Holly Humberstone 

Kickstarting our list is the enchanting Holly Humberstone, who has just been announced as the recipient of the 2022 ‘Brits Rising Star’ award, following in the footsteps of Adele, Emeli Sande and Sam Fender. Her EP ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’ was released on the 12th of November, receiving high praise for her captivating lyricism and comforting production style. The EP’s title track has accumulated over 12 million streams, showing us why she truly is the Rising Star to watch.

Gayle

Tiktok has been a haven for musicians during the pandemic, offering a free space for artists to showcase their talents and grow their fanbase. For Gayle, her track ‘ABCDEFU’ has been a part of a huge viral trend on the app, with her song now having over 200 million streams. Viral trends aside, Gayle is an incredibly talented artist and we can’t wait to hear her next angsty anthem.

Olivia Dean

The infatuating voice of Olivia Dean has been responsible for taking us out of our hectic schedules this year, as her blissful tone lifts you away from any stress you may be dealing with. Recently, Olivia released ‘The Christmas Song’, and her soulful voice put us straight in the mood to get cosy and festive. 

Priya Ragu

Priya Ragu rose to fame in 2020 with her debut single ‘Good Love 2.0’, and we have been hooked on her ever since. She released her highly anticipated debut mixtape ‘damnshestamil’ on September 3rd, featuring the single ‘Lockdown’. The song went on to be ​​the Hottest Record on Radio 1’s Future Sounds and gained high praise for its vibrant fun sound, and the relatability of the lyrics surrounding craving human contact after isolation. Priya’s music is so unique to the mainstream industry, as she blends her Sri Lanken roots into a fun pop style, making her one of the most exciting artists out right now.

Lola Young

Seeing the year out with perhaps one of the biggest honours for a British musician is the insanely talented Lola Young. If you aren’t familiar with the name, you will definitely be familiar with her vocals, as she is the voice for this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. Her original music is honest with a certain edge to her lyricism that makes you feel every emotion, this is certainly apparent in her latest single ‘FAKE’. 

Gracey

Gracey is fast becoming one of the most relatable artists of the moment, with honest lyrics that get us right in the feels. Her latest single ‘the internet’ was written around her experience with online hate, and how it broke her heart receiving such hateful comments. 

Jaz Karis

Jaz Karis has evolved into a frontrunner of the UK’s music scene, as she occupies her own unique space blending genres such as Neo Soul, R&B and jazz. Her latest single ‘Home’, is a beautiful track, telling the painful moment of discovering you have fallen out of love with someone. If you’re into deep tracks with smooth accompaniments, Jaz Karis is the artist for you.

Pink Pantheress

With Tiktok sending her track ‘Just for me’ viral, 2021 has been a crazy year for Pink Pantheress. Following her viral hits, the British singer, songwriter and producer released her album ‘To Hell With It’ on October 5th. The album is complete with her viral hits and songs that are less well known, but just as joyous to listen to.

Pip Millett

With 3 successful EPs under her belt, Pip is definitely making her mark in the industry. Her debut single ‘Make Me Cry’  has accumulated over 17 million streams, becoming her biggest single to date. Her latest EP ‘Motion Sick’ gave us the single ‘Hard Life’, a track detailing the struggles faced by many, fused with soulful and jazzy accompaniment.  

Pa Salieu

Pa Salieu has been releasing music since 2018, but this year has been his most successful yet. He finished 2020 on a high after his debut single ‘Frontline’ became BBC Radio 1XTRA’s most played track of the year. He has had multiple hits this year including the collaboration with Aitch on ‘Bad’ and ‘Glidin’’ featuring slowthai. Both tracks have gone on to receive a warm response, and we can’t wait to see what 2021 has install for the rising rap star.

Alewya

There is no disputing that Alewya is one of the freshest artists of the moment, as she moulds music to fit her unique style and influence. Her latest EP ‘Panther in Mode’ merges upbeat instrumentals with Neo-Soul and honest lyricism. She unveiled a visualiser for the featured track ‘Channel High’, further letting us into her creative mind. The song sees Alewya use her middle eastern heritage and influence in the vocal line, creating an enchanting and unique sound. 

