6 Female Artists You Should Be Listening To

Taking by the album releases of 2016, we can say for sure that this year has been pretty special for music. From Beyoncé to Radiohead, plenty successful artists have put out incredible albums and songs and guaranteed that the Grammys run of 2017 is going to be slightly more complicated and competitive than this year’s.

However, 2016 has also been a great year for new artists. Streaming services have made it so it’s more difficult for artists to make more money with their craft, but it has also helped artists who wouldn’t have as much reach in the past to allow their art to be accessible to more people. Adding to that there is the social media factor, giving the impression that the music industry has never been as diverse as it is today.

Without further ado, here’s a list of six female artists you should be listening to.

 

Chloe x Halle

Family is always the way to go when you want to form a music group – take HAIM, instance – and that’s exactly what sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey invested on. They rose to fame with their cover of Beyoncé’s Pretty Hurts in 2013, earning the attention of the Queen Bey herself. Since then they were signed to Beyoncé’s management Parkwood Entertainment and released their EP Sugar Symphony. At 18 and 16, the sisters can definitely be considered prodigies. Their voices are soulful and mesh together perfectly to create alt-R&B tunes that beg for the repeat button. 2016 has been a big year for them what with their EP release, performing at the BETs and opening for Beyoncé in her Lemonade tour, but 2017 promises to be even bigger.

Songs to check out: Drop, Lazy Love, Thunder.

 

Dua Lipa

The British singer-songwriter started out posting covers on YouTube of various song, including Alessia Cara’s Here, until she came out with her first single New Love. Perhaps her most compelling feature is her voice. With a unique tone, she gives an extra intensity to her eletro-pop songs. Watch any video of her performing and you might be convinced that her stage presence only adds to all those factors that make her have it. With a nomination to BBC’s Sound of 2016 in her bag, Dua is captivating, having at 21 the full potential to become a big pop star. Her debut album, self-titled, is due to release on February 10th 2017 and her released songs so far only make us yearn for it even more.

Songs to check out: New Love, Hotter Than Hell, Blow Your Mind (Mwah).

 

Hayley Kiyoko

When this former Disney actress released the music video for Girls Like Girls in June of 2015, she caused a certain commotion. Disney Channel isn’t known for its diversity or for tackling any sort of controversial subject, so when Hayley – who played Stella Yamada on the movie Lemonade Mouth – came out with a song that has in it the lyrics “girls like girls like boys do” she diverted the attention to herself, for sure. Her songs are a mix of pop and synth, with smooth vocals and captivating lyrics. She’s released two EPs, A Belle To Remember (2013) and This Side Of Paradise (2015), and has a third EP coming on September 30 called Citrine.

Songs to check out: Girls Like Girls, Gravel To Tempo, Cliff’s Edge.

 

Mabel

Perhaps the least known name in this list, Mabel is the daughter of 90s R&B singer Neneh Cherry and Massive Attack’s producer Cameron McVey. The music she puts out sounds like pure old school 90s R&B, heavily influenced by Aaliyah, Ms. Lauryn Hill and, of course, her own mother. The twenty-year old singer refused to use of her parents’ contacts and worked hard in order to obtain a record deal for herself. She has since signed with Sky Ferreira’s and Shura’s label, Polydor, under the Universal Music Group. So far, there’s no indication an EP or debut album is going to be released soon, but we can sure expect more amazing music from this singer.

Songs to check out: My Boy My Town, Thinking Of You, Know Me Better.

 

NAO

After six years being part of an acapella group, Neo Jessica released her first solo EP in 2014, titled So Good. From the start people have struggled to fit her into a particular category, seeing as her music is a mixture of soul, electronic and R&B. The lack of an appropriate definition for hardly matters because one thing is for sure; everything she’s put out so far has a way to draw you in and keep you interested start to finish. Her vocals are silky and ethereal, reminiscent of FKA Twigs’, and they flow easily with the heavier beats in songs like Fool To Love and In The Morning. She was a nominee for Best Newcomer at the MOBO Awards in 2015 and for BBC’s Best Sound of 2016 and her debut album For All We Know has been the recipient of plenty of positive reviews.

Songs to check out: Girlfriend, Bad Blood, Adore You.