The women in music defining 2021
In celebration of International Women’s Month, the good people at Symphonic are taking a moment to highlight some of the women who are defining this generation through their incredible work.
Guest post by Randi Zimmerman of the Symphonic Blog
Since 1987, the world celebrates International Women’s Month every March. Here at Symphonic, we use this month to not only celebrate women in the industry as a whole, but to highlight the incredible artists in our ranks who are defining this generation and beyond.
Women in Music Who Are Defining 2021
Melody Thornton
“A brilliant performer with a lifetime of experience, soulful pop siren Melody remains a breath of fresh air; blending aspects of her Mexican/African-American heritage with her wild Western Arizona roots. In 2012, the GRAMMY nominated singer-songwriter dropped her first mixtape, P.O.Y.B.L. Her impressive range and powerful delivery turned heads, garnering glowing reviews. A combination of sass and savoir-faire culled from her years on stage allowed her to produce pieces that reflected her musical identity – a youthful, contemporary sound like something you’d hear in a filmscore…”
LIMBO
“Limbo is an independent singer-songwriter from the San Francisco Bay Area who has been performing, composing, recording, producing, mixing and mastering her own songs since 2013. She is adept at fusing RnB and hip hop beats with loft songs of dream pop, turning out beguiling results…”
Emily Rose
“Emily Rose has a voice reminiscent of Emmy Lou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, and Natalie Maines. Hers is a voice that invites listeners in with every word sung. She is a jangly, retro-hued country singer, who focuses on the true grit of the songs she sings. Ask Emily who some of her favorite artists are and she reels off names like Patty Loveless, Wade Bowen, Linda Ronstadt, Charlie Rich, Lukas Nelson, and Grace Potter.” — Read more at emilyroseofficial.com
Emily Deahl
“Emily Deahl isn’t your average pop songwriter from the South, her artistic vision expands beyond just the music into widely encompassing works of art. Inspired by artists such as Jack White, Lady Gaga, Freddie Mercury and Elvis, Emily’s love and passion for a spectacle of a performance in music is what has inspired her to indulge in story telling and creating content that’s to be presented in music, video and even mediums such as children books. Set to be released in 2020, ‘The Ice Cream Girl Presents, Ghost Stories’ is her latest literary creation of which each chapter has a coinciding song and video. With several eerie videos already released promoting this project, her music can only be described as story-telling focused pop with dark, theatrical ties.” — Read more at emilydeahl.com
Linda Diaz
“Linda Diaz is a singer/songwriter born and raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The gentle yet soulful artist has been making waves in NYC’s independent scene with lush vocal arrangements and powerful lyricism to accompany her jazzy r&b sound. In February of 2019, Linda self released her debut EP, “V” honoring her late grandfather. Her latest release, “Magic” is a six track EP produced by ThankYouFatMatt.”
Emily Vaughn
“Originally from a small town in Florida, Emily Vaughn has quickly made her presence known in the pop industry. Her dangerously infectious melody driven singles and alluring vocal quality has enticed fans all over the world. With her sassy one-liners and authentic transparency, Emily is bound to ascend to the graces of pop stardom…”
Molly Moore
“For as much as New York-born and Los Angeles-based songstress Molly Moore’s music speaks to a 5G generation, her straight-shooting lyrics, soulful timbre, and psychedelically spun style transcend eras. Molly’s art quietly impacted pop from behind-the-scenes and in the spotlight. As a songwriter, she’s written for multiplatinum pop superstar Jesse McCartney, K-pop phenomenon EXO, as well as Grammy-nominee, actress, and singer Lea Michele, and has composed children’s music for the Hasbro animated series Hanazuki…”
“As an artist, Molly was previously one-half of pop duo Cosmos & Creaturewith her then-boyfriend Brandyn Burnette, and signed to Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label, garnered over 26 million streams, played sold-out shows at The Roxy and The Troubador in Los Angeles, and shared the stage with artists such as Dua Lipa, John Mayer, and Bebe Rexha.”
Katie Toupin
“In the spirit of self-reliance, Toupin took the reins in producing Magnetic Moves, her first full-length since leaving acclaimed alt-country band Houndmouth in 2016…”
“Throughout Magnetic Moves, Toupin speaks to the power in embracing messy feelings like regret and obsession and, in the case of the wildly anthemic “Run to You,” falling for someone who’s all wrong for your heart. On “Real Love,” the sigh of Davis’s slide guitar amps up the torchy intensity of Toupin’s vocals, its lyrics capturing the hurt that sometimes follows loving without reserve…”
Jillette Johnson
“Pianist and singer/songwriter Jillette Johnson makes melodic, ruminative contemporary pop music largely centered around her resonant vocals and classically influenced piano parts. Born in California, Johnson grew up in Pound Ridge, New York. She began playing piano when she was a child, and by age 12 was already performing her own songs in clubs around New York City.”
