Artists to listen to when Spotify fails you

It’s a situation we’ve all felt before: You’re sick of listening to the same songs on repeat and looking for something new. You open your Discover Weekly playlist and sift through every song suggested but nothing catches your ear so you go back to your same rotation. Or maybe you wake up to find the entire site is offline, like it was Tuesday morning. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t find new artists.

Algorithm got you down? It’s time to break the cycle. As you read on, you’ll find four musicians who are true to themselves while innovating in their field. Give them a try, and you might just find your newest obsession.

Yola

Dubbing herself “genre-fluid,” this British artist defies categorization. Throughout her newest album “Stand for Myself,” Yola dips into sounds of groovy disco and funk as well as more grounded, soulful blues and folk. But, if you’re looking for a more traditional, country sound, look no further than her debut album “Walk Through Fire.” No matter the style she’s exploring, Yola’s messages stay rooted in feminine power and authenticity. 

With only two albums and an EP in her discography, Yola has already received nominations for six Grammy awards. Listeners will also want to hop on the Yola train now as she prepares for her upcoming portrayal of Sister Rosetta Tharpe in  Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis Presley film.    

Rina Sawayama

What if Britney Spears wrote a song about the debilitating excess of capitalism backed by hard rock guitars? This Japanese British artist has the answer in her lead single “XS.” The lead single of her debut album “SAWAYAMA,” the song features this artist singing in a sarcastic tone, mocking our society’s values of greed with lyrics like “Cartiers and Tesla Xs / Calabasas, I deserve it.” 

In the last several years, she’s released multiple singles, an EP, an album, and she’s not stopping at the bounds of music. She’s fought for and achieved more equity in the BRIT awards, causing them to change their rules to include British artists born outside the country, and next year, she’ll be in the new John Wick film alongside Keanu Reeves. Although her career has just started, Sawayama is already collaborating with industry legends, including Lady Gaga, and even has a single featuring Elton John.

Adam Melchor

Mellow, sweet and simple: This American singer-songwriter is making music from his heart. His vocals soar over acoustic guitar licks, playing with vocal effects and harmonies in intricate and unique ways. Mostly about love and heartbreak, Melchor’s music resembles a warm summer night or falling in love by a campfire as you look at the stars. If you like the sounds of indie-pop folk artists such as Phoebe Bridgers, Melchor’s music will be right at home in your playlists. 

You may know this artist from his viral hit, “Real Estate,” but follow him on Instagram and TikTok, and you’ll be treated to surprise live streams where he plays requests and serenades his viewers. He’s yet to release his debut album, but his mixtape “Melchor Lullaby Hotline, Vol. 1” is a great place to start. Challenging himself to write a song every week in the pandemic, this mixtape compiles his 12 favorites. Look out for standout tracks “Start Forgetting Death” and “Moon In The Morning.”

Imogen Heap

What do Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo and countless other artists have in common? They’ve all sampled British artist Imogen Heap in their music. You may not know her name, but you’ve definitely heard her voice in Derulo’s 2000s smash hit “Whatcha Say” where the bridge of her song “Hide and Seek” is sampled for the chorus. 

Making her way into the music industry in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Imogen Heap is dubbed as a pioneer in pop music. Since then, she’s provided her unique brand of shiny, intertwining, harmony-stacked pop while innovating in electronic music. One of her innovations is “Mi.Mu,” a brand of “smart gloves” used to compose, control and perform aspects of a song using hand gestures. Grande even used these onstage in her 2015 Honeymoon tour.

If you want in on this hidden gem of the music industry, look into Heap’s breakthrough album, “Speak for Yourself.” After that, try her most recent project: composing the score for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”