Mysie

Striking vocals take centre stage when Mysie enters the chat. In 2020, Mysie started gaining recognition for her musical talents, leading her to receive The Ivor Novello award. This year has seen Mysie release her second EP ‘Undertones’, a record exploding with vibrant tracks and electrifying vocal lines. The song which gained the most traction from the EP is the dreamy ‘Seven Nights’, a song encapsulating the excitement of newfound love and adventure.

Hope Tala

Ending our list is the soft storytelling Hope Tala. Hailing from West London, Hope blends R&B with rich Bossa Nova styles to create her unique and bold sound. Her latest single ‘Tiptoeing’ was dubbed ‘Hottest Record In The World’ by Clara Amfo, creating further hype around Hope’s name. Fusing the Bossa Nova beat with the tongue n cheek lyrics, Hope tells the story of being cautious not to jump straight into a romance, with tiptoeing becoming a metaphor of indecisive emotions.

Words By Nadia Clasper

Photo Credit: Olivia Dean Instagram

The post Voir’s Top Artists To Watch In 2022 appeared first on Voir Fashion.

While Spring may be taking root, many musicians are already looking to the oncoming summer for musical inspiration. From the dance anthems of the not-so-distant club rooms, to burning hot pink Y2K summertime shenanigans, the competition for song of the season is a tough one. 

Read on to get your fix of this month’s music. 

ALBUMS

London Grammar – Californian Soil

London Grammar dropped their third studio album last week, after delaying its initial release date by two months. The trio have been making music for several years and wanted to use the platform of Californian Soilto talk about some of their experiences in the music industry – in particular the misogyny inflicted upon band member Hannah Reid. In an interview with NME, Reid commented how: 

“This record is about gaining possession of my own life. You imagine success will be amazing. Then you see it from the inside and ask, ‘Why am I not controlling this thing? Why am I not allowed to be in control of it? And does that connect, in any way to being a woman? If so, how can I do that differently?’”

Taylor Swift – Fearless

Global superstar Taylor Swift dropped her first re-recorded studio album on April 9^th, Fearless. Her first album of 2021 – and her first set of re-recorded songs since her falling out with Scooter Braun in 2019 – Fearlessrevisits some of Swift’s most popular hits while reasserting her ownership of her music. The album consists of the nineteen tracks from the original 2008 album, as well as six additional songs ‘From the Vault’. With the album’s growing popularity on the charts, it appears that the love for Swift’s music hasn’t faded a bit since its original release. Since its release, Fearless has gone on to top the charts in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, and Ireland.

Saweetie – Pretty Summer Playlist: Season 1 EP

Californian rapper Saweetie released a seven-track EP on April 17^th as a precursor to the summer season. Featuring collaborations with Kendra Jae, Bbyafrika, Lourdiz, Loui, and Drakeo The Ruler, Pretty Summer Playlist: Season 1 EP gears up its listeners for a party in the heat of summer. The music video for the lead single, ‘Risky (ft. Drakeo The Ruler)’, dropped the day before the EP and perfectly encapsulates the Y2K summer aesthetic we’re all dreaming of this year. Colourful, bouncy, and sexy, ‘Risky’ marks a promising start for the warmer months of 2021. 

SINGLES

Years and Years – ‘Starstruck’

Marking their first release since the band announced it would become an Olly Alexander solo project, ‘Starstruck’ is an upbeat pop song that play on the fizzy first steps of love. The single was released on April 12^th with an accompanying music video, which sees two versions of Alexander acting out the roles of main character and love interest (very Covid-friendly). Dancing around an elaborately decorated hotel, Alexander acts out a game of cat and mouse with himself in a bid to get away from his own advances. Speaking to NME, Alexander explained: “‘Starstruck’ is about the rush you get when you’re with somebody you’re really into, it’s about holding onto a good feeling and not letting it go.”

