10 Emerging Female Artists in Pop

Everybody loves music. We could listen to it while we work, engage in our hobbies, or just chill with it. Sometimes, it is good to expand our horizons. It is nice to listen to that new song from your favorite artist, but what about music from someone who is still getting their career off the ground? Everyone starts their career somewhere. Your favorite musician was once unknown to the world, but someone gave them a chance. Because popularity doesn't equal talent, supporting a lesser-known artist will help you enjoy a good tune. That's why we compiled a list of ten female pop artists to switch up your tastes.

1. Blond:ish

Blond:ish performs pop with an electronic style embedded in it. She is a DJ, producer, and environmentalist. The name Blond:ish originally referred to a DJ duo of Vive-ann Bakos and Anstascia E'lene Corniere. The duo performed around the world before Bakos went solo in 2019.

As an environmentalist, she launched the charity, Bye Bye Plastic, to eliminate single-use plastics from venues and performances. This organization is partnering with Evolution Music to make the first PHA Vinyl, a plastic made by bacteria that will naturally decompose! You can visit this charity's website to see how you can contribute.

As for Blond:ish herself, her music is upbeat and takes inspiration from a variety of genres. Tracks from her include "Sorry," "Call My Name," and "Remember Me." Don't take our word for it. Check her out on Youtube and hear how she performs yourself.

2. Brianna Musco

Brianna Musco makes music similar to Billy Eilish, Halsey, and Taylor Swift. She told Naluda Magazine all about her origins in music. Her start in music began when she started playing guitar at 6 years old. She became a full time musician after retiring from college soccer. She recorded her debut single, "Forever," after graduating college which went viral on Instagram to launch her career.

Her first EP was a story of her own growth over the last five years of her life. She wanted to make something relatable for her listeners. If you want music that will make you think and look back at things, Brianna is worth a try.

3. Ayra Starr

Ayra Starr is a Nigerian Afro-pop singer who briefly joined the fashion industry as a model at 16 before pursuing music. She started by covering popular songs on Instagram. When she released her first original song in 2019, she got the attention of Don Jazzy. From there, he put her on his record label Mavin Records.

Mavin Records published her debut EP in January 2021. Ayra intended for the album to relate to both older and younger listeners. That album became number one on Nigerian iTunes and Apple Music soon after its release. Since then, she performed in the July 2021 season finale of Nigerian Idol, released her debut studio album 19 & Dangerous, and performed for a live eviction episode of Big Brother Naija.

4. Cassidy King

In an interview with Beyond The Stage Magazine, Cassidy King described her tunes as "Indie Pop with some R&B elements tied in." In the same interview, she tells how she is inspired by Paramore and the close relationship they have with their fans.

Cassidy, herself, is also a songwriter with a story behind each song. According to her interview, she makes most of her songs with her best friends and gets ideas from conversations she has with them. Her songs include "Professional Smiler" and "Can't Be Friends."

5. Sof

Sof is a New Jersey Pop singer who kickstarted her career on Youtube with a viral cover of Britney Spear's song, "Criminal." In 2022, she debuted with two EPs(extended plays), Dawn in January and Dusk in September. In 2023, She released "Buh-Bye!" as a reminder for men who use women for their own gratification. Originally, she started writing songs for her debut in 2018, but life got in the way. She told substreammagazine.com in a 2022 interview:

" A lot of things threw a wrench in my plans— the pandemic of course, but also changing producers, working with different writing partners over the years, and making the tough decision to scrap songs that I just didn’t feel were ready or right for the project. It’s been 4 years in the making, but those 4 years were crucial in figuring out who I am as an artist, writer, and person. All the obstacles that life threw at me ultimately allowed me to create better music and I’m so excited to share it with everyone."

If you are looking for a new pop song and also want to dive into R&B, Sof is definitely a person of interest.

6. Shelby Olive

Shelby Olive is a pop artist from Akron, Ohio who gathered inspiration from Julia Michaels, Sara Bareilles, and Orla Gartland. This pop artist makes love songs and is independent. Before releasing her debut album, Make Sound, in 2018, she struggled with damage to her vocal cords in 2015. Getting by through songwriting, she was able to get surgery and continue her career after a period of recovery.

Shelby has performed all across the midwestern United States and is also known for her Jazz performances. She was the vocalist for the Kent State University Jazz Orchestra from 2015-2017, and today, she teaches music in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Whether you are from the Midwest or someone who enjoys both Jazz and Pop, Shelby Olive should be on your list to try out.

7. Mckenna Grace

You may recognize Mckenna Grace from The Handmaid's Tale, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and The Young and The Restless. According to the About Me page on her website, the Covid-19 pandemic inspired her to go into music. On this page, she says, "With acting, I can hide behind a script or character, tell their story and become someone else... but with music it's MY story and MY experiences."

Although her entrance into music is still new, she has shown love for it for a long time. In fact, she wrote her first song at 11 years old about her friend, Faith, who had passed away. Her first single, Haunted House, made its appearance at the end of the movie Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Her newest single, Casual Kisser, can be heard on different platforms such as Spotify or Pandora.

Grace has already shown the world her talent and is definitely a star you should be watching.

8. Alix Page

Alix Page began singing when she was three years old. Her website doesn't say much about her personal life or how she started her career, but it does give us the time frames she will be performing in Europe and the U.S. Her music has a reflective feel to it, and you could try it out on YouTube.

9. Scarlett Dream

Scarlett Dream is another lesser-known artist who is inspired by pop from the '80s. More specifically, Mazzy Star, Frank Ocean, Beach House, Lykke Li, Clairo, Duran Duran, and Joy Division are big influences according to a short interview on the blog, Section 36. If you want a playlist to go about your day that isn't too fast paced, Scarlett Dream's songs should be on your playlist.

10. Sorana

If you want a few more pop songs to dance to, you should check out Sorana. This Romanian singer and songwriter starred in X Factor Romania, the soap opera A New Life, and was part of the group Lala Band. Since then, she moved from Romania to Los Angelos to start her career off as a songwriter. Her contributions include "OMG What's Happening" for Ava Max and "Heartbreak Anthem" for Galantis and Little Mix.

Her debut single, "Redrum," was performed with David Guetta, and later, she sang the song, "Karaoke," as her solo debut. Since then, she has made other tunes such as "Happy Birthday Sadness." She continues to write songs for other artists, making her someone you will want to keep following.

Conclusion

There is always something new in the music world. It is too easy to only keep up with what's mainstream, but this could cause you to miss out on great talent. As listeners, we should always remember that popularity does not make something better. Do you know an artist who is up and coming? Spread the word on social media and follow this blog for updates.