"Who is going to become the new mainstream when the current most consequential artists have been on hiatus?" --Triece Kushner, 10th grade
Recently, some of the most consequential artists in music have been going on hiatus, not releasing any new albums, or simply disappearing. For example, Frank Ocean, an artist with a predominantly BIPOC fanbase, comes back from his 6-year ghosting period to perform at Coachella, the music festival only catered to the rich white part of his fan base who can afford the thousand-dollar price tag to see him. He’s not the only one who has changed with increased stardom -- Rihanna has heavily hinted at a ninth album for years, even if its rumored release is in 2023, and Justin Bieber simply doesn’t care about his fans, shown through his very aggressive behavior toward them. Artists like these have reached a part in their career where they are already established, and once these types of artists reach this point, their relationship with their fans and their music starts to get corrupted.
This raises the question: who will be the new Frank, the new Ariana? Of course, no one can really replace the impact these artists have had on the generation, but there must be some person who has the potential to be as influential and dependable as these artists once were: diverse in their genre and appeal, multi-talented in their writing and producing. The artists in this article might just be those people.
MaZhe, a rapper based in central California, is a good example of fluidity in songs. He’s able to balance personality, emotion, and voice by writing and producing his own music, which establishes his sound as his and his only. His most recent album, “Wisdom Teeth,” is a good example of his fluctuation. In the album, he talks about serious topics such as race, mental health, and his relationship with his appearance, which allows his music to remain relatable. Like more mainstream artists like Earl Sweatshirt, Domo Genesis, and Vince Staples, MaZhe doesn’t water down his emotion or thoughts,, but his music is unique to himself and his story.
Recommended: DIRTY, NECKCHAIN, BRAND, RIMS, GURL*
Paloma Mami is a Chilean-American singer who has a lot of international attention in many Spanish-speaking countries, but deserves more attention in the States. Though she’s relatively new to the music scene, Paloma Mami manages to hold a very familiar but idiosyncratic tone, having her music go from rap and trap—SZA-type songs—to more ballad-type, slow songs like Kali Uchis. Her first studio album, “Sueños de Dalí” was released in March of 2021, and her music has already made a big impact on the popularization of Chilean-American artists in western pop culture.
Recommended: For Ya, I love Her, Veneno, Traumada, Dreams (Interlude), RDMDA
Ego Ella May’s neo-soul and jazz blend has led her to win multiple awards, including a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award and a Jazz FM Award. Although she is located in South London, you can find her all across the globe, even in Oakland’s own jazz club, Yoshi’s. Her voice and sound are like no other, velvety and silvery. She can almost be described as Sade met Cleo Sol met Hiatus Kaiyote. Her music is all-ranging, complex, and thoughtful, going from upbeat and cheerful to slow and emotional.
Recommended: Underwater, Tea & Sympathy, Theo Says, Miss You, Somethin’
Daniela Bojorges-Giraldo, otherwise known as St. Panther, is an Irvine, California-born producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. She has confidence in her music, which is seen in how gracefully her Amy Winehouse-like voice moves from singing to rapping to somewhere in between she is good at anything. Similar to Frank’s music, every song offers something different. Some of her music is indie pop, some being R&B; it’s free-flowing, well-formatted, and out of the box.
Recommend: These Days, Food Stamps, Drive, and Real Love Takes Time.
This raises the question: who will be the new Frank, the new Ariana? Of course, no one can really replace the impact these artists have had on the generation, but there must be some person who has the potential to be as influential and dependable as these artists once were: diverse in their genre and appeal, multi-talented in their writing and producing. The artists in this article might just be those people.
MaZhe, a rapper based in central California, is a good example of fluidity in songs. He’s able to balance personality, emotion, and voice by writing and producing his own music, which establishes his sound as his and his only. His most recent album, “Wisdom Teeth,” is a good example of his fluctuation. In the album, he talks about serious topics such as race, mental health, and his relationship with his appearance, which allows his music to remain relatable. Like more mainstream artists like Earl Sweatshirt, Domo Genesis, and Vince Staples, MaZhe doesn’t water down his emotion or thoughts,, but his music is unique to himself and his story.
Recommended: DIRTY, NECKCHAIN, BRAND, RIMS, GURL*
Paloma Mami is a Chilean-American singer who has a lot of international attention in many Spanish-speaking countries, but deserves more attention in the States. Though she’s relatively new to the music scene, Paloma Mami manages to hold a very familiar but idiosyncratic tone, having her music go from rap and trap—SZA-type songs—to more ballad-type, slow songs like Kali Uchis. Her first studio album, “Sueños de Dalí” was released in March of 2021, and her music has already made a big impact on the popularization of Chilean-American artists in western pop culture.
Recommended: For Ya, I love Her, Veneno, Traumada, Dreams (Interlude), RDMDA
Ego Ella May’s neo-soul and jazz blend has led her to win multiple awards, including a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award and a Jazz FM Award. Although she is located in South London, you can find her all across the globe, even in Oakland’s own jazz club, Yoshi’s. Her voice and sound are like no other, velvety and silvery. She can almost be described as Sade met Cleo Sol met Hiatus Kaiyote. Her music is all-ranging, complex, and thoughtful, going from upbeat and cheerful to slow and emotional.
Recommended: Underwater, Tea & Sympathy, Theo Says, Miss You, Somethin’
Daniela Bojorges-Giraldo, otherwise known as St. Panther, is an Irvine, California-born producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist. She has confidence in her music, which is seen in how gracefully her Amy Winehouse-like voice moves from singing to rapping to somewhere in between she is good at anything. Similar to Frank’s music, every song offers something different. Some of her music is indie pop, some being R&B; it’s free-flowing, well-formatted, and out of the box.
Recommend: These Days, Food Stamps, Drive, and Real Love Takes Time.
