Happy Holidays everyone!
