HUNGER’s Class of 2021
If you’re anything like us, you won’t want to live in the past…particularly when it comes to 2020. So, looking up ahead at the next twelve months, we round up the emerging artists who are set to be everywhere in 2021. Expect California babes, footwork aficionados and the new queen of drill…
Gia Ford
Discovered on Instagram and subsequently landing a record deal on the strength of a 60-second, vocal-only recording, Gia Ford spent three years developing her sound. Now, she crafts songs simmering with sensual energy and steeped in Americana nostalgia.
Liza Owen
Liza Owen pins pop upside down and all around, with defiantly unfiltered lyrics, undeniable melodies and unapologetic grit. Originally breaking into the business writing songs for the likes of Selena Gomez and BTS, this summer she has quietly been putting her very own inimitable stamp on music with glittery, wildly infectious singles like “Starry Eyed” and “Getting Good”.
Jesse Jo Stark
Jesse Jo Stark is the Malibu dream girl penning introspective, seventies-tinged songs of longing and loss that you can’t help but sing along to. A Stevie Nicks for the iPhone Generation, she’s honed a femme fatale persona for both the stage and IG, where she enjoys a 300,000 strong following of fans who eagerly hang on to every one of her cryptic captions.
We met the California cool girl back in August. Get the down-low on her work with Yungblud and her thoughts on how indie rock dudes can do better here.
Fauzia
A member of 6 Figure Gang alongside the likes of Sherelle, Fauzia is bringing ecstatic energy to the club…when they’re open, that is. With her up-tempo mix of jungle and footwork, she perfectly captures the freedom of a great night out.
Raheaven
Whilst her peers grew up lip-syncing to Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, Raheaven took influence from Eritrean singers such as Elsa Kidane and Helen Meles. Now, the north Londoner is serving up sultry vocals and getting candid in her lyrics about one night stands and lifeless relationships.
JGrrey
Thanks to her woozy sound, diaristic lyrics and velvety vocals, JGrrey has been catching critics’ attention since she burst onto the scene with 2017’s “Ready to Die”. Since then, she’s released two EPs, dropped a well-received COLOURS session and supported Billie Eilish on her European tour, introducing South London’s experimental neo-soul sound to audiences far from the capital.
Earlier this year, we got to know the rising star. Read the full interview here.
cktrl
Born and bred in Lewisham, cktrl aka has quietly been integral in shaping and moulding the London’s underground music scene for years and now he’s set to blow up. One of the only remaining original DJs on NTS, cktrl has not only previously worked with Sampha but has received the seal of approval from the taste-makers like Virgil Abloh and Bianca Saunders.
Claudia Valentina
By the age of 13, Claudia Valentina was was writing songs with some of LA’s finest. Now, just turned 20, Claudia has settled down roots in London, where her poignant lyrics and raw talent are helping to set her up as a pop icon in-the-making.
James Indigo
Brummie rapper and songwriter James Indigo draws on his Jamaican-British heritage and queer perspective on pop culture to create a fusion of sounds. While he’s been on our radar for a while, he fully grabbed our attention with the release of his 2020 EP Married to the Game, spanning glitch, electronic and trap, all wrapped up with a sexually empowered message and a heady dose of self-love. We’re excited to see what he has in store for 2021 — something fabulous, we’re sure.
Ivorian Doll
With her Barbie aesthetic and bubbly personality, Ivorian Doll is the YouTuber turned rapper charming the UK drill scene. Sending off the haters with viral singer “Rumours” she’s proved her music chops with follow-ups “Body Bag” and “Clout”, as well as a feature on Headie One’s latest album.
Over the summer, we met the hard-hitting drill rapper to talk allyship and making her very own Doll Army. Check out our conversation here.
