Best New Artists

September's group of Best New Artists features Sad Night Dynamite, Haich Ber Na, PawPaw Rod, Mazen, Hyd, Magdalena Bay, and more essential rising talent.

Best New Artists September 2021
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Image by Sho Hanafusa

Best New Artists September 2021

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.

Haich Ber Na

Haich Ber Na

“I’ve been inspired by leaning into anything that makes me feel like an intrigued child again,” Haich Ber Na tells us. This spirit seems to run through all the London-based artist and producer’s work, from the shape shifting electronic explorations of his 2018 and 2019 musical output to the self-directed videos that accompany many of his songs. Haich’s musical journey started in rap and grime production before shifting to a forward thinking mix of singing and electronica-based production. 

Earlier this year, Haich released the From Then ‘til Now EP, which introduced a brighter pop sound with funky basslines, shimmering synths, and propulsive beats. “The sound is always evolving and changing depending on what I’m interested in at the time, but I’d say the main components are bass, a melody, and some sort of surprise,” Haich tells us of what defines his songs. “I like making music that makes people want to dance, but it might not always be that way. I’m inspired by so much it’s hard to point to one thing.”

Haich Ber Na’s new single “The Last Time I Saw You” is his most immediate release yet, a swirling psychedelic pop song with an earworm hook and captivating energy. There’s much more on the way in the coming months—Haich has been working on new music with artists like Paris Texas and Myd, and tells us his debut album is in the works. With co-signs as varied as Flying Lotus and French producer and former Daft Punk manager Busy P, not to mention boundary pushing visual art and unexpected sonic twists and turns, Haich Ber Na is shaping up to be a force in contemporary art. Stay tuned.—Alex Gardner

PawPaw Rod

PawPaw Rod

Right at the intersection of Motown, funk, pop, and rap we find Hawaii-born, Oklahoma raised singer and rapper PawPaw Rod. Self-proclaimed military brat, Rodney Husley modernizes the sounds of soul by intermingling with hip-hop beats and rhythm. PawPaw brings something to the table for fans of Gil-Scott Heron all the way to Anderson .Paak’s funk strewn rap.

PawPaw Rod’s first EP, fittingly named A PawPaw Rod EP is the perfect sampling to give new listeners a taste with four unique tracks. The first single “HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS” is richly layered with rich bass, synthesizers, and a snappy chorus. “Thin Lines” is straight out of a ‘60s daydream, music video included. The second verse brings in a dialogue between a pitched ad-libbing voice and PawPaw Rod asking, “Young boy, have you found a reason to live yet?” The same pitched voice can be heard in “Glass House” creating a narrative flow between one track and the nexts. This track, which is gentler and more relaxed, gives an opportunity for PawPaw Rod’s voice to take center stage. To end the EP comes “Lemonhaze,” a mellow closeout crooning “goodbye goodbye, gone with the wind”

Signed to the label GODMODE (who brought us Channel Tres, Yaeji, and They Hate Change), PawPaw Rod is on the right path to bring his soul and hip-hop fusion to the wider audience it deserves. PawPaw Rod told us he’s “trying to carry on the traditions of being an artist who loves making feel good music for people doing the best they can with what they got, in a funky way.”—Sabine Adorney 

Sad Night Dynamite

Sad Night Dynamite


Growing up in Somerset on the fringes of Glastonbury Festival feels in some ways like foreshadowing for UK duo Sad Night Dynamite. Made up of childhood friends Archie Blagden and Josh Greacen, the 21-year-olds are fusing together hip-hop, electronic, and alternative stylings to create their own universe. A little turbulent, distinctive, even unsettling at times, the pair weave between influences, scattering in humor, the occasional flex, and shadowy storytelling to craft a beautiful, gritty world that feels very much their own.

That isn’t to say Sad Night Dynamite are without their own influences—they are often likened to Gorillaz—but the pair are conscious of developing their own approach and sound. “I think we’ve just grown up in an age where so many types of music can be found instantly. It makes your influences more eclectic and harder to pin down,” they explain over email. “I think our plan is just to keep trying to create a sound which is unique to us, we’ve got a long way to go on that but I’d like for our music to stand alone in the end.”

