If I was a singer I think my music style would be similar to the likes of Lorde, Birdy, Tinashe, Sevdaliza, Oh Wonder, Gallant, Tsar B, Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, and SZA (if you don’t know any one of these musical artists, I encourage you to search them up). Basically, if I was a singer, my music would be haunted, cryptic—filled with magical sounds and imagery just like theirs.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate other music styles; I’m a lover of the generic Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B, Funk, and Rock. Current artists that have influenced my love for these common genres are Kendrick Lamar ‘n’ Childish Gambino (Hip-Hop), Ariana Grande ‘n’ Demi Lovato (Pop), Beyonce (R&B), Bruno Mars (Funk), and In This Moment (Rock/Metal).
However, common genres are not what I’ll gravitate towards if I was a singer/songwriter, no, I’d love the music I make to have great artistic twists; Music that peirces your heart, mind, soul & spirit.
Most of the artist I had mentioned before share the haunted sound (Lorde, Birdy, Tinashe, Sevdaliza, Oh Wonder, Gallant, Tsar B, Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, and SZA) but have many labels for their music such as Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative R&B, Contemporary R&B, Indie Pop, Electronic Dance Music, and/or Folk Music.
Their music has this unique, dusky, mystical sound that never truly leaves your mind. Don’t mistake these for “sad music”, its simply, music that is soulfully and artistically impactful.
Here are my favourite magical (haunted) artists below, and I’ve showcased one song/music video created by each of them:
Lorde
Music Style: Art Pop, Electropop, Indie Rock
Selected Song: Writer in the Dark (Melodrama, 2017 Album)
Favourite lyrics in song:
“I bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the Dark, and now she’s gonna play, and sing, and lock you in her heart.”
“I am my mother’s child, I’ll love you till my breathing stops, I’ll love you till you call the cops on me.”
Birdy
Music Style: Indie Folk, Indie Pop, Indie Rock
Selected Song: Words (Beautiful Lies, 2016 Album)
Favourite lyrics in the song:
“If I can’t change your mind…keep thinking, is this our last goodbye? You say it first, you say it first to me. So I, can just forget you.”
Tinashe
Music Style: Alternative R&B, Contemporary R&B, Pop Music
Selected Song: Cold Sweat (Aquarius, 2015 Album)
Favourite lyrics in song:
“This pressure ain’t for everybody, weighing so heavy on my body.”
“Don’t think I forgotten who was always here, tell me where was you last year, and I doubt you will last here. It’s your last year.”
Sevdaliza
Music Style: Electronic Dance Music, Art Pop, Experimental Pop, Trip Hop
Selected Song: Human (ISON, 2017 Album)
Favourite lyrics in song:
“I am flesh, bones. I’m skin, soul. I am human, nothing more than human.”
“I am sweat, flaws. I am veins, scars. I am human, nothing more than human.”
Oh Wonder
Music style: Indie Pop, Electropop
Selected song: All We Do (OW 2016 Album)
Favourite lyrics in the song:
“I’ve been upside down. I don’t wanna be the right way round, can’t find paradise on the ground.”
Gallant
Music style: Alternative Rock, Electronic Dance Music
Selected Song: Weight in Gold (Ology, 2016 Album)
Favourite lyrics in the song:
“Oh, universe, pull me up. Tried your best, is it ever enough?”
Tsar B
Music Style: Pop, R&B/Soul, Alternative/Indie
Selected Song: Escalate (Tsar B, EP)
Favourite lyrics in the song:
“Why are my lungs so tired? why can’t we speak at night?”
“I gave all my gold, to translucent minds.”
Lana Del Rey
Music style: Trip Hop, Rock, Indie Pop, Dream Pop
Selected Song: Young and Beautiful (The Great Gatsby, 2013 Album)
Favourite lyrics in the song:
“Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful?”
“Dear lord, when I get to heaven, please let me bring my man. When he comes tell me that you’ll let him. Father tell me, if you can.”
Frank Ocean
Music Style: Contemporary R&B, Soul
Selected Song: Swim Good (Nostalgia, 2011 Album)
*Most of Frank ocean’s music videos and audio have been removed from YouTube. But you can listen to this song and other songs out for free on Spotify and on websites like Genius, or Tidal (if you have a subcription)*
Favourite lyrics in the song:
“I’m about to drive in the ocean. I’ma try to swim from something bigger than me.
Kick off my shoes and swim good, and swim good.”
SZA
Music Style: Alternative R&B, Rhythm & Blues, Neo Soul
Selected Song: Drew Barrymore (Ctrl, 2017 Album)
Favourite lyrics in the song:
“Am I warm enough for ya outside baby, yeah? Is it warm enough for ya, inside me?”
“Do you really love me, or just want to love me down.”
Other Honorable mentions:
FKA Twigs, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Zayn, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Alessia Cara and Selena Gomez (her new songs).
If want to listen to more magical music here’s my spotify playlist!
I’ll post something new every Tuesday!
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Needy Artistry 