Rina Sawayama & Elton John – ‘Chosen Family’

Perhaps one of the least expected collaborations of this year, Rina Sawayama and Sir Elton John’s ‘Chosen Family’ is a soulful ballad about healing with the people you find within groups of people – friends that become family. The message highlighted is especially prominent in terms of the LGBTQ+ community, of which Sir Elton and Sawayama are both part of: “We don’t need to be related to relate / We don’t need to share genes or a surname / You are, you are / My chosen, chosen family”. The heartfelt song comes a year after Sawayama had to fight for her right to be nominated for The Mercury Prize and BRIT Awards – a movement which gained a lot of support from Sir Elton online. 

Regard, Troye Sivan & Tate McRae – ‘You’

We’ve been excited for this collaboration since we heard about it. ‘You’ was produced by Kosovo-Albanian DJ Regard, and features vocals from Troye Sivan and Tate McRae. Although released on April 16^th, a snippet of the song was teased on Sivan’s TikTok earlier this month, where he posted a video of McRae and himself singing along to the track. The dance-based, techno pop song is a rhythmic duet that incorporates elements of a sensual slow-build. An accompanying lyric video, split into three versions, was also made available on each artist’s YouTube Channel, so fans can channel the summery dance vibes from home. 

The post Who’s Really Surprised That Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’ Has Topped Every Chart? Not Us…Here’s Our April New Music Round Up appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Rosanna Jones

Rosanna Jones The Girls of Isolation Project

Rosanna Jones has definitely a gift for the art of collage. The Instagram page of this London-based photographer is a real patchwork of fashion photographs, mixing portraits of models she previously tore, cut up, sometimes she even burnt them, and she finally gathered their pieces in a way that modifies reality, deconstructing the faces of her female characters and their perfection. Eyes and mouths become outfits, and fashion models turn into three-eyed individuals or characters with several faces. Stylish aliens ! Through her work, Rosanna Jones aims at extending the physical possibilities of photographs, and successfully defies the limits of their two-dimensional aspect, turning them into almost tactile pictures. Her Instagram ?@rosannajonez

The Girls of Isolation Project

Artwork by The Girls of Isolation Project

The Coronavirus quarantine has led to various artistic projects on Instagram recently. Among them, the Girls of Isolation Instagram page shows a series of black and white self-portraits of women and their daily life at home, during this current period of quarantine. This idea of gathering these self-portraits on an Instagram page came into the mind of American poet and YouTuber Olivia Gatwood. After having shared her self-portrait in quarantine on her Instagram, she received plenty of pictures depicting women in their bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bathrooms. Olivia Gatwood successfully captured the reality of this moment. Discover this photographic project on @girlsofisolation 

Misha Meghna

Photography by Misha Meghna

Plunging in the photographic universe of this UK-based visual artist is like looking at life through rose-tinted camera lenses. Illuminating the faces of her models both in magenta and cyan hues, Misha Meghna creates dreamlike scenes, with sparkling backgrounds, or pink and satiny ones. Her artistic work mixes different cultures, emotions and personalities. Follow her on @mishameghna 

Sarah Brown

Photography by Sarah Brown

Sarah Brown is a London-based fashion and beauty photographer. Her Instagram offers a wide range of beauty inspirations and makeup crazes to adopt, from pearly eyelids to Halloween lips. She recently posted an image of a mouth covered with red and pink lipstick conveying the message « Stay home », a way to « do something to help the current situation with Coronavirus » she indicated on her Instagram. You can discover her work on @sarahbrownphoto 

Sarah Feingold

Photography by Sarah Feingold

From fluorescent green eyelids to showy pink and blue flowing crease eyeliner, the Instagram of this German artist is a good source of ideas if you are looking for colorful makeup inspirations in front of your palette. Sarah Feingold also created the magazine NBGA, understand « No Basic Girls Allowed » which focuses on positivity and self-acceptance, mixing beauty, fashion and artistic topics. Follow her on Instagram @sarah.feingold

Words by Alizée Mosconi

, , , , , ,

The post Top 5 Female Photographers To Watch appeared first on Voir Fashion.