On The Rise: 10 Artists We Are Featuring For July 2023
As the world keeps growing and evolving, so do musicians. It’s hard to keep up with every single emerging artist around the world, but finding new sounds can help you broaden your musical horizons. If you love discovering new music and haven’t had a chance to hear new artists this month, here’s your sign to start. We’ll be navigating through new sounds and captivating talents. Join us as we explore these 10 featured rising artists this month: LØLØ, WOODZ, Girl Ultra, Su Lee, brb., Diya Maeve, Kim Siwon, Rovv, Kenta Dedachi, and miida.
Design by Leala Ho
LØLØ
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s): Pop/Rock (Pop Punk, Indie Pop, Alternative Rock)
Latest Releases: “omg,” “5,6,7,8 (ft. girlfriends),” and debbie downer
About This Artist: LØLØ, also known as Lauren Mandel, is a prime example of how dedication and innovation can lead to success. This Canadian-born singer-songwriter has taken the music world by storm all thanks to her innate creativity and TikTok. During the pandemic, LØLØ found herself creating covers on the platform but not your average cover. The key to her rise in the music world and TikTok was her fresh twist to some of our favorite classics by switching up the point of view. The singer’s interpretation of “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s in the girl's perspective went viral and attracted industry professionals. Her Tiktok talents landed her a deal with Hopeless Records in 2021.
From a young age, LØLØ has had a natural talent for songwriting, and her clean and soothing vocals are perfect for many genres besides mainstream Pop. Her lyrics are raw and honest, and her unapologetic messages are backed by empowering drum beats and grungy yet addictive Punk-Rock sounds. She's collaborated with Simple Plan, Maggie Lindemann, and girlfriends and even toured alongside Simple Plan while performing a new recording of the classic “I’m Just a Kid.”
Although she hasn't headlined a festival yet, LØLØ is no stranger to live performances and touring. Her live performances have taken her all around the world, highlighting her incredible energy and stage presence. She's performed on stages all around the US and Europe, including at some of the biggest festivals like Lollapalooza and SlamDunk Festival. With her incredible energy and stage presence, it's clear that LØLØ was born to perform. If you're a fan of Pop-Punk music and artists with a nostalgic yet new sound, then LØLØ is definitely someone you should keep an eye on. Her newest single, “omg,” is a great introduction to her music, and we can't wait to see what she does next.
Song Recommendation: “omg”
WOODZ
Hometown: Gyeonggi, South Korea
Genre(s): Korean Pop/Rock
Latest Releases: “Drowning,” “Journey,” OO-LI
About This Artist: WOODZ, also known as Cho Seung-youn (조승연), is a former K-Pop idol under EDAM Entertainment. The talented singer-songwriter and rapper started his career in 2014 as a member of UNIQ, a Chinese-South Korean boy group under YueHua Entertainment. Though the group is no longer active, each member has pursued solo activities with WOODZ making waves in his solo career. In 2019, WOODZ also participated in the Korean survival reality show Produce X 101, where he secured the 5th position and a spot on the show's boy group, X1. Although the group was later disbanded, WOODZ continued to work hard and release successful music.
Having had a long career as a K-Pop idol, WOODZ has evolved into a skilled solo artist with successful releases that have garnered attention from around the world. His hard work and perseverance are a testament to his talent, which has earned him multiple sync placements. His single "About You" has been featured on the 2022 K-Drama Yumi’s Cells 2. With the release of his recent album OO-LI WOODZ has announced the OO-LI World Tour, which will take him through Latin America and Asia with stops in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Thailand, and Seoul–to name a few. The tour started in May and will continue until July of this year. With his smooth vocals backed by a refreshing Pop-Punk and Hip-Hop sound, WOODZ provides a wide range of musical abilities. As he grows in popularity, we can't wait to see what the future holds for this amazing artist. If you haven't yet had the chance to experience the magic of WOODZ, we highly recommend checking out his work.
Song Recommendation: “난 너 없이 (I hate you)”
Girl Ultra
Hometown: Mexico City, México
Genre(s): Latin Alternative Rock, R&B
Latest Releases: “Locochona,” “Punk,” EL SUR
About This Artist: As Latin music continues to cement its reach globally, we have to include Girl Ultra, or Mariana de Miguel, a bilingual Mexican artist who seamlessly mixes English and Spanish lyrics in her tracks. Signed to FINESSE RECORDS in 2016, this talented artist has been on a steady rise since her debut EP in 2017, garnering attention from many listeners.
