Playlist: Uplifting Emerging Artists (featuring lesser-known independent artists that have under 100,000 monthly streams on Spotify)
Photo by Christopher Mueller
Music is a sacred experience for me. I love when a song describes a feeling I couldn’t put into words myself or when I hear a hook that I need to rewind and listen to a second time. Streaming platforms have made it possible to find and access an endless amount of music; however, sometimes, I end up hearing the same regurgitated songs over and over again. These platforms are perfect for feeding songs that I already like but it can take a lot of work to break the cycle of the algorithm. As an avid playlist maker, discovering new music allows me to continue creating new, unique playlists and add to old ones. If you’re looking for ways to break out of your music algorithm, keep reading to discover some of the things I do to switch it up and discover new music!
Finding Music Platforms or Social Media Accounts
By finding music accounts that you like on social media and interacting with them, the algorithm will begin to show you similar content on these platforms, introducing you to new music. That way, you’re allowing algorithms to work in your favor.
One of my favorite ways I find new and emerging artists is through GRRRL Music, an online platform for music lovers hosted by two millennial women, Kelsey and Ashley. Their Spotify is filled with tons of great playlists of all genres, and their “New Music Friday” playlist is one of my favorite weekly rituals, updated every Friday with new releases. I spoke with Kelsey about the playlist, and as she put it, the playlist “will ALWAYS be genre-less. We will always put up-and-coming artist releases first. It’s super important for us to highlight the music that may not land on editorial playlists but is still deserving of discovery.” With their platform, Kelsey said they get around 100 submissions a day and are up “bright and early … at [their] desk[s] with headphones on, instantly listening to anything/everything.” Because they are genuine fans of music, you can always trust they are going to have great suggestions. GRRRL Music hosts a podcast and is on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, so however you enjoy social media, you can find their content and enjoy discovering music along with them!
@jonnicasjams is an Instagram account hosted by music lover Jonnica Hill. Her playlist “fresh jams” is similar to GRRRL Music’s “New Music Friday,” updated weekly with new releases. If you’re a fan of indie pop and strong lyrics, you’ll love the music she finds. She has a series of playlists titled after different jam flavors, a clever pun on her page’s name. Plus she also posts artist spotlights and song recommendations based on your current preferences on her Instagram.
TikTok is also a great way to discover music. One of my favorite music TikTokers is Sam Weisband of @theweisest. Her playlists fall primarily into two categories: zodiac signs and colors. Sam’s color playlists connect a mood or feeling to a specific color. For example, “rose” is filled with cute love songs that have romantic and idyllic lyrics. By contrast, “red” features adrenaline-raising, angry music with loud and bold sounds. Each of her playlists is unique and includes musicians from all kinds of genres.
Another account I love on both TikTok and Instagram is @inthequeue_. They post music of all genres including, “my daily queue” and “<1000“, the latter of which is a collection of songs with under 1,000 streams that are great discoveries. Their taste is particularly chill featuring lots of indie and R&B. They post new music suggestions regularly, so they are great to follow if you’re looking for song suggestions.
Searching for Extremely Specific Playlists
One of the things I love about music is that it can put you in a specific headspace or transport you to a different time. Very specific playlists are curated collections of songs portraying the same distinct mood or telling a unique story. Often, by discovering one of these playlists, I find music I otherwise wouldn’t. By searching the most bizarre aesthetics or phrases I’ve found some pretty fantastic playlists.
Searching “mob wife” in the Spotify search bar, I discovered a lot of great playlists, but TikTok user @sarahalessa_’s was my favorite. Her playlist “mob wife mentality” channels the trendy mob wife aesthetic with songs creating a dark, broody mood and strong female vocals like “King” by Florence + the Machine and “bellyache” by Billie Elish. This playlist will make you feel like adding fur coats and animal prints to your wardrobe.
