Best New Artists of the Month (May)

Every month, we round up some of our favorite new music discoveries. Look back at all of our Best New Artists here and keep up with them all on the Best New Artists playlists on Spotify and Apple.

boylife is the solo name of Ryan Yoo of the band mmmonika, and his debut single "peas" is a stunning introduction. In February, boylife shared on Instagram: "been working on solo music since 2016, it’s sad to let it go." His first offering is the kind of song that sounds like it was years in the making, a gentle but powerful track that takes its time as it marches slowly into the distance, ebbing and flowing with whirling echoes and delicate explosions. 

His second single "bummy!" brings the same attention to detail but energy on the other end of the spectrum. Rapping, boom bap drums, fuzzy bass, and pitched vocals make for a confident follow-up to his debut, and place boylife squarely in that impossible-to-predict category of artists who are often the most exciting to follow. We've got no idea what comes next, but it looks like we'll find out soon.

First of all, we know we're a little late to this one. 22-year-old Atlanta artist Zaia has been releasing music for a few years and had a breakthrough moment in 2019 with the song "BLUE" off his RESET EP. This month he followed that up with his most recent EP Very Alone, and his name has been popping up everywhere since.

Maybe a slightly late discovery is better in this case. Diving into Zaia's catalog at this stage is rewarding because as you go deeper, you realize how many layers there are. Zaia raps, so he's going to be labeled a rapper, but that doesn't paint the full picture. Production-wise, he's as capable on dark, minimal modern bangers ("DEMONS," "JUMO") as he is on gliding tracks with retro elements ("INNERSTATE," "VERY ALONE"). As a songwriter, Zaia has the Cudi-esque talent of weaving together effortlessly catchy hooks and verses, and if the melodies pull you in, the substance it what makes it all really sink in.

"I wrote Very Alone for those people like me, who relate to what I go through," Zaia says. "People who find more questions than answers. For those who can’t seem to find a place they fit in, so they’re stuck watching life go by. You’re never alone."

Watch the brand new "Very Alone" video below.

twst is a young singer, songwriter, and producer from rural Wales who grew up working in her father's chicken factory. Now, she's based in London and is building a compelling world of striking visuals and huge-sounding pop songs with an edge. twst's lyrics deal with the ups and downs of growing up in the current moment—digital life, the internet, love at a distance—while her voice soars over experimental leaning electronic production.

She's already worked with boundary pushing producers from around the world, including Clams Casino and Strict Face, and a debut EP, TWST0001, is set for release in June. twst's career is still in its early stages, but when the beat drops in "Are You Listening" or the hook comes in on "Girl On Your TV," it doesn't seem unreasonable to envisage a Billie Eilish-like rise into the mainstream pop conversation.

A quick scan of any of Giveon’s comment sections will repeatedly show listeners captivated (and often in disbelief) by how his natural baritone voice has a dreamy, pitched-down feel. Equipped with a voice so particular, the 25-year-old Long Beach, CA singer earned an opening slot on tour with Snoh Aalegra in 2019, a deal with Epic Records, and also a placement on Drake’s surprise 2020 drop “Chicago Freestyle,” all ahead of even releasing a debut project. 

After securing a major look from one of the biggest stars in the world, Giveon seized the opportunity and dropped his TAKE TIME EP, a carefully sequenced project chronicling a once incredibly blissful love story that slowly eroded and went awry. The earnest storyline-driven EP finds him in his undeniable sweet spot: singing about heartbreak. His single “Like I Want You,” has garnered over 4.4 million YouTube views in just over three months, and highlights his chemistry with raw, stripped down yet potent production that allows his sultry tone to always lead the show.

Giveon’s main weapon of choice remains his strikingly soothing bass-heavy voice, a feature it took him many years to fully embrace as he grew up favoring artists like Frank Ocean and Miguel, who have a higher vocal register. It wasn’t until he participated in a Grammy museum program in high school where he discovered Frank Sinatra, the first baritone singer he resonated with, that it all clicked for him and he buckled down to use his talent to pursue a career in music.