In 2020 they put out their first EP, SND001, following with a self-titled debut album earlier this year. Showing no signs of slowing down, Blagden and Greacen have been collaborating and writing for Moonchild Sanelly, IDK, and FKA twigs amongst others since then. It’s something that the duo have been building towards for years—albeit not always intentionally. “My first memory of Josh is not a particularly fond one. He was so loud it frightened me. I don’t remember much of our first meeting. Just the noise he made,” Greacen tells us of how they met. “We didn’t hit it off immediately,” Blagden adds.

What’s next for the duo? More music, of course, and, as they put it, “Who knows, maybe a cult.” It may be a tongue in cheek remark, but simultaneously it really wouldn’t come as a surprise. Either way, Sad Night Dynamite are creating an immersive world that is growing by the day, establishing themselves as one of the UK’s most exciting acts.—Rani Boyer

Mazen

Mazen

Mazen is an Egyptian American rapper, producer, and songwriter originally from Florida and now based in L.A. It only took one song to get hooked, and it only took one listen to that song, “Dork,” to know that Mazen is something out of the ordinary. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t get old, with a minimal beat that hits hard, endless quotables, and a satisfying switch-up towards the end. Digging into the rest of his catalog, from smooth new single “Scarletts” to the melodic moments of “Nikes,” Mazen’s versatility is quickly evident.

“I think the variety comes from my upbringing,” he says. “I grew up in the South but also loved East Coast rap. I listened to everyone from Trick Daddy to Nas or Gucci Mane to Lauryn Hill. That’s what makes my musical DNA is so versatile. A Mazen track is always a balance between bounce and substance. I try to bridge the gap between the things that I love.”

Mazen released his debut album Odyssey in 2019 and built on that with regular singles ever since, creating momentum and providing a platform to reach a new audience. A former fashion student, Mazen also communicates his taste and identity through thoughtful music videos, building a world that is set to expand in the coming months and years.

“There’s a lot I want people to know about me but I guess the most important thing is that I actually give a fuck.” Mazen says. “I spend countless hours behind every song, video, and image that I put out. From mixing the songs to mastering them 10-12 times to get ‘em right. From writing video treatments to sitting down with the directors to make sure the color correction is perfect. I’m really hands on with everything I do and I wanna give people the best work I can.”

Expect an EP from Mazen in 2022. Until then, we’ll be keeping “Dork” on repeat.—Alex Gardner

Hyd

Hyd

You might know Hayden Dunham as the face of fictitious pop singer and energy drink peddler QT. Created in 2015 by Dunham, PC Music founder A.G. Cook, and SOPHIE, QT was portrayed onstage by Dunham and voiced by British singer Harriet Pittard.

After teasing a new project under the name Hyd at live shows and featuring on A. G. Cook’s 2020 album 7G, the interdisciplinary artist is gearing up to make her solo debut with a new self-titled EP. Production on the project is handled by Cook, Caroline Polachek, and umru. 

So far, Hyd has released two singles from the EP, “No Shadow” and “Skin 2 Skin.” The former is a slow-burning ballad written in the wake of Hyd’s temporary loss of sight. On “No Shadow,” deep, rumbling synths and a repeated bell riff give way to a warped guitar solo bridge. She said in a statement, “When I lost my vision in 2017, I started being able to see differently. In total darkness you realize you are beyond your body.” 

“Skin 2 Skin” sees Hyd’s voice flirt with different timbres, starting as an emphatic, hair-raising whisper, and later ascending to a buoyant falsetto in the chorus. She croons, “If you wanna ride on the slip and slide / Feeling kinda (Ah!), on the inside.” Here, Caroline Polachek’s production is structured around Hyd’s percussive breath. Says Hyd, “It’s a visceral, saddle-up, switch anthem. This song is for the ponies of the world, you know who you are. It asserts that you get to be in your body on your own terms. ‘Skin 2 Skin’ is about my terms.”