When I discovered @maddiemonologues’s playlists on TikTok I was enraptured by her academic literary analysis of lyrics and the way her playlists paint extremely specific pictures that are tied together perfectly with a full story arc. Her playlists are a delight to listen to, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the journey. Plus, hearing her discourse on the playlists in her accompanying TikToks is truly an experience. “portraits from a whispering gallery” is a playlist of songs that, as Maddie puts it, “cut through the noisiest of places,” just like being in a whispering gallery and hearing quiet conversations clearly from another corner of the building. “lost all my blue marbles” is a playlist about a space ecologist exploring parts of space no one has been before. In her TikTok video about this playlist, she discusses how the first half of the playlist features songs about exploring the unknown, feeling lost or anxious, and the desire to “abandon gravity just to feel something.” Towards the middle, songs become more upbeat and dancey but still place heavy emphasis on the lost feeling. As Maddie describes it, it’s “a pit stop at a dueling piano bar at a space station” with songs like “Bennie And The Jets” by Elton John and “Femininomenon” by Chappell Roan. The playlist ends with what she describes as “a big bang” with “The Melting of the Sun” by St. Vincent.
“girlhood.” tells the story of the Barbie movie and is a shameless plug for sharing a playlist I made. It begins with songs about girl power, feeling confident, and embracing femininity, just like Barbie is in Barbie Land at the beginning of the movie. It features songs like “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls and “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan. Then, the songs start to reflect Barbie’s existential crisis when her feet flatten, she voyages to the real world, and she learns about what it means to be a girl in the real world. The song selection continues upbeat and dancey even if the lyrics express the struggle of being a woman, like “New Romantics” by Taylor Swift and “Joan of Arc on the Dance Floor” by Aly & AJ, but the songs turn increasingly slow and sad like “This is What Makes us Girls” by Lana Del Rey and “Liability” by Lorde. The playlist flips when you hear “Plastic Doll” by Lady Gaga when she literally sings, “I’m not your plastic doll;” it mirrors how Barbie took charge of her fate and saved Barbie Land from the patriarchy and (Spoiler alert!) horses. The playlist ends with songs reminding us of when Barbie decides to become human. Songs like “Party Tattoos” by Dodie and “For Cari” by FLETCHER are about loving yourself as you are, living a full life, and celebrating the ability to feel a full range of emotions. Of course, the playlist ends with “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish. The playlist is an ode to girlhood and depicts the full journey that we see Barbie go through in the movie.
Checking Out Opening Acts and Earlier Time Slots in Festival Lineups
Whether you are attending concerts and music festivals or not, looking at the opening acts of artists you like is a perfect way to discover new music. There is a strategy for artists choosing the opening act on their tour. They want someone with a similar sound or style that their fans (i.e., you) will connect to and get hyped to see them at the end of the opener’s set. These opening artists warm up the crowd, so it makes sense that you might like the artists opening for your favorite musicians.
Additionally, the daytime acts in music festival lineups feature emerging artists who are making great music, so even if you aren’t going to Bonnaroo this year, check out the line-up and search for some of the artists you haven’t heard of. There is a possibility that you might find your next favorite song.
Discovering Playlists Made by the Artists You Follow
Spotify allows artists to create public playlists to share with their fans. Usually, they will use these playlists to promote their own music, but they often also include other songs that inspire them or have a comparable sound to theirs to make it a cohesive playlist. Similar to opening acts at their concerts, if you like the artist, you might enjoy their recommendations. To find these playlists go to an artist’s page on Spotify and simply scroll down until you see the “Artist Playlists” heading. Both emerging artists and big names alike are making these public playlists.
In the description of her playlist “I Choose You,” Sara Bareilles notes that it’s a collection of songs that have similar sounds to her song with the same name. This playlist is filled with uplifting songs that have catchy melodies and overall make you feel good. “🗝️IF U PLZ🗝️” by Caroline Polacheck is an ever-growing playlist of songs that she loves, and “Midnight Hour” is a playlist by pop artist Griff and is great for late-night pondering. Finding these playlists might take a little digging because not every artist does it, but finding one of these artist-made playlists gives you a peek into an artist’s perspective.
Browsing the Sonder/Sway Playlists
As you may or may not know, here at Sonder/Sway we like to share a new curated playlist with our monthly newsletter. Each month, a playlist is paired with an article to enhance it like a fine wine. Check out this month’s playlist and our other playlists here. Happy listening!
