Best New Artists 2019
Here are some of the best debut artists of 2019. All of these artists released their first album or first EP within the past year and have shown some significant promise. It’s worth keeping an eye on these artists this year to see where their albums/EPs take them.
YBN Cordae
YBN Cordae is a fresh voice in the Chicago rap scene. He speaks with brutal honesty about his circumstances yet still infuses moments of fun and joy into his music. With this balance, he gives a holistic, authentic depiction of life. YBN Cordae’s music has a real pulse to it. The Lost Boy feels like what would happen if Chance the Rapper’s Acid Rap were made in 2019. And just like Chance post-Acid Rap, YBN is being hailed as a voice of a generation. His enthusiasm, vigor, and passion define the hungry, lost generation. It’s heartening to see an artist unabashedly want in this era, and YBN has arrived boldly with desire and feeling.
For fans of: Acid Rap, Anderson.Paak, early Vince Staples, Earl Sweatshirt
Recommended track: “Bad Idea”
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BENEE
BENEE is making unique groovy pop. Listeners can expect dance-y hooks and amusing, playful lyrics. Quickly amassing hype within circles of pop tastemakers, BENEE is one to watch. Her music is fun, and her distinct musical identity shows great promise. For cool-girl vibe-y pop, look no further. BENEE is here to make you bounce and smirk.
For Fans of: Clairo, Sigrid, Kali Uchis, King Princess
Recommended track: “Evil Spider”
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Sam Fender
Sam Fender has smoothed out all the edges of Brit Rock and transposed it into a modern climate. Yes, he keeps the soaring guitar hooks, and his lead single is about hookup culture. But Fender’s music incorporates more contemporary production and normally involves topics such as political rhetoric, male suicide, and white privilege. In a rock market saturated by mellow shoegaze indie, it’s worth paying attention to an artist who has the energy of a true rock artist but without the “dude-rock” or “indie-rock” contrivances. When listening to Fender, a vocal advocate of the Northern English working class, listeners can’t help but be reminded of Oasis. But while Oasis (as both Gallagher brothers state) sang about nothing, Sam Fender has a lot to say. To quote Sam himself, “we need more angry kids with a lot of conviction.”
For fans of: Oasis, Declan McKenna, The Strokes, RAT BOY
Recommended track: “Hypersonic Missiles”
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Jade Bird
Rock with a tinge of folk is the best way to describe Bird’s music. Shouty, angry, and direct, Jade Bird has a gentle incision about her. She’ll twist the knife before heading into an energetic acoustic guitar chorus. She’s bold yet not just for the sake of it. She’s a true storyteller. Bird’s songwriting has a vulnerability, but never victimization. She has agency and power in all her stories, as if she understands that as the storyteller, she controls the narrative. In doing this, she follows the tradition of the bold women like Joni Mitchell or Dolly Parton. After all, even now it’s a battle to be a woman who plays her own instrument on stage and has no co-writes on her album.
For Fans of: Hozier, Father John Misty, Alanis Morissette, Mitski, Nina Nesbitt
Recommended track: “Lottery”
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The Night Café
The Night Café feels like driving through the suburbs with the windows down and nowhere to be. Angst tinges the tone of their music, but not in an unhappy way. It’s simply the restlessness of youth. They make music that you feel in your chest. Is the feeling aching? Yearning? Nostalgia? Anxiety? Joy? Who knows. What matters is that they make you feel. If you want a “Tunnel Song” a la Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Night Café is a good place to look. What distinguishes them from their indie-rock peers is the fullness of their sound and the direct-yet-poetic delivery. The vocals are clearly enunciated and thoughtfully delivered. The production is clean and bright. The music sounds effortless and a daydream away. The Night Café can score your emotional confusion and daydreams.
For fans of: The 1975, Neutral Milk Hotel, Little Comets, The National, Wolf Alice
Recommended Track: “Endless Lovers”
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