By: Tori Lopez

Writing: Tori Lopez

WILLOW

Personal favorite song: Wait a Minute!

 Genre: Alternative R&B

Willow Smith — yes, that Willow Smith — has come a long way from “Whip My Hair.” Since debuting the single in 2010, Smith has sung on Oprah, collaborated with Nicki Minaj, and performed with SZA. She’s moved on from the kid-friendly pop you remember singing in the halls on the way to your sixth-grade math class; nowadays, Smith incorporates a more mature, alternative sound.

Smith currently has three albums: Ardipithecus, The 1st, and Willow. Ardipithecus introduces her audience to colorful, electro beats while The 1st focuses on more raw, acoustic melodies. This sound follows in Willow, where Smith discusses her view on the philosophy of love and technology dependency. While Ardipithecus received shaky reviews, with critics labeling the album as distracting and superficial, Smith has only continued to improve her sound. Smith has big shoes to fill, but she’s currently carving her own path, one away from her family legacy.

H.E.R.

Personal favorite song: I Won’t

Genre: R&B

Gabi Wilson, better known as H.E.R., earned some spotlight this year after winning a Grammy for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album. However, Wilson has been in and out of the music scene, with her appearance on Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing in 2009, followed by releasing her single, “Something To Prove” under her real name in 2014. Wilson chose the pseudonym H.E.R. in 2016 as an acronym for “Having Everything Revealed,” as a way to express her desire to be open about her emotions and experiences. H.E.R. stands as an emotion-based project based on the support for women. “I am the voice for women who feel like they’re alone,” she elaborates. And dear God, does she do just that.

Wilson currently has two EPs — H.E.R. Vol. 1 and H.E.R. Vol. 2 — and one album — H.E.R. — that includes songs from both EPs plus six additional songs. H.E.R. is open about sex (that said, you probably want to listen to it with headphones) and heartbreak. Wilson is doesn’t shy away from issues women frequently face, such as returning love because it's there or finding the middle between being vulnerable and being confident. H.E.R. is a treat to listen to. It’s the perfect album to listen to late at night on a rainy day.

The Marías

Personal favorite song: Ruthless

Genre: Psychedelic-Soul 

Raised by Puerto Rican parents, María founded The Marías alongside her husband, LA-native Josh Conway, in 2016. Due to the colorful mix of backgrounds, Josh and María work to incorporate their histories into their music under their own roof. The Marías feature songs in both English and Spanish, an uncommon feature amongst other artists on this list. It’s for this reason that this band is quickly rising in popularity amongst urban Latinx communities.

The Marías currently have two EPs: Superclean Vol. I and Superclean Vol. II. You can find both of which for free on YouTube, dubbed as “listening parties” for their fans. Really, it’s just music playing over a social gathering that the band hosts, but it’s still nice to tune in for a quick listen. If you do decide to check them out, expect swanky tunes with jazz percussion, funky guitar riffs, velvety horn solos, and María’s rich voice. You’ll instantly be transported to the 1970s, with The Marías’s sultry melodies carrying you away from this plane of existence.

Phum Viphurit

Personal favorite song: Long Gone

Genre: Indie Pop

Born in Thailand, raised in New Zealand, Viphurit focuses on acoustic sounds. Viphurit may not have as long as history as some artists on this list, but I’m hoping this article can give him some exposure that he deserves. Viphurit stepped into the music scene about two years ago (from what I can tell at least, there’s not a lot of information on him). “Run,” a song about two former lovers trying to move on after a breakup, was released on the tenth of January, 2016. Love song “Strangers In a Dream” was released six days later. On a side note, I highly recommend checking out the cute albeit melancholy music video; it features a gay couple enjoying the simplicities of life behind a pastel filter.

Viphurit has a soft, welcoming voice that invokes a feel-good sentiment. His songs typically include some sort of funky acoustics in the forefront. If you like music to listen to on a sunny, warm day, Viphurit will quickly become your go-to. Viphurit currently only has one album, Manchild. Manchild features mostly sunny love songs, whether it be about pining, loving one’s partner, or lamenting a breakup with upbeat acoustics.

Boy Pablo

Personal favorite song: t-shirt, Dance, Baby!

Genre: Indie pop-rock

On the 19th of May, 2017, Boy Pablo’s music video for “Everytime” dropped on YouTube. The thumbnail featured Chilean-bred, Norwegian-raised Nicolás Pablo Rivera Muñoz in a pink hoodie with a teal guitar, squinting. While the video started with a few thousand views, its feature on the subreddit, Listen to This, launched it into indie popularity. If you have even a minor interest in bedroom pop, chances are you’ve seen this video pop up in your recommended on YouTube.

Boy Pablo was created by Muñoz in 2015 with his friends and former classmates. The music video for “Everytime” was released the same day as their first EP, Roy Pablo. On it, you can expect lots of fun surfer-rock, pop beats. If you prefer more of an 80s sound, look no further then their second EP, Soy Pablo. Boy Pablo is a group of college-aged boys who are just having a good time making music, and it clearly shows in their songs, music videos, and EP titles.