Best New Artists of the Month

Finding new artists is easier than ever, but this creates a problem: it's harder than ever to filter through it all and keep tabs on what's really good. With so many artists popping up every day, it's impossible not to miss out on some fresh faces and new sounds. With that in mind, we'll be highlighting our favorite new acts each month. Here are the best new artists of May. 

For most artist discoveries, it starts with one strong single. That can be enough to get us excited about an artist's potential, but Atlanta rapper GRIP already has a full album under his belt, and PORCH is an excellent one. "With PORCH, I wanted to speak on the times," GRIP told us earlier this month, "so when you go back 20 years from now, you know what time it was from the music. Not the sound of the music, but my content."

GRIP's album is brimming with meticulous storytelling and a sense of urgency that reflects the times, but even with his attention to detail, it's the big-picture vision that is most impressive. While so many new rappers cater to the short attention spans of young, internet-obsessed listeners, GRIP is doing the opposite. PORCH is a thought-provoking concept album about the things GRIP has seen as a young black man in the South, and the lasting effects that come with internal and external conflict. The stories told are rooted in his own experiences, but the themes and perspectives are relatable for anyone who's faced struggle, temptation, and regret. "I don’t have the same background as Nirvana," GRIP explained, "but I can relate to the music. That’s how I look at it, and I want to tell stories that people with any background can relate to."

Read our interview and hear more of GRIP's music here.

AUGUST 08 already had made a staggering entrance with "Funeral," but the full FATHER project exceeded our highest expectations. Veering from plaintive to seething to forgiving, the eight-track release runs the gamut of emotions triggered by a lonely childhood. August came from a quiet household and discovered music later than most, but he's made up for lost time—the EP was written and recorded over a long weekend in a flurry of creative energy. Now the L.A. artist is the latest member of the 88rising roster earning rave reviews. With Phil Collins as inspiration and friends like Channel Tres providing help with production, AUGUST 08 is well on his way. 

Read our interview with AUGUST 08 here.

"If you listen to my discography you will notice that I have many songs that branch across a huge spectrum of genres: hip-hop, R&B, electronic, jazz, indie, and more," Sophie Meiers told us. "One thing about me as an artist is that I am so obsessed with music as a listener that I am always inspired to try new things and constantly experiment with my 'sound.' Through collaborating with so many other people I am always pushed out of my comfort zone, resulting in hybrid genres and sounds that I am really unsure of how to categorize."

The young artist grew up in rural Colorado but reached listeners and collaborators through the internet, building up a dedicated fanbase and millions of streams across her catalog. With ambitions beyond music into film, fashion, and art, Sophie Meiers has an exciting future ahead of her.

Read our interview with Sophie here.

Moses is built for today's music scene. We're in an era where genres are blending left and right and kids with a good amount of angst, rebellion, or drugs (just being honest) are able to build followings faster than ever. Moses only has five songs on his SoundCloud and has only released two songs on the platform this year. Both "Hotboy" and "Love Me" have racked up hundreds of thousands of plays as they show his growth as an artist both sonically and visually. The video for "Love Me" caught the attention of all the right people, and now we all get to sit back and watch what happens next as Moses work his way towards releasing a full body of work.

A bassist and producer by trade, Patrick Paige II has followed in the footsteps of his bandmates from The Internet by releasing an incredibly strong debut album. From "Voodoo" to "Red Knife," Paige proves himself a worthy and thoughtful songwriter on Letters of Irrelevance, gliding through tracks with a subdued delivery and wonky, adventurous bass lines. It's an exciting marriage of ideas—he's already part D'Angelo, part Thundercat, and Paige is just getting started as a solo artist. 

Read our interview with Patrick here.

Zilo is a 24-year-old singer from London whose love of painting, poetry, and writing has evolved into music. She has three songs out, and she's already building a signature style which matches her warm, rich vocals with textured production that sounds inspired by classic hip-hop. Rooted in R&B and soul, all her music so far feels very personal, reflecting her experiences and her outlook on life.

"I feel that it is super important to learn to be comfortable in your own company and it’s something I do find myself talking about in my songs a lot," she told us, and so far Zilo has made her mark by delivering empowering messages alongside enjoyable songs.

Read our interview with Zilo here.

Lil Baby isn't really a "new" artist. He has been bubbling under Quality Control for over a year now, and caught a buzz with songs like "Freestyle" and "My Dawg." On top of that, he went to high school with Young Thug and was well known throughout Atlanta before he ever laid a verse. All that being said, right now Baby's having the biggest moment of his career and is cashing in on all of his buzz and high-profile relationships. Assisted by the Drake-featuring single "Yes Indeed," the 24-year-old spitter released his official debut album Harder Than Ever and placed himself right in the mix of the wave of ATLiens running wild in hip-hop.

Lil Baby seems to have everything he needs to become a star and is planning to release Drip Harder with Gunna, who is also scorching hot right now, so it will be fun to watch how he and QC approach the rest of 2018.

It is nearly impossible not to love Diana Gordon. The Queens-born, L.A.-based singer has been working in the industry for years and has had all of the ups and downs you can think of as she developed as an artist. Rather than let it break her, Diana puts it all in the music and has a personality that beams with fun and positivity.

She just released her new single "Kool Aid," and you'll be hooked soon after pressing play. Diana is ready to make 2018 her year, showing old and new fans alike her glowing personality. An EP is on the way this summer.

"What You Want," Danny Dwyer's official debut single, was released a year ago. The St. Louis-born, Los Angeles-based artist returned with a video for the release this month, breathing new life into a timeless song. Danny simply makes it sound easy. The artist-producer's ranging falsetto is smooth as silk, and he incorporates guitar and trumpet on "What You Want" too. It's one of those rare songs where each piece belongs. Nothing sits out of place.

With such a strong musical and visual introduction, we're looking forward to seeing what Danny does next.