Rock
I have been a fan of Mae since I first discovered them in college back in 2011. By this time, they had already released 3 studio albums and 6 EPs. Their first album, Destination: Beautiful, was released in 2003. Destination: Beautiful included 2 of my favorite songs, “Embers and Envelopes” and “Summertime”. 15 years later, they have just released their 5th studio album this year, Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience, which is the origin of their name. They will be going on tour in January 2019.
Folk
Hailing from England, Tom Oddell released his debut EP, Songs from Another Love, in 2012, which won the BRITs Critics’ Choice Award in 2013. He released his first studio album, Long Way Down in June 2013. Long Way Down featured the songs, “Heal” and “Another Love”, both of which I first heard in episodes of The Vampire Diaries. His next album, Wrong Crowd, was released in June 2016. Wrong Crowd included the singles “Wrong Crowd” and “Magnetised”. He just released his 3rd studio album, Jubilee Road, in October 2018. He has been nominated for several awards and won Critics’ Choice (2013) and Songwriter of the Year (2014).
Pop
Phoenix was formed in 1995 and began releasing singles in 1999. Their first studio album, United, was released in 2000. It featured their single “Too Young”, which made it to the top 100 chart in France. Phoenix recently released their 6th studio album, Ti Amo, in June 2017. After almost 2 decades of music, their most well-known singles are: “1901” (my personal favorite), “If I Ever Feel Better”, and “Lisztomania”. Both “1901” and “Lisztomania” are certified platinum and gold.
R&B
Originally from New Zealand, Kimbra released her first studio album, Vows, in August 2011. Vows featured her biggest single “Cameo Lover”, along with “Settle Down”, “Two Way Street”, and “Good Intent”. The same year, she collaborated with Australian artist Gotye to produce the multi-platinum single, “Somebody That I Used to Know”. The song was nominated for a dozen awards, and won 8 of them, including a Grammy. Her next album, The Golden Echo, was released in August 2014, and included the singles “90’s Music”, “Miracle”, and Goldmine”. She recently released her 3rd studio album, Primal Heart, in April 2018. Kimbra is currently preparing to make her big screen debut in the 2019 movie Daffodils.
Electronic
Ellie Goulding is an English singer and songwriter. She released her first EP, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding, in 2009. She released her first studio album, Lights, a year later. Lights is most known for its singles: “Guns and Horses”, “Starry Eyed”, “Under the Sheets”, and “The Writer”. Her sophomore album, Halcyon, was released in August (2012). Halcyon featured the chart-topping singles: “Anything Could Happen”, “Explosions”, and “Figure 8”. After the release of her 3rd studio album, Delirium (2015), she has become an activist for a variety of causes including women’s issues and homelessness. She recently joined the United Nations Foundation as a Goodwill Ambassador.