Addicted to Music? Me Too. Here Are 10 Artists You Need To Know
*Updated October 6, 2020*
There are a plethora of artists from all genres that create great music. Unfortunately, it seems only a few receive massive notoriety. Today, I hope to introduce you to 10 artists you need to know! Check out the playlist featuring my favorite songs from each artist on Spotify and Apple Music.
Shavaun Marie
Shavaun has one of the most beautiful and pure voices I’ve heard in the R&B/soul genre. After hearing That’s My Man, I immediately followed her Instagram, and it was instantly apparent that she is a humble and kind human being. Shavaun Marie is a hidden gem that must be uncovered. I caught up with her during the quarantine to discuss why she chose to obey the stay at home order and why you should check out her music.
It’s not every day you get to stay home & flood your ears with good music, usually we’re out living our busy social lives! Music, to me, is a flow of passion, and my new Album has energies that explore friendship, love, hurt, difficult times, identity & romance. I wrote this album (the majority of it in my car) as a healing tool for those who need that emotional connection to what they are dealing with personally. Considering the world is all suffering together, I can only imagine what some people are going through during this time. My album “Music of Love” May just be what you need to get you through! Don’t forget that staying home saves lives, so throw some headphones on and check out some of Emerald’s favorite artists!
Anville
Anville has the most intense energy of any artist on this list. It would be impossible to box him into one genre. Anville’s music effortlessly flows from hardcore rap to head-banging rock without losing its energy. I immediately followed him, and to my surprise, he reciprocated and has been one of the coolest people I’ve encountered online. Much like Shavaun Marie, I reached out to Anville to find out how he’s staying safe and why he feels you should listen to his music.
My name is Anville, and I am a rapper from a small town named Johnstown, Colorado. I am staying home for multiple reasons during this massive crisis we are currently going through. Reason one is because my mother and I both have asthma. The last thing I want to do is to put our well being at risk. Not only do we want to protect ourselves, but we also want to protect the older generations. Those of whom who have autoimmune diseases and compromised immune systems are at high risk, especially if the person is older. It’s a human’s job to look out for other humans (based on circumstances, of course), so I am doing just that. Tagging on to that, I get to work on music! I lost my job and moved back to my mom’s, yet I am trying to look for the positive. Being on quarantine and not having a source of income sucks, but I get to perfect my craft and put in those 10,000 hours. All of you should listen to my music because I ain’t jivin, I keep it real and speak from the heart. I wholeheartedly love music of all genres, which I try to portray in the music I create. I don’t know what my sound is; I just know my art is sound. Much love, baby, dig!
Reason
There are entirely too many reasons to love this TDE artist. Reason is the lyrically gifted and unapologetic artist we needed. His ability to tell a story that makes you feel deep emotions is incredible. Two of my favorite songs, Thirst and Color Dreams, took me on a road of conflicting emotions, anger, and ultimately gut-wrenching sadness and disappointment. Reason is a problem in the best way. If you don’t know him by now, you will before this year ends! *update* Reason has finally announced the release of his album New Beginnings on October 9th!
Smino
Smino is the most versatile and unpredictable rap artist of our generation. I believe it is this innate ability to keep people guessing that makes him so appealing. From his style to his flow Smino is the one to watch. He recently released the mixtape She Already Decided, and it’s proven to be an excellent body of work and a necessity for afternoon chill sessions. Listen to Backstage Pass ft. Monte Booker & The Drums! I don’t like favoritism but Smino is my favorite male artist on this list.
Teamarr
To my understanding, Teamarr is the first artist signed to Insecure star Issa Rae’s record label The Raedio. With an eclectic vibe and enchanting music, Teamarr proves she has one job, and that’s keeping you entertained with her unique and hard to imitate voice. My introduction to this beautiful soul was her song One Job, which featured an appearance from Boomerang star Lala Milan. With a fierce presence reminiscent of Miss Badu and India Arie, Teamarr might be the strong and outspoken voice of this generation.
Queen Naija
YouTube personality turned singer, Queen Naija, has proven her ability to command stages like her powerful performance of Good Morning Text at the Soul Train awards. Entertaining her YouTube audience has come with a fair share of distractions, but she has handled herself with grace and compassion. There’s no reason this talented R&B/Soul singer should go unnoticed. I’m anticipating the release of her upcoming album that she promises will be her best work ever! With possible features from artists such as; Lucky Daye, Ari Lennox, and more. Queen Naija has arrived, and she’s not giving up her crown. Listen to her new song Lie To Me feat. Chicago based artist Lil Durk!
Yebba
Apple Music introduced me to Yebba a few months ago, and I haven’t stopped singing Evergreen since it played on my Speakers. The soul and range of her voice are incredible and gives you chills. The notes she effortlessly delivered on both Evergreen and Where Do You Go had me screaming, “you better sing, girl!” Yebba is the voice you need to hear to conjure up buried emotions. She’ll be releasing new music on May 8th, so I encourage you to download and share her album.
Cleo Sol
Cleo Sol is full of soul! This woman can put your feelings into a song and assist you in working through your emotions. Her songs Butterfly and I Love You felt as if they were ripped from my diary. Few artists have touched my heart deeply, but Cleo Sol stands shoulder to shoulder with Jessie J and Tory Kelly. Hopefully, soon I’ll have her album Rose In The Dark on vinyl because some albums just need to play on the record player with incense burning and barefoot wandering in solitude.
Elaine
Some artists paralyze you with their music and force you to stop and listen to the lyrics. Elaine’s song Say It left me unable to complete a short story I was engrossed in because her silky and smooth vocals hypnotized me and commanded attention. Her album Elements is the perfect collective of authentic soul music. If you have been searching for a nod to 90’s R&B, Elaine is who you’ve been searching for all this time.
Charity
There’s nothing bad to say about Charity or her music. She’s truly genuine and one of the few artists who have maintained the ability to be relatable with their listeners. During the initial phase of the COVID-19 crisis, Charity was the calm and peaceful balance many needed. From her Instagram live conversations to her journal prompts, her attention and encouragement strengthened and uplifted many, including me. Her album Tender Headed is a journey of self love, compassion, and acceptance. Charity is the best friend we’re all longing to have in our lives. Practice self love and listen to Tender Headed on Spotify and Apple Music.
I reached out to Charity and she said;
Hey! I’m working on Tender Headed deluxe to compensate for the rollout getting cut short by COVID shut downs.
I will definitely stream and share! Morning is still my favorite song to sing from the Tender Headed album!
There are many more artists I look forward to introducing to all of you beautiful people. Familiarize yourself with the talent mentioned above in the Spotify playlist curated just for you from yours truly. Stay safe, and if you know of a great artist not mentioned, please tweet me with a link to their best song!