Michael Gaffney aka GAFF is a 21-year-old artist from the countryside of Western Ireland. As a kid growing up in a rural, middle-of-nowhere town he was growing weed in his backyard and sneaking out to get drunk, but he was always surrounded by art and music. His mother is a painter, his father a traditional Irish guitarist, his oldest brother makes experimental electronic music, and his oldest sister spent years in alternative bands. GAFF's music reflects some of the sounds he grew up with, plus everything he's discovered on the internet on his own: Arctic Monkeys, Tyler, The Creator, and Smokepurpp to name a few. 

Up until this point, GAFF's been handling every aspect of his music and honed in on a range of abilities, but a rebellious DIY spirit cuts through his skill set. Jazzy guitar chords mingle with hi-hats, 808s, and unexpected switch-ups, and there's a looseness to his vocals that keeps things casual in a Dominic Fike meets King Krule kind of way. His most recent single "ALL DAY" is our favorite, and he's got a new single called "Right Here (Waiting)" coming up next. 

“I’d love to say some generic artist quote about why I make music," says GAFF, "but at the end of the day I make it to express myself. I’m more interested in what the listener takes from it. To me these songs are not another song to put out and move on, they are very much a part of my mental state, not only lyrically but on the production side too. I am the music. I'm not trying to win people over with my music—if they like it, they like it.”

William Crooks' new project THUNDERBIRD is a remarkably cohesive release, even as it smashes styles together with the wide-eyed experimentation of a mad scientist. Mixing rap, impressively varied electronic production, and unexpected bursts of scuzzy punk rock ("CRASHTHECAR" is a highlight), William Crooks cuts through with no wasted moments on the 27-minute-long, 11-track release.

He describes the project as, "like pages of a journal to me more than anything else. Deeply personal. Written entirely on the floor of my bedroom with only a hand-me-down microphone and an old laptop. A collection of songs that are as much about the 'getting there' as they are about the 'arrival.' I'm very grateful for anyone who has listened and enjoyed the project so far!"

Since releasing THUNDERBIRD Crooks has been supported by Charli XCX and AG Cook, and this project, although by no means his first release, feels like the start of a new era for William Crooks.

Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten, the lead singers/guitarists/songwriters of the four-piece band Momma, met at high school outside Los Angeles and have been making music together for years, inspired by songwriters like Kim Deal and Elliott Smith. As they worked on Two of Me, their upcoming second album, they were separated while finishing college in New York and New Orleans, reuniting to record in L.A. between semesters. The result is a grungey rock and roll album with surprisingly sticky melodies and seamless dual vocals that can range from snarling aggression ("Biohazard") to dreamy delight ("Double Dare").

"We started writing Two of Me about two years ago," Momma tells us. "The actual concept for the album came together one day when we realized that we have a natural symbiotic relationship with one another—recognizing ourselves as somewhat of the same person in different bodies. Ultimately the album deals with themes of duality through a fictional world called The Bug House, a place where characters are sentenced as a result of crime or other moral wrongdoings. It speaks to the idea of understanding both the good and bad within oneself. Working closely in the studio with Aron Kobayashi-Ritch, the producer of the album, alongside our drummer, Zach CapittiFenton, allowed for a more collaborative recording process. For the past two years, Two of Me has been a project that we have committed ourselves to in full, and we can’t wait to see how listeners will identify with it."

Two Of Me is out June 5.

LPB Poody's breakout hit "Address It" isn't the kind of song you'd usually associate with TikTok success, even though that's where it started going viral last month. The song's wordless hook only appears once at the beginning and once at the end of the song, but that's all it takes. With a charismatic delivery filtered through a Florida drawl, plus urgent, booming production, "Address It" is one of those songs that hits immediately and is hard to not play back to back.

Poody's a rapper from West Orlando, Florida, and the LPB stands for Light Pole Baby (because he was raised in the streets, according to his bio). He performed for the first time in an elementary school talent show, and started recording raps on his iPhone at the age of 12. Once he started sharing music and seeing the positive reactions, he realized he could make a career out of it. Now that he's got some momentum, he's planning to keep his foot on the gas.

