Pigeons & Planes' 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 February. 

The timing is just right for Juice WRLD. He's making the kind of genre-defying, emotionally charged music that 2018 is ready for, and he's doing it very well. He bridges gaps between emo, rap, and alternative rock, but he does it in a way that hasn't been done before, with a natural talent for songwriting and melody that make his music stand out. ​Songs like "All Girls Are The Same" and "Lucid Dreams" are taking off on SoundCloud, and Juice doesn't even have music on Spotify or Apple yet, but his Cole Bennett-directed video for "All Girls At The Same" already has over 750,000 views. He's kept a pretty low profile so far, but the momentum is there and it seems like a major breakthrough is around the corner.

Toronto artist MorMor is aiming to share a different perspective of his city, and "Heaven's Only Wishful" is an incredible start. There's plenty of talent coming out of Toronto right now and many of them share common ground, but nothing sounds quite like MorMor. There's a touch of Belle and Sebastian's gentle indie pop mixed with what could be a melancholy new wave anthem's chorus, plus a raw, explosive ending that wouldn't be out of place on a Corbin track. It's all grounded in timeless songwriting and comes with a striking music video, and MorMor seems to have the confidence and self-awareness to make a big impact as a unique addition to Toronto's music legacy.

Scoring a Drake verse is both a gift and a curse. Your song is an instant hit and you're propelled into the spotlight immediately, but now you are faced with the challenge of breaking out of Drake's shadow and turning that instant fame into longevity. The dream ending is a Migos situation, where you blossom into a superstar in your own right by way of a steady grind and consistent hits.

But it could also go the way of Makonnen, where your song becomes Drake featuring Drake and fans forget you exist. Memphis' Blocboy JB just got his Drake verse with "Look Alive," and after debuting at #5 on the Hot 100 charts, he seems to be ready for the challenge. He's charismatic, gritty, and he already had a buzz with regional anthems like "Rover" and "Shoot." It's been a long time since a new artist was able to get Drake to not only jump on a song but shoot a music video as well, Blocboy JB will use 2018 to show why he was the exception.

Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/producer Madge only has one song out, but "Fight Or Flight Club" is one of the most interesting pop debuts we've heard in 2018 so far. Madge is mixing sweet, accessible songwriting with a touch of chaos, and her first release is as challenging as it is addictive. That's an approach that helped artists like Grimes redefine modern pop, and we're looking forward to see if Madge can do the same. Speaking to us about "Fight Or Flight Club," Madge told us that it's "a little less weird than some of my upcoming material. And oh boy things might get weird."

​Read our interview with Madge here.

Lil Gnar has already made a name for himself by skating, designing clothes, and stunting on Instagram. In 2018, he wants to do the same with his rap career. He switched his focus to music and began releasing songs last September before kicking off 2018 with a collab tape with Germ titled Big Bad Gnar Shit. The project is raw, but stacked with charisma and strong production choices, and when songs like "Codeine Lemonade" hit, they hint at massive potential. Gnar's already proven himself to be a magnetic, multi-faceted talent, and that's a huge advantage when it comes to connecting with fans and launching a career in music.

Watch our episode of Trending Topics with Lil Gnar here.

Odie is only 21 years old, but he has already become a master of his unique sound. Born to Nigerian parents, raised in Canada, and now residing in San Diego, his wide range of musical influences feeds directly into his genre-spanning style. His most recent releases are "Faith," rooted in afrobeat and rhythmic pulses, and "Little Lies," a mellow, almost somber song that shows his impressive range. "The only responsibility anybody has as an artist is to be true to yourself," he told us. "You’re not doing your job as an artist if you're not being true." His project Analogue set to release this spring.

There's a duality to Santi Suede's China Heart that makes it stand out from other indie rock records. It's morose and optimistic all at once—Suede strums happily on his guitar and sings folk-tinged songs, mostly about the end of the world. The project was released earlier this month, and the Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter is fixated on mortality. Suede has steeped himself in the city's rock sensibilities, drawing on a number of talented local musicians to give China Heart a sweeping, orchestral quality. And for all its lovesick moments, "Braindead," "Doomed," and the rest of the EP have an undeniable energy, and at times, enthusiasm that leaves Suede embracing life's chaos, even if it ends up breaking his heart.  

Every so often in hip-hop, we get an artist that has an intangible it factor that you can't really describe, but keeps drawing you back. Some artists just have the sauce.​ Playboi Carti carried a lot of that essence early on—he didn't have much music out, but he had one of the largest cult followings of any of the rising artists bubbling on SoundCloud at the time. 

Sheck Wes is another one of those artists, and Kanye and Travis Scott seem to agree: the 19-year-old already inked a deal with G.O.O.D. Music/Cactus Jack Records with very few songs released to the public. Sheck dabbled in modeling and basketball before fully committing to rap, but he has been able to pull from those experiences with the way he dresses as well as by paying homage with songs like "Mo Bamba," his latest track that is dedicated to his longtime friend and NBA prospect Mohamed Bamba. He brings an unbridled energy and unpredictability to everything he records, and he's got the confidence to pull it off.

Watch our episode of Trending Topics with Sheck Wes here, and read our interview here.

There's a bad joke here about the sky's limits for the artist born Kemetrius Foose—we'll leave it for now, but his meteoric rise leaves that door wide open. Life of a Dark Rose dropped in late January, and Lil Skies has seen internet buzz turn into headlining tours in the interim. Lil Skies has all the confidence of other young, raucous rappers like Ski Mask or Lil Pump, but Skies is also telling very human and relatable stories, bragging one moment and reflecting the next. Thanks to a reliable group of collaborators that includes Landon Cube and Cole Bennett, Skies seems primed for a huge 2018. He's touring off Dark Rose already, and it feels like the beginning of something much bigger.

Bernard Jabs has already learned the value of consistency. The Georgia-based rapper has released three tracks in 2018 so far, showcasing a melodic delivery and spitting straight bars in equal measure. Though he's still only a teenager, Jabs has been working toward this for a long time. "I been wanting to make music since I was five," he said, "but I started taking it serious when I was 13." He also says that Lil Wayne is the reason he's rapping, and he's already showing some of that same versatility. 

Influenced by everything from '50s soul to '00s R&B and hip-hop, Michael Seyer is a charismatic 22-year-old making chilled out songs in Long Beach. Armed with a self-deprecating sense of humor, ​the DIY artist describes himself as "a kid that records shitty music in my bedroom" and ​has a habit of posting ridiculous videos of himself on social media. But his music is propelled by the nuanced emotional intelligence of an introspective outsider. No wonder he's already caught the eye of Tyler, The Creator and landed a gig as the guitarist in Bane's World.

​Read our interview with Michael Seyer here.