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2. Raury
Although we have become used to artists mixing genres and styles at will, when it all comes together as it did on Raury's debut single (and introduction proper after January's "Bloom"), the fantastically eclectic "God's Whisper," it is still incredibly impressive. The Atlanta-based artist/songwriter/producer mixes influences from folk, spoken word, and world music, and comes up with a truly unique sound that has us eagerly awaiting his next move.
Read some brief comments from Raury on his creative process and the "God's Whisper" video here.
3. Cozz
With all the new music coming out, you can't waste time. You have to get right to the point. All Cozz needed was one line. The opening words to "Dreams" were the first things many people heard out of the young LA rapper's mouth, and that was all it took to put Cozz on the top of plenty of artists-to-watch lists. He brings an urgency and intensity without sounding like he's forcing it or trying too hard, and if he can continue to channel that energy, he's bound to be one of the West Coast's next frontrunners.
4. Sevdaliza
Born in Iran, based in Holland, and.... that's all we really know. But from the production to the vocals to the striking video, "Clear Air" sets Sevdaliza at the crest of a new wave of music right now—it's forward-thinking in its genre-bending ways and cutting edge production, but it's also easy to dive into. Find a little more on Sevdaliza on Tumblr.
5. Meanwhile
With little to no information and the above colorful but obscured press shot, Meanwhile came dancing into our consciousness with the almost obscenely funky "Luvletta." Immediate comparisons to Prince were made, and surprisingly, they don't even feel like the usual internet inflated hyperbole either. Now, how to follow up such an amazing introduction?
6. ZelooperZ
ZelooperZ is part of Danny Brown's Bruiser Brigade crew, but his recent buzz is about more than a Danny Brown co-sign. At 20 years old, the Detroit rapper has already developed the kind of persona that makes him impossible to ignore, and he flaunted it at SXSW. He performed at the Complex house and during Danny Brown's Red Bull set in Austin, and a week later, everyone is still talking (including us). He's energetic, charismatic, and most of all, he's borderline demented in the best way possible. Hip-hop's moving in a lot of strange new directions, and instead of holding it back or trying to keep up, ZelooperZ is doing the pushing.
Get his music here and here, and look out for a new project coming soon.
7. Juice
With a sound that seems to meld some of the best bits of anthemic British guitar music from the last 15 years together in one whirling mess of fuzzy riffs and a gigantic chorus, Juice's debut song "Sugar" should really have more than 5k plays on Soundcloud. If the Birmingham trio keep the quality as high on subsequent releases, though, people will soon start taking notice.
8. Hugo
Hugo sounds like Woodkid. It's a simple comparison, based not just on the fact that they share a similar French-speakers accent, but also the tone and timbre of their voices and their propensity for pounding, stadium appropriate drums underpinning their music. Hugo is not Woodkid, but his debut EP has the sort of anguished songwriting and immersive production that suggests he has the tools to do something special.
I am not Hugo. We all are. Hugo is the reflection of the desired present. The person you want to be. The inner self that is too scared to come to the surface. The utopia society says doesn’t exist. We come together through music, through fashion and through the magical world of art. Hugo’s goal is to offer a shelter of individuality, rebellion and freedom. Hugo’s purpose is to achieve a blank unity where every being can be themselves and live a positive, inspiring and fulfilling life. I am not Hugo. We all are.
9. Kwamie Liv
From: Copenhagen, Denmark
It might be a while before you start hearing Kwamie Liv’s name in the U.S. There's not much out on her at the moment, but elsewhere in the world, people are starting to take notice of the Danish singer. She's been on the radio in Norway and Sudan, and the one original track she has up on Soundcloud—the smoky, Lana Del Rey-esque "5 AM"—is enough to have us keeping an ear out. Her next move will be interesting. It's easy to imagine her going more electronic and upbeat, but a stripped down piano ballad could work too.
10. Talos
Irish singer Talos softly stunned us with his impressively mature and well-rounded debut single "Tethered Bones." Boasting a mix of airy falsetto that will make fans of SOHN immediately feel at home and spacious electronic production, the song is very much "of the moment," but also very well done. Now we will see if Talos will be happy to blend in to the crowd of alternative R&B singers, or will really stand out.