“I ain't gonna lie, making 'Address It' was a record I was feeling at the time," Poody tells us. "When I first signed with my big bro Breyon Prescott (Chameleon Entertainment CEO), this was one of the records I sent to him and he said the record was crazy and to go with it. To be honest, I ain’t know it hit TikTok until one of my lil jits got at me to let me know it was up. I got a another record that’s hard with 42Dugg so look out for that.”

Brandon is a singer, songwriter, and producer based in Riverside, CA who makes beautiful, patient songs shot through with tangible emotion. His new single is "Weep," which he says came together in just two days and is a record of love and heartbreak.

"If I'm being honest I've been very distraught over a breakup, and 'Weep' is one of the songs that stems from and captures the feelings that I've been having and struggling with over this time," he tells us. "My music is already vulnerable as is, but this is the deepest I've ever gone. I guess it only makes sense because these are the strongest emotions that I've ever had for someone. Sometimes things just don't work out. I mean, who knows what will happen in the future? Everything happens for a reason. Love is really rough sometimes, to say the least." 

Brandon shared a few songs in 2019, but prior to "Weep" it had been nearly half a year since an official release. There's lots more planned for 2020 though, with another single out June 2 and a project planned for this year.

Windows-down cruise music for runaways and self-searchers. Neon soundtracks for the PM-to-AM adrenaline quests that end entangled or isolated. Shadowbox pop for anyone who’s lived life in the in-betweens (also, pit bulls). If Avatar was set in 2020 and Appa’s saddle came stereo-equipped, Katara and Aang would bend elements to the towering, contorted voice of The Blossom, who has carved out a space of her own (canine-friendly rallying cries perfect for nontoxic kiss-offs, social withdrawals, flying bison adventures, etc.) with just three releases to date.      

The LA-based artist split her childhood between Sydney and New York—an always-on stimulus hive that you can hear in her songs’ rushing undercurrents. “You’re running around stomping your feet everywhere,” she tells us of the sleepless city. “Swinging between subways and chasing friends around. It's like a huge playground… The NYC skyline has super sharp teeth, always grinning at me in a devious way.”

Places and faces have changed, but home’s always close: Bleeding Buttercup, The Blossom’s self-released debut EP out this Friday, is a daughter-father brainchild. It pays to keep it in the family when the family keeps it real. “When I was little [my dad] would buy me copies of XXL.” she remembers. “He threw a guitar in my lap when I was a kid and bought me baby blue Air Force 1’s. He was the first to give me my wings and tell me I could use them.”

Much of the six-song project triples down on mapping out (and struggling to define) spaces for ourselves. Watch the video for “Kill My Mind,” The Blossom’s first-ever single, and you’ll find her testing her own physical limits in a solo Annihilation dance, coming undone while we watch. It's a dare to join an endless process—internal upkeep—none of us can afford to ignore. Press play when the moon rises for maximum effect.

Tommy Newport is an independent artist who is originally from the UK but grew up in America and is currently based in Kansas. After a standout COLORS performance of "Movie Screen," the DIY teenager is taking off with a funky indie rock sound that feels classic but still modern. His latest single is "Marigold," and during the quarantine lockdown he directed, shot, and edited a vivid technicolor music video himself, which we premiered on the Pigeons & Planes YouTube.

Of "Marigold," Tommy told us, "The inspiration for the song is based on the contrast of a flower and how it needs help from all the elements to blossom but is also stuck in one place forever - and how that relationship parallels our own lives. The video was very fun to produce, and my first time ever directing, shooting and editing a music video—during quarantine at that! I had lots of time on my hands and had to get very creative with what I had. Working around the confines of quarantine, I wanted to make the footage aspect ratios and colors jump out and grab the eye, rather than a ton of locations and people and other things you usually have at your disposal for music videos. I had lots of fun getting over the roadblocks and creating something with limited resources that would be remembered."

Tommy Newport is planning an EP for the summer, but for now you can dig into "Marigold" and the rest of his already impressive discography.