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11 Female Musicians To Know

Gennyvera Pacheco |
September 19, 2013 | 12:12 a.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Ella Yelich-O'Connor aka Lorde has been making waves outside of her native NZ. (Photo via Wikimedia)
Ella Yelich-O'Connor aka Lorde has been making waves outside of her native NZ. (Photo via Wikimedia)
After making music history with her hit song “Royals”, Lorde is the woman of the hour in the music industry. Her songs are made complete with her powerfully vulnerable voice, cool beats, and intelligent lyrics. The listeners get some ear candy and food for thought all at the same time.

Lorde is not the only woman who has struck this perfect balance. Here's a list of talented female musicians whose amazing music is worth giving a listen to:

Annie

Born in Norway, Annie is an electropop artist with an "indie" feel. The simple tone of her voice blends amazingly with the beats she produces, livening up even the dullest of evenings. Her music is great for dancing around or easing your mind into study mode.  Although her claim to fame was in 1999 with "The Greatest Hit," Annie is still creating buzz in the electropop scene with her most recent release this past July, "The A&R EP."

Betty Who

Within just a few seconds of listening to a Betty Who song, it's pretty safe to say she is the woman who is bringing 80s pop into the new millenium. Her debut album has been in the works for some time, but it will more than likely be released soon. This possibility is closer than ever since Betty Who was recently offered a record deal by RCA Records after her song "Somebody Loves You" was used in an adorable marriage proposal video gone viral. Until then, put on Betty Who's EP, "The Movement," and party in your best cut-off shirts and neon leggings.

Best Coast

Local surf rock royalty/musical duo Best Coast is one of those bands that can transport you to the fun and sun of the beach without leaving your dorm room. This kind of magic would not be harnessed without the lead vocals of Bethany Cosentino, who cast aside the possibility of being a pop princess in order to stay true to who she is as an artist. Thank goodness she did, because not only has it led to numbers like "Boyfriend" and "The Only Place," but there's more in store! "Fade Away" comes out next October with seven new songs.

SEE ALSO: Best Coast Isn't At Their Best On 'The Only Place'

Birdy

Young talent is not as rare as before, but it is nonetheless astounding. This is the case with Birdy, the classically-trained pianist turned folk singer that garnered distinction with a cover of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love." After having her covers featured in shows like "The Vampire Diaries," Birdy released her debut album with hauntingly beautiful covers of songs spanning through various artists and genres. Her sophomore attempt is set to be released at the end of the month in the UK, so fingers crossed that the US will get a hold of it soon after!

CHVRCHES

Armed with synthesizers and a singer with a distinct voice, CHVRCHES (stylized that way so as to not conflict with search results of actual churches) has been creating some buzz with their most popular hit, "The Mother We Share." It landed them a spot to perform on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" in July, and now they're nearing an even bigger accomplishment: releasing a debut album. "The Bones of What You Believe" will be out everywhere September 23rd.

Daughter

Three releases in, Daughter's become a critical darling. (Photo via Wikimedia)
Three releases in, Daughter's become a critical darling. (Photo via Wikimedia)
Here we have another band fronted by a female vocalist with a delicate and inspiring way of conveying a song's message. Elena Tonra was a soloist before forming the group, and they gained a solid following in England. Their first two EPs got lots of positive feedback from critics and fans alike, and slowly found its way in mellow playlists for music junkies everywhere. They have no expected releases as of now, but Daughter's debut album released in May is for sure a must-listen.

Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe is already a standout character before listening to her sing. Once she does, her status as a revolutionary female artist in the psychadelic soul genre is obvious. Whether you've broken a sweat dancing to her song "Tightrope" on the video game, "Just Dance 3," or singing with Fun. on the hit record "We Are Young," Monáe has been working on her own stuff, too. Lately, she has graced TV screens and ad campaigns as the newest Cover Girl spokeswoman. It has only been about a week since her second studio album graced consumers, so go hear what Janelle Monáe is all about.

Haim

A band of three sisters from the San Fernando Valley have gotten the attention of Jay-Z's record label, Roc Nation. That band is none other than Haim, the girls with a knack for fusing 90s R&B and new wave to create a sound completely their own. With yet another end of September release, Haim has some stiff competition, but with the unique style they possess, they're sure to make some noise on the charts.

SEE ALSO: L.A. Concert Calendar: September 2013

M.I.A.

If there could only be one word used to describe recording artist M.I.A., it would probably be unapologetic. Her fierce attitude is both intimidating and empowering, with songs like "Bad Girls" being used in hit shows like "Orphan Black" to create a cool atmosphere. Most known for "Paper Planes," M.I.A. does not hold back. She threatened her own record company that she would leak her upcoming album if they did not set an official release date. Luckily, the company was coerced into establishing the fifth of November of this year as the release date of M.I.A.'s new work, "Matangi."

Oh Land

Although vast success has only been achieved in her home of Denmark, Oh Land is a force to be reckoned with in both pop and electronic music. She has performed on both "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" for her song "Sun of a Gun" in 2011. Her second solo album reached the Billboard 200 in its debut, and now her third album is coming out in less than a week. Oh Land's colorful and eccentric musicality calls for a celebration, not necessarily due to chart rankings, but just to have another album and a new batch of songs to listen to.

Sara Bareilles is back in the music scene with hit single "Brave." (Photo via Wikimedia)
Sara Bareilles is back in the music scene with hit single "Brave." (Photo via Wikimedia)
Sara Bareilles

Give Sara Bareilles a piano and she will give you a repertoire filled with heart-wrenching ballads and upbeat break-up tunes that make break-ups seem not as bad. After her success skyrocketed with "Love Song," Bareilles has been hard at work, with three solo efforts now under her belt. She encompasses the female singer-songwriter ideal of music that's a pleasure to listen to and lyrics that provoke thought and emotion. Her current single "Brave" has been in the public eye for its amazing message and her album "The Blessed Unrest," released in July, proves Bareilles' staying power as a musician.

ALSO SEE: OneRepublic And Sara Bareilles At The Greek Theatre: Review

Contact Staff Reporter Gennyvera Pacheco here.



 

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