“She released her debut EP, Whiskey & Frosting, in 2012. Her debut full-length album, Water in a Whale, appeared on Wind-Up Records in 2013. Johnson released her sophomore long-player, All I Ever See in You Is Me, produced by Dave Cobb in Nashville’s famous RCA Studio A in 2017 to critical acclaim. Jillette returns with her first new music in three years. The hard-won optimism of Jillette Johnson’s third studio album, It’s A Beautiful Day And I Love You, couldn’t have come without tremendous upheaval.”
Saleka
“Saleka is a classically trained, Indian American musician, who began playing piano at the age of four. As the daughter of M. Night and Dr. Bhavna Shyamalan, Saleka was raised on an eclectic combination of music. Rather than attending a traditional conservatory, Saleka made a transformative decision and enrolled at Brown University to begin her journey as an R&B singer-songwriter and study both Literary Arts and Music. Saleka has performed at iconic venues across the United States, opening for both R&B legends and up-and-coming artists such as Boyz II Men, Summer Walker, Baby Rose and K. Michelle. In addition to music, Saleka uses her powerful voice to raise awareness for social justice reform, youth education and women’s rights. Saleka currently resides with her family in Philadelphia.”
Ness Heads
“Ness Heads is a rapper based out of Chicago who’s live sets involve a variety of her own releases and unreleased music…”
“Ness spends every day working on writing and recording new music. Ness works hand in hand with her producer, Drew Sarno, to develop unique styles and sounds. Leaning more towards an electro/hip hop sound, Ness has used her creativity to think outside the box.”
Laura Marano
“Laura is a prolific songwriter and classically-trained musician who has written over 100 songs with some of today’s biggest writers, totaling over 200 million streams across streaming platforms. In 2019, she dropped her debut ‘ME’ EP, followed by the ‘YOU’ EP out in Oct. 2020. The ‘YOU’ era has garnered praise from Billboard, MTV, Live Nation, Apple Music, E! News, Radio.com, Ones To Watch and more. The music video for Marano’s single, “Boombox,” has nearly 70 Million views, which made her one of the Top 10 Emerging Artists on VEVO. Laura has performed on the TODAY show, the Radio Disney Music Awards, and at the People Magazine Summer Concert Series, as well as numerous radio shows and concerts.”
VILLA
“Behind the genre-defying artist VILLA is Manhattan-based producer, DJ, and songwriter Elisa Villafana. Her musical journey began with her love for the viola at age 6. Blending this love for orchestral atmospheres with an innate passion for poetry and creative writing, VILLA is poised to use 2020 as her launchpad for original music. Her style combines heavy-hitting bass with soothing melodies to create emotional ballads centered around self-love…”
ON THE HUNT
“ON THE HUNT (aka Isabella Cai) is a DJ/producer from San Francisco, California who has quickly become an artist to watch in the bass trap music scene. Her tremendously successful track “The Force” with rapper Godmode has gained over 500k streams on Spotify and 100k streams on Youtube, as well as being featured on EDM.com, EKM.CO, Spotify’s “India Viral 50”, and more. …”
“She has opened for names like QUIX and DYLN and appeared on numerous playlists curated by global tastemakers such as Liquid Stranger, Tribal Trap, BonHaus, and more. ON THE HUNT has channelled her lifelong experience of moving across cultures and countries to adapt quickly to new musical styles and create versatile, captivating soundscapes which stand out amidst a crowded bass trap scene. “
Julia Nunes
“Singer/songwriter Julia Nunes is relentlessly personal. That, plus her powerhouse cello-like voice and thought provoking lyricism is how she garnered a loyal and long standing following that has carried her from playing the ukulele on YouTube to dropping an album on Conan. From YouTube covers to sold-out house shows, Julia has captured the hearts of countless fans worldwide, who have been patiently awaiting her new release, UGHWOW…”
“Julia’s much anticipated album “UGHWOW” is out now. She strums the ukulele a total of 3 times on this record and still evokes the extreme tenderness of her acoustic beginnings.”
