Mahalia
Mahalia needs no introduction. We first discovered the 19-year-old singer-songwriter on esteemed YouTube channel, 'COLORS SHOW' with her neo-soul, smooth and endearing performance of single, “Sober". Since then, she’s had a brilliant year with the release of her debut album Seasons, touring with Jorja Smith and is a favourite amongst the budding talent out there today. We’re sure Mahalia is a name that we’ll be hearing a lot of next year.
Mac Ayres
The 21-year-old moved us with his albums Something to Feel and Drive Slow. Mac woes you with his tender vocals that pierce through his spacey yet powerful and full production that he tops off with piano/guitar riffs and licks that are spine tingling-good. If you ever needed a soundtrack to your chilled, Sunday afternoon spending quality time to yourself, Mac Ayres is the artist for you.
Hyukoh
While K-pop has conquered global domination, Korean alternative-indie-rock is now having its moment. Hyukoh’s aesthetic, energy and of course, music, is anything but the conventional K-Pop that most are familiar with. Instead of the high-octane pop melodies that the industry has been pushing out over the years, the four-piece deliver a warmer, more rounded, riveting and genuine feeling-inducing music with Hyukoh’s (also conveniently the name of the band’s frontman and vocalist), husky vocals.
Read more: K-Pop Calling – All the Korean Artists You Need To Know Now
FKJ
FKJ’s performance at the MoMa in Paris had us sobbing and in awe that one man, playing all the parts to his multi-layered instrumental music, with no vocals or words, could move you to tears, especially one that you weren’t there to witness and was in fact, watched on a computer screen. Tears is precisely the response that FKJ wants from his listeners, telling Miss Vogue, “I want them to cry because I want them to feel something. That’s when i know I’ve made a good song when I’m emotionally touched and listeners feel the same way when I was creating them”. FKJ is redefining instrumental music as he delivers the soundtrack to all of our lives, especially those moments spent on a long train or car journey, staring out romantically or wistfully into the distance, pretending to be the star in one’s life as a movie. While no stranger to the music scene, 2019 sees FKJ on a world tour and is an act you must go see live this year.
Kara Marni
It’s wonderful to see Kara Marni – one of Miss Vogue’s artists that we tipped last year as a rising star amongst the many aspiring artists in the crowded and competitive field have a whirlwind journey since. Of course, Miss Vogue can’t take any credit for her success as it’s her undeniable talent, humility and hard work that’s got her to where she is – the release of her debut EP Love Just Ain’t Enough that consisted of bop after bop, that in turn, landed her a tour with Rita Ora, sell-out solo gigs and most recently, the original score to Netflix’s “Mowgli”. 2019 is the year where we see Kara turning into a full-fledged star as she continues to wow audiences and listeners, her track “Move” being one that we’ve obsessively been listening to on repeat and has caught the attention of major radio stations. Read more: The Next Big Names In Music Are Voices Waiting To Be Heard
Ten Tonnes
Ten Tonnes (Ethan Barnett) the 22-year-old singer songwriter from Hertford, is an artist whose music, like a puppeteer with his ‘invisible’ strings has bopping your head side to side, pull the muscles in your cheeks all the way to your ears as you can’t listen to his music without having a big grin on your face. His 50s Rock ‘N’ Roll inspired guitar chords and melody progressions are reminiscent of the Beatles and The Smiths as heard in track “Lay It On Me” and he captures the 70s hippy and hazy nostalgia of the 70s in his latest single, “Better Than Me”. 2017/18 was just the beginning for the singer with his album Born To Lose, and having already worked with Hugo White of The Maccabees, we can’t wait to see what more he’s going to bring out next this year.
Pink Sweat$
Pink Sweat$’s single “Honesty” was another tear jerker. The simplicity of the track where his voice and solo guitar was enough for us to know that he was special. The colour pink – one that represents beauty, purity and warmth – dictates the 26-year-old’s music, artistry and personal style. His soulful vocals are the centre point of his songs that shine through his minimalist tracks, almost like the blossoming of a pink rose where each track on his debut album Volume I is an honest, pure and heart-warming works of heaven.
Yellow Days
George Van Den Broek, aka Yellow Days is fearless in his EP Is Everything Okay In Your World? Confronting deep issues including his own depression, anxiety, politics, dealing with fame, Yellow Days, with his raw, honest and cutting approach to music (the entire EP being recorded in his garden shed) is a standout and definite one to watch for us here at Miss Vogue. His artistry name, rightly depicts his music and personal journey as it acts as a ray of hope, light and freshness when the issues he sings about are somewhat blue. As writer of the soundtrack to season 2 of “Atlanta”, starring Donald Glover, Yellow Days, has many more brilliant and yellower days of success ahead of him.
Read more: Here Come The Youth – The Young Breakthrough Musicians Making Noise In The Music Industry
JGrrey
While London artist, JGrrey’s discography is limited to three singles publicly released (her mini EP that’s only available on Soundcloud), her 'COLORS' session of track “Don’t Fade” was enough to capture an audience where a huge following and Adidas campaign soon followed. There’s a Jorja Smith likeness to the 24-year-old’s voice – velvety smooth, her music a certain magical, ethereal tone.
Alfie Templeman
Like An Animal is the debut album by 15-year-old songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Alfie Templeman from Bedfordshire. The entire album, including every instrument you hear was written, recorded and played by the 15-year-old from his bedroom – the most obvious of signs that in a tiny village in Bedfordshire, lives a soon to be international rising star.
Puma Blue
Puma Blue is a seductive King Krule that meets lo-fi ‘jazz’ (‘jazz’ used hesitantly here as he has said previously in interviews that he doesn’t assimilate defining his music to the genre). But the south Londoner – real name Jacob Allen – delivers music that emits the soulful and delicate touches one finds in jazz. His debut EP Swum Baby was shockingly honest yet gentle in its delivery and he took us even more by surprise in his latest album,Blood Loss, featuring tracks that submerge you into a feeling of floating in water, or the slow dispersion of when ink and water meet.
Miya Folick
The Californian indie-rock artist embodies the common idea that your voice is your most powerful tool. With vocals with a range, depth and strength, alike to Florence Welch, Folick’s music are likewise varied, layered with different shades and textures. She shares the kookiness and indie-ness of Björk, as she rocks a old-school mullet met with the attitude of a late 70’s punk band as she addresses issues with powerful grit and directness as heard in track, “Deadbody” – a song about revenge on men hurting women, which she revealed was inspired by Donald Trump. Folick is a clear force to be reckoned with in 2019.
