"Brat summer" may be fading, but the chokehold artists like Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Taylor Swift have on the music industry refuses to loosen. Female artists are sweeping up accolades, airwaves, and attention in momentous fashion. What a time to be alive for a women in music renaissance. With the fervor for pop-music at full volume, I’ve listed five rising stars (in no particular order) I have on repeat—artists whose music deserves to climb the charts and crush the airwaves.
COBRAH
If you’re mourning the end of a “brat” summer, try indulging in music from Swedish singer and producer, COBRAH. Cobrah reps a goth BDSM aesthetic, making you want to grab any leather in sight and hit the clubs. She's sure to please fans of Charli XCX, Slayyyter, and SOPHIE, with raunchy lyrics reminiscent of CupcaKke, Ashnikko, and Coucoo Chloe. Cobrah released the EP SUCCUBUS in October of 2023 with singles like “SUCK,” “MANIC,” and “FEMININE ENERGY.” Recently, she released the SUCCUBUS XXXTENDED Remix EP in July of 2024. The song “TEQUILA” is a personal fave, and is sure to make you want to make some bad decisions. Cobrah’s most popular song “Brand New Bitch” was showcased in the trailer for Kinds of Kindness (2024 ). The trailer features a number of A-list actors, including Emma Stone, giving "dance like no one is watching" energy. Cobrah electrified the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC back in March, delivering a bop-filled hour-set leaving the audience (including myself) wanting MORE. Cobrah would absolutely devour a Boiler Room set.
2. Baby Queen
Arabella Latham, known by the stage name, Baby Queen, is a South-African singer-songwriter based in London. Baby Queen’s music tends to have themes of cynical nature and depression like in “Buzzkill” off the Medicine EP (2020) where she laments “I don't wanna be a buzzkill, but this life is shit and I just don't want it. “Want Me” is a certified pop-banger sure to capture the hearts of anyone who listens. The range of emotions swoop through track in a theatrical way, but it never loses authenticity. The Yearbook (2021) mixtape has infectious songs such as “Dover Beach,” “Raw Thoughts,” and “You Shaped Hole.” Quarter Life Crisis (2023) is a painfully relatable record of sad-bops and realizing you’re getting older. Baby Queen’s sold-out headlining show at The Atlantis in Washington, DC proved that she is one to watch. Sporting a pink sparkly two-piece set and shades, she commanded the stage from the moment she stepped on.
3. Towa Bird
You may have heard of Towa Bird through the powerhouse vocalist, Reneé Rapp, but did you know Towa Bird first gained traction through Olivia Rodrigo? Towa Bird is a 25-year-old English-Filipino singer and guitarist. She began uploading videos to TikTok during the pandemic, which caught the eye of pop princess, Olivia Rodrigo. Towa plays guitar during “Brutal” in Olivia’s documentary/concert film Driving Home 2 U (A Sour Film.) Towa opened for Reneé Rapp’s "Snow Hard Feelings Tour," and played alongside her in her band, reeling in name recognition. She can also be seen playing “Tummy Hurts” with Rapp on the Late Night Show with Seth Myers. Towa Bird’s debut album, American Hero, came out in June, the title which she regards as “entirely ironic.” Who doesn't love a bit of sardonicism in their music? It features the debut single “Wild Heart,” filled with catchy guitar riffs and a playful chorus. The album contains the sensual song “Drain Me!” and the f*** you capitalist American anthem, “B.I.L.L.S.” Towa will be performing a few shows this fall, but most notably at the All Things Go Music Festival taking place in Columbia, MD and New York, NY. Catch me in Columbia. Towa recently announced a string of dates opening for Billie Eilish, so Billie fans, show up for Towa!
4. Cloudy June
When you hear the sweet, sultry vocals and jolting pop beats from Cloudy June, you probably don’t think of death metal screams. The German-Cuban artist played in an Arch Enemy-inspired metal band as a teenager where she learned to scream. In a DNü interview she said “[screaming] made me feel very powerful and it allowed me to express myself in a whole new way. Which is the part that I miss the most about it now.” In 2019, she decided to go on her solo music journey and ditch death metal. Her debut single “High Waist to Hell” came out in 2020 amidst the pandemic, but single by single, she started gaining fans through TikTok. I first heard the song “Pretty Pills For Broken Hearts” in 2020, and found myself enticed by her voice and the dark bass. Cloudy June describes her solo creation as “Pop music, but make it a little emo.” The 2022 Unthinkable EP features the sexy single “FU In My Head” and the “f***-you” opus “Throw Up When I See Your Face.” The latter single feels like it has the potential to be a rock powerhouse. “You Problem” off of the 2023 EP 21st Century Princess, calls out misogynistic men with a witty sense of humor. Cloudy June’s debut album Crazy Woman is set for release on November 4th, 2024. Will we hear her scream? I sure hope so.
5. The Warning
The Warning is a hard rock band composed of the Villarreal Vélez sisters: Daniela (vocals, guitar), Paulina (drums, vocals), and Alejandra (bass, vocals). From the maturity of Daniela’s vocal sound, you probably wouldn’t expect her to be a teenager on their 2017 debut album XXI Century Blood; the sisters were born in 2000, 2002, and 2004, respectively. In the same year, the band played at the Mother of All Rock Festival in Monterrey, Mexico and opened up for The Killers at a show in the same city. The energy persisted for their 2018 sophomore release Queen of the Murder Scene. The band was supposed to tour in 2020, but that was canceled due to Covid-19. However, they signed a major deal with Lava Records, so the year wasn’t a complete loss. Since then, they’ve toured with bands like the Foo Fighters, Muse, Stone Temple Pilots, The Pretty Reckless and Halestorm. Now on their fourth album Keep Me Fed, The Warning is setting off on a headlining North American tour this September. Powerhouse singles include: “MORE,” “S!CK,” and “Hell You Call a Dream.” I'll be seeing them at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD, and I can't wait to be in presence of this badass trio.
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