With the majority of her fans from different regions of Mexico, she's already made a name for herself by performing at the famous Tecate Pal Norte festival. Girl Ultra's music has a unique sound that combines melancholic and energizing Alternative vibes. Her sultry and smooth voice adds a refreshing twist to mainstream Mexican music. Last year, she was featured in the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series in celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, which helped spread her name in the music world. She's even collaborated with Alternative Latin Rock band Little Jesus and soloist Ximena Sariñana, proving her versatility in the industry.
In a recent interview with NPR, Girl Ultra revealed that her hometown of Mexico City and its “haunted” aura heavily influenced her music and drew her to the darker, goth Rock music scene. Her new sound is making a mark in the Latin Alternative scene, and it's no wonder why. If you haven't listened to her yet, you're definitely missing out on some amazing music. Keep an eye on this budding artist as she continues to leave her mark in the music industry.
Song Recommendation: “Punk”
Su Lee
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Genre(s): Indie Pop (Alternative Pop)
Latest Releases: Messy Sexy, “Super Happy”, covering my feelings
About This Artist: Su Lee is a multi-talented Indie Korean artist. She writes, produces, performs, designs, and directs all of her music and content. The artist became known for her song covers on YouTube. Su Lee not only creates music, but she also creates content such as vlogs about her travels, tours, and content with other artists as a host for her podcast “Overthinkers Society.” Indie artists’ efforts are usually underrated since there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that fans may not know about. Being in control of all her creative endeavors and still managing to create and release music is hard work. Su Lee is a true inspiration for aspiring artists and music lovers alike.
The singer provides listeners with happy emotions using her modern yet calming vocals. She has collaborated with Colombian musician Ariza multiple times to create incredible trilingual music mixing Spanish, Korean, and English. The two artists have another song together called “Super Happy” on Su Lee’s album Messy Sexy which is worth listening to, especially if you love our recommendation.
Song Recommendation: “Jump” (feat. Ariza)”
brb.
Origin: Singapore
Members: Auzaie Zie, Clarence Liew Oliveiro, and Marc Lian
Genre(s): Hip-Hop, R&B
Latest Releases: “sharp knife,” “No One,” “heart shaped hickey,”
About This Artist: What originally started as a project turned into R&B sensation brb. or “be right back.” This talented trio made up of Auzaie Zie, Clarence Liew Oliveiro, and Marc Lian, burst onto the scene in 2018 with their hit single "cool with it," and they haven't slowed down since. With over 1 million listeners on Spotify and millions of streams on their songs, brb. has been climbing the ladder within the music space. Describing their music as “the nostalgia of the 80s and 90s with the sounds of today,” brb. is a force to be reckoned with. Consistently releasing music, their latest single "sharp knife," featuring up-and-coming Taiwanese singer KIRE, is a must-listen.
The group’s melodic, smooth flow creates an insanely addicting sound that will have listeners singing along in no time. And their music videos are just as fun and creative as their music with aesthetically pleasing color grading and youthful energy. As the group continues navigating through the industry, brb. will be embarking on their first North American tour, It’s Complicated, starting in August this year. Don't miss out on this exciting new chapter for this talented group. Start listening to brb. now and join the millions of fans who can't get enough of their music.
Song Recommendation: “Friends”
Diya Maeve
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Genre(s): Pop, Indie-pop, Alternative-pop
Latest Releases: “Jupiter’s Moon,” “Me,You & the Stars,” “Seventh Heaven”
About the artist: Rising indie artist Diya Maeve, from Mumbai, India, is a singer-songwriter who loves to narrate stories through her music. She came into the music scene in 2021 and has been taking over hearts ever since. Easily one of the best up-and-coming songwriters, Maeve has been receiving endless praise for making listeners tear up to her songs as they find them to be "relatable" and "just beautiful." HALSUG recently published a detailed feature about Maeve and her new tracks; make sure to check it out to discover more about her.
Maeve released her first EP For the Lovers on June 23rd, 2023, consisting of five tracks that chronologically tell a story. Here is the tracklist in order of its theme: "Me, You & The Stars" - Falling in love; "Jupiter’s Moon" - Bittersweet days of longing; "Achilles Heel" - Trying to let go; "Your Love" - Finding home; and the last track is a poem, "On The Other Side of the Moon," which concludes with the hope that the pain will fade away eventually. Can’t wait to check her out, can you? Don’t forget to check out her covers on her Youtube channel too.
