2023 has proven itself to be a year of thrilling music releases, and if the past few months are anything to go by, female musicians are leading the charge with new singles, EPs, and albums that you can’t help but listen to repeatedly. Although a lot of work still needs to be done to ensure that female musicians get the credit within the industry that they deserve – here’s to hoping that in 2023 female musicians are done having to prove their staying power. Below are just a few that should be on your radar.
With the release of her fourth album, Drop Cherries, Marten has cemented herself as a musician to watch. After sitting with Drop Cherries for a month now, I’m still bowled over by her craftsmanship. When the melodic humming in “New Idea” is first heard, listeners are immediately enveloped in Marten’s vocals and ready to go where she wants to take them. Going back to her roots, the 23-year-old singer/songwriter from Yorkshire has released an album that allows her vocals to shine and highlights her songwriting prowess, which has only strengthened over time. Drop Cherries comes two years after Flora Fauna, an album that wasn’t afraid to lean into experimentation and produce tracks like “Liquid Love.” On Drop Cherries, Marten’s songs are stripped-back and vulnerable. Each song, from “God Above” to “Nothing But Mine,” seems to contain a sense of familiarity, as if we are listening to an old friend sit in front of us and discuss the joy and pain throughout the phases of their relationship.
After the release of her second album Honey earlier this year, Samia set out to tour across North America. After seeing her perform at The House of Blues in February, I suddenly went from a fan to an obsessive and couldn’t turn off her music for weeks. Last month she released two singles, “Maps/Country,” covers of “Maps” by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, and “Country” by Porches. Her cover of “Maps” nearly sounds identical to the original, and her cover of “Country” brings a haunting quality reminiscent of “Breathing Song” to a track that didn’t seem like it could get any more melancholy. Limited edition 7″ vinyl featuring Samia’s covers are available to purchase on Bandcamp. If you weren’t streaming Samia’s music before, now is the time to add her to your playlists.
Since gracing the cover of our June Art Is Life Issue, Sarah Kinsley has had many life-changing moments, from being slated to perform at this year’s Governor’s Ball to announcing the release of her next EP, Ascension. One thing that has yet to change is her ability to release music so unique that from the first five seconds, listeners are sure no one else could have made it. Last week she released the hypnotic single “Lovegod.” A track that finds her singing about being sent a perfect lover, the answer to a prayer. With only a few more weeks until the entire EP is released, I’ll be impatiently waiting to see what other gorgeous songs she has hiding up her sleeve.
“I wanna be a part of it, I wanna sing along / The feeling when the windscreen wipers line up with the song” from the first few lines, The Japanese House (Amber Bain) immerses listeners into the world of “Sunshine Baby.” Her latest single to be released in the lead-up to her album In The End It Always Does, that’s coming out next month. There’s something about her music that embeds itself into your brain, and “Sunshine Baby” is no different. With backing vocals from Matty Healy, everything within the 3:40 track works seamlessly, and once you listen, it becomes an earworm. The Japanese House is one of the more inventive artists out right now, and if you aren’t already listening, do yourself a favor and study up.