Anyone who has ever spoken to me will know my favourite artist is girl in red, as I simply have to mention her in every conversation. She is an artist with an energy unlike any other, both on a personal and performer level. 

She is exceptionally good at long rambles, whether that be during shows, live streams, or interviews. There are no topics she shies away from, always says just what is on her mind. This is also conveyed in her lyrics which are full of unfiltered thoughts and emotions. Especially as a younger teen, hearing someone sing about being queer so openly has been very important to me. She has progressed so much with her sound especially, but this key element of unfiltered honesty that is part of what makes her so special is always kept in. 

I have been lucky enough to attend many of her shows, and her live energy is just unmatched. It sure seems like she has an infinite source of energy, continuously jumping around, with the poor venue security employees having to chase after her during her fourth stage dive of a show. She manages to make even the biggest shows feel intimate by constantly connecting with the audience. She even sang a song live that she normally never plays (‘Apartment 402’), just because she knew it was my favourite song. I think this is the most special thing that has ever happened to me. Even though she planned this because the song was listed on the setlist, she did not for a second before the show consider whether she knew the lyrics and ended up reading the lyrics off her own Spotify profile from my friend’s phone. I think this is so wonderfully telling of her, wanting to do something special for a fan and not in the slightest bit worrying about not knowing lyrics in front of 3000 people. 

I have been a fan of girl in red since the beginning of her career, seeing her play for just 150 people in 2019. Now she is about to release her second album, plays massive headline shows, and has opened for Taylor Swift. Seeing an artist grow like this is an incredibly special experience that makes me appreciate her work even more. I am counting down the days until her second album which will show even more of just how incredible and unique her sound is.

Arlo Parks announced her new album with the words ‘This record is life through my lens, through my body.’ Every bit of music she releases proves that this lens through which she views and describes the world is a special one. She has such a way with words and describes even the most painful topics poetically. Themes of growing up, struggling with mental health, and seeing others struggle too, are all described by Parks in soft-spoken and poetic ways that make facing these themes a little easier. Her lo-fi indie pop occasionally borders on spoken word, the Collapsed In Sunbeams album is even opened with a spoken poem. Her voice makes everything sound so calming, repeated phrases almost like a mantra. Her music feels very grounding, if her song repeats ‘you’re not alone’ in such a genuine tone, I will simply have to believe her. 

After loving her for years I finally had the honour of seeing her live last year. One of these shows was an exclusive show with about 50 people, the other held 1500 people in a sold-out Paradiso. What surprised me is that both these shows felt just as intimate. Arlo Parks knows very well how to captivate audiences and create a magical atmosphere where everyone listens so intently for the full duration of the show.

Isaac Dunbar is one of those artists for whom I just cannot comprehend that he does not have millions of listeners yet. I discovered him when he opened for girl in red in 2019 and was instantly impressed. He was just 16 then and already managed to put on such a captivating and energetic performance that had me looking up his Spotify as soon as he stepped off stage. He truly has it all to me, he has such a unique sound and is constantly innovating his music too. Taking influence from a great variety of genres makes an eclectic mix that surprises with every release. I am not a fan of going out at all, but I feel like if they played all of his music in a club it would just be the best time. 

After somewhat of a music hiatus, he recently released a new song, ‘Apartment A’. This song follows the musical directions of some of my favourite Isaac Dunbar songs, namely ‘fan behaviour’ and ‘Bleach’. This new release makes me hopeful for more new music on the horizon, which is a very exciting prospect. It has been years, but I have still not gotten over his 2020 cancelled Amsterdam show. I hope we have the honour of seeing him in Europe again soon as I can only imagine just how fantastic all his new music will sound live.

Cavetown is another artist that I have been listening to for so long, it feels like I have grown up alongside his music which is always special. I have so many memories connected to his music, from cycling to high school listening to Lemon Boy in 2018, travelling to Oxford on my own in 2021 to see my friend play as a support act for him, to having my after-graduation void be perfectly accompanied by the worm food album. 

In this worm food album, there are lots of electronic sounds that resemble game soundtrack music which I love a lot. Fun sounds in songs like ‘grey space’ and ‘worm food’ scratch my brain in the most perfect way. His recent singles contain even more of these, which makes me so excited about anything he will be up to in the future. 

Every single time I see him live it leaves me in tears. Partly because he’s an incredible performer making a fun show and I love seeing happy crowds, but mostly at the sight of so many young kids wrapped in pride flags holding each other. Safe spaces like this are so important, and he manages to create just the most wonderful atmosphere at each of his shows. When I was younger, such a proud queer space would have meant the world to me, and I am glad these kids can have this experience now.

Froukje is the artist who made me (and many others) appreciate music in Dutch again. She is the voice of so many Dutch twenty-somethings. There is something special about connecting to music in your mother tongue, it feels more personal than English does to me, and Froukje just gets it like no other. Her lyrics are mostly straightforward, she does not get lost in poetry or far-fetched metaphors, yet she still finds ways to describe things just differently. In an attempt to screenshot some of my favourite lyrics from her new album, I ended up with my photos filled with at least half of all the lyrics. The topics she writes about feel so close to the life of her target audience, we all seem to be feeling a little lost in life, confused with love, lost within ourselves, but also looking for happiness and healing. At least we have Froukje to voice these thoughts for us. Why write a journal entry when I can just print the Froukje lyrics that describe my thoughts perfectly and glue them in the journal? 

She has even managed to make some friends of mine who don’t speak Dutch into fans, proving that her music transcends language. Especially on her debut album that was recently released, there is more experimentation with sound. Even without understanding Dutch, the increased electronic influences make for a fun listen and an album that also works very well in a live show.