Hyd’s forthcoming EP is out November 5 via PC Music.—Madeline Quach

Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay

Every release these days is a pandemic-themed, but this one is especially symmetrical: Magdalena Bay’s last EP arrived on March 13, 2020. Two canceled tours followed, but the L.A.-based electro-pop duo is coming out on top: when Mercurial World arrives on October 8, Magdalena Bay will emerge fully from a cocoon of Internet buzz that’s been building for the past two years. 

They’ve been extremely online, steadily posting clips and BTS content with camcorders and 8-bit imagery. Their particular futurism is simultaneously nostalgic, a surface-level paradox at the heart of Magdalena Bay’s music. Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin are behind nearly all the sounds on this new album, resulting in a cohesion that allows the music to wander.

The menacing allure of dancefloor singles like “Chaeri” and “Secrets (Your Fire)” grabs you first, but the most recent offering (“You Lose!”) is a rock anthem that would sound at home in any recent decade. The wings continue to spread deeper into the 14-track album, grazing psychedelia, balladry, and disco. What could have become an album of repetitive indie-pop is handled with curiosity and finesse, and by the end of Mercurial World ends, finding a few words to define Magdalena Bay’s sound is far harder than when the album started.—Graham Corrigan

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My Favorite Color

My Favorite Color

With a name reminiscent of childhood icebreakers, it’s no surprise there’s something nostalgic about My Favorite Color in both his delivery and look. Blending the sounds of both coasts, My Favorite Color nods to his time in Pittsburgh and Compton, bringing an engaging energy to the rap scene.

My Favorite Color’s intricate lyrics and smooth choruses are fully apparent on his debut album VELMA, released last summer. String and riff heavy “Dale” is a standout, starting off elegantly like it belongs in a Bond film and evolving into a rasped out song which interpolates Eazy E’s “Boyz-n-the-Hood’’ effortlessly. The album also includes the softer, melancholic “Funeral” which takes us on a deep walk through lyrics musing about mortality. My Favorite Color speculates on what his own funeral would look like and who would attend, rapping, “My mom would keep moving, staying still would make her eye drip, you’d ask if she’s okay and she’d say ‘yeah how have you been?’”

The visuals that My Favorite Color puts out are always well produced and captivating. In his newest video for single “Old News” we get a glimpse into the L.A.-based artist’s ambitious and colorful world. Masquerading as a multitude of characters all while delivering lyrics wrapped in a kinetic sound, it’s clear My Favorite Color is okay not taking himself too seriously and letting the music speak for itself. 

“I’m an open book of retrospective realism, depression, optimism, unapologetic blackness, and surprisingly great lyricism,” he tells us. With a new album on the way via Rostrum Records, My Favorite Color wants to let new fans know, “You’re about to have HELLA FUN. Enjoy everything else I’m about to be on… It’ll all make sense in the end, pinky promise.”—Sabine Adorney

marcos g

marcos g


School teacher by day and singer/songwriter by night at the same time, Florida-based artist marcos g’s music is taking off while he stays true to his passion for helping others. His musical output was limited to singing and playing piano in his local church group for many years, until friends encouraged him to start writing his own music in 2018. By 2020, marcos g released his debut EP dancefloor, introducing a modern pop sound that takes influence from 2000s R&B as well as his Colombian and Nicaraguan heritage.

“Most of artists that inspire me are also the ones that’ve made me feel not alone,” marcos explains. “Artists like Omar Apollo, Frank Ocean, and Drake are definitely artists who aren’t afraid of being vulnerable in front of their audience, and that’s what makes them all click with their fans.”

His latest project, looking for something, is another step forward for the rising artist with polished production and emotion-baring writing. “I think we can all relate to [that title] as we grow into the young adult lifestyle,” he says. “I think the pandemic pretty much stole two years of our lives and left us thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ I hope listeners are able to relate and use my songs and lyrics as a way to [realize they’re not alone], because if there’s one thing you can’t do, it’s go through life alone. We’re all in this together and we’re all going through the same rollercoaster of emotions.”—Alex Gardner

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