New and Upcoming Musicians
By Jayde Eubanks
Sam Smith, the London born, soul singer- songwriter has worked his way into the hearts of millions with his unique voice and sound. This summer Smith peaked to the top of the U.S billboard charts with #1 hits such as “Stay With Me,” “La La La,” and Disclosure’s “Latch.” His debut album titled “In the Lonely Hour” became number two on the Billboard 200, upon its release in the United States and Canada. Sam Smith claims he was largely influenced by musicians such as Amy Winehouse, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston. Not only is Sam Smith a rising star in the United Kingdom, but he is a rising star in the United States. He was nominated for multiple awards during this year’s 2014 MTV Music Awards. The categories included “Best Male Video” and “Artist to Watch.” Smith gave a phenomenal performance of his #1 hit “Stay With Me” at the MTV Awards and surprised many viewers. As stated by Channel Fogarty, "I honestly think Sam Smith is very talented! As, both, a singer and songwriter. He has such a beautiful voice, and he puts so much emotion into his live performances. He's just as good live as he is on the radio. I love how his music can range from slow and personal to upbeat and fun. You can tell he puts so much effort into his music. I feel like he has a lot more to come and that he's growing bigger and bigger in the music industry with every song he releases. So yes, I think he's the next big thing!" “I’m Not the Only One” is a another newly released song that is becoming a fan favorite. In this beautiful ballad, Smith's vocals prove to be powerful, strong, and full of emotion. The official music video for “I’m Not the Only One” was released on August 1, 2014. Many fans were amazed to discover The Mindy Project’s Chris Messina andGlee’s Diana Agron starring as a married couple taking on the bad decisions and challenges life has to offer. Sam Smith will begin his UK tour this spring, which completely sold out in under an hour.
Besides Sam Smith, Iggy Azalea, an Australian rapper, also became an artist many people adore. Kaitlyn Isbell states, "I think she's cool. She and Nicki Minaj are both dominating the rap industry with their different styles. People seem to really like it." At the age of 16, Iggy Azalea left Australia for the United States in hopes to pursue a career as a recording artist. She came with no money or family, which is mentioned in her first debut single “Work.” She struggled for many years before she was officially signed to professional rapper, T.I.'s record label, Grand Hustle, in 2012. Iggy Azalea became extremely popular this summer after dropping her #1 song “Fancy.” The music video for “Fancy” parodies the 1995 chick flick Clueless,starring Iggy Azalea as the main character Charlotte “Cher” Horowitz, an incredibly popular and wealthy teen. It currently has over 250 million views on Youtube. From the 90’s clothing to the crazy parties, Iggy proved herself to be the ultimate fan of the hollywood hit. She also debuted her studio album “The New Classic” on April 21, 2014. Recently, “Black Widow” featuring British singer-songwriter, Rita Ora peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Iggy Azalea is set to re-release “The New Classic” on September 17, which includes six more tracks.
With these new new artists on the scene dominating music right now we can only imagine what they have in store, stay tuned to the radio and online and listen and see what’s next!