Song Recommendation: "Your Love"
Kim Siwon
Hometown: South Korea
Genre(s): K-Hip-Hop, K-R&B, Indie-pop
Latest Releases: "Broken iPhone (깨진 아이폰)," "Crosswalk (횡단보도)"
About the artist: Brought to the scene by YG Plus on behalf of New Music Seoul, Kim Siwon (김시원), is an independent budding artist from South Korea. On October 28, 2022, he debuted with his single "Maze (미로)."
His new single "Broken iPhone (깨진 아이폰)" was his breakthrough, prompting listeners to probe into more of his releases to end up loving them all. His latest single, "Crosswalk (횡단보도)," also received a lot of positive response for being both lo-fi and catchy at the same time. His songs are a blend of subtle beats and singing raps, which fans find to be quite fresh. Beware though! Once you listen to his songs, you might just be addicted.
Song Recommendation: "Back To You Again (다시 너에게로)"
Rovv
Hometown: South Korea
Genre(s): Trap, K-Hip-hop, K-Rap, K-R&B, Pop
Latest Releases: “ecstasy,” “slow mo,” “the way you move”
About the artist: Also a singer-songwriter and sound engineer from South Korea, Rovv is an artist under The Vault kr. Rovv likes to experiment with Trap music and inculcate it in his tracks while writing songs that can leave a mark.
Rovv, Jimmy Brown, and Sweet The Kid came together in 2021 to form a unit named The Good Days Boys, a.k.a. TGDB. These three are considered the "rising monster trio" in the K-R&B community. Fans believe they are underrated, and the day when they’ll break the charts is not far. Following his latest release “Hip Drive” with Jimmy Brown (infamous for his songs "Irene" and "2 Things"), both of them will go on a tour together in North America this November. If you haven't checked him out yet, you are about to add another name to your favorite artist list.
Song Recommendations: “Too Late” and “Came Alone (Feat. Sweet The Kid)”
Kenta Dedachi
Hometown: Chiba, Japan
Genre(s): J-pop, Pop, R&B
Top Releases: "Rocket Science," "Strawberry Psycho"
About the artist: Kenta Dedachi is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter whose song covers have grabbed the attention of listeners across borders. The 23-year-old artist from Chiba, Japan, moved to LA at 18 and debuted as an indie artist on December 5, 2018. In 2022, Dedachi signed with Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Kenta demonstrates excellent vocals and bold songwriting skills, and some of Dedachi’s songs are a stir of Japanese and English; listeners find them quite aesthetically pleasing, especially their music videos, which exhibit a fulfilling cinematography that really enhances the fashion of Kenta’s music.
Kenta’s latest single, "I’d hate 2 B a girl like U," features savage lyrics that received an applauding response from admirers. The artist highlights the theme of the song: "Even if I were a girl, I'd hate to be a girl like you." Beware when following Dedachi’s music journey as the songs are quite addictive.
Song Recommendation: “Hunger for Blood”
miida
Origin: Chiba, Japan
Members: Mizuki Masuda, and Yasuyaki Sugawara
Genre(s): J-pop, Alternative Rock, Soul
Top Releases: "Kinda Wanna (Feat. miida)," "utopia"
About the artist: This one is for J-pop and rock lovers. Ex-guitarist and composer of Japanese rock band Negoto, Mizuki Masuda, came together with drummer Yasuyuki Sugawara of ecke to work under the project name miida. Their songs consist of fine beats, genuine lyrics, and soft singing, which has recently become quite popular among Gen Z and anime watchers.
Recently, miida collaborated with the project Tokimeki Records and released her cover of "灯火 (light)," which was originally by Vaundy. miida plans on pursuing music that is mellow and minimal, which makes their music perfect to add to your next relaxing summer playlist.
Song Recommendation: "utopia"
Talent keeps evolving rapidly, but it takes time for the world to recognize it. Everyone here at HALSUG is always thrilled to discover more up-and-coming artists and help them make sure they reach their audience. We bring you diverse and fresh sounds so that you can keep up with the new music. Let us know what type of artists and music you want more of, and we’ll be in charge of your new favorite playlists. Can’t have enough music? Not to worry. It’ll always keep coming.
Who caught your ears among the 10 rising gems we featured? Don't forget to leave some love and let us know on Instagram or Twitter whose discography you'll be devouring next.
Tayra’s Top 5:
LØLØ - “omg”
Su Lee - “Jump” (w/Ariza)
WOODZ - “i hate u”
brb. - “friends”
Girl Ultra - “Punk” (w/ Little Jesus)
Shruti’s Top 5:
Diya Maeve - “For Lovers”
Kim Siwon - “Back To You Again”
Rovv - “Too Late”
Kenta Dedachi - “Hunger for Blood”
miida - “utopia”
Edited by Alliya Garcia