Best New Artists

Our favorite new and rising artists in February 2023, featuring Abby Sage, CLIP, Love Spells, AntsLive, Diz, Portraits of Tracy, jev., and more.

best new artists lead feb 23
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best new artists lead feb 23

Every month, we round up some of our favorite new music discoveries. Look back at all of our Best New Artists features here and keep up with them all on the Best New Artists playlist.

Love Spells

Love Spells Come Over And Love Me

It’s difficult to pinpoint what makes “Come Over And Love Me” so great. On the surface, it’s a pretty simple song—one of those instantly familiar melodies that you might feel like you’ve already heard before, even if you haven’t. But there’s more to it.

The whispered, androgynous delivery is haunting, the lyrics are open-ended enough to leave room for imagination to wander, and the tone is sophisticated in its melancholy restraint. We are in a time when maximalism is often the goal, but Love Spells’ latest single is an elegant, timeless departure from the chaos.

Love Spells is only 18 years old, but the Houston singer and songwriter has been making music for a few years. His inspiration stems from indie, R&B, and psychedelic music, and the name comes from friends poking fun at the artist for always being in love. Many of his songs revolve around that theme, whether it’s the falling in love part or the heartbreak that follows.

“Come Over And Love Me” came out in December and is already shaping up to be a breakthrough moment for Love Spells, and he’s working on a project that is set to come out in the coming months. On the new single, Love Spells explains: “It’s a song about someone that was so far away physically but closer to me than my own skin. I loved them, but they never understood that because I could never come over and show them that love.”—Jacob Moore

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jev.

Jev rapper

The concept of an artist having a moment on TikTok seems to have shifted from being solely positive to more of a double-edged sword. That didn’t seem like it would be the case when I first heard jev.’s “where’s the confetti?” in a viral TikTok, and again through a repost on Twitter. The sample hooks you from the beginning, his flow keeps things engaging, and jev. carries himself with a curated aesthetic that comes across sonically and visually. It’s all well thought out. That viral moment might not have been expected, but he was certainly prepared for it when it came.

“where’s the confetti?” is just one of eight songs on jev.’s project the color grey. and the entire project, front to back, is just as impressive and creative as his breakthrough song. He’s lived in three different countries throughout his lifetime, spending his childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo, teenage years in South Africa, and now residing in Ottawa, Canada. Each of those areas has instilled in him different influences and styles, including kwaito, house, amapiano, and rumba.

jev.’s sound is a reflection of his taste and diverse upbringing. As he puts it, “My biggest influences have come from many different places, in and outside of music.” The list of artists that have left their mark on him ranges from hip-hop icons like Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000, and Lauryn Hill to other entertainers like Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, and Viola Davis. Through his art, jev. pays tribute to the diverse voices and sounds that have shaped his journey, and that journey stands above anything else for him.  

“What inspires me to create art is the process, from idea to execution,” he says. “I’ve always been in love with the ‘in between’ and the ‘figuring it out,’ the turning nothing into something has always fascinated me and inspired me to create because you never know what that ‘something’ will do and what impact it might have on the world.”

It’s jev.’s homegrown spirit and love for the process that makes all the aspects supporting his music so strong. With a self-created brand called LONER inc., jev. is putting on live shows in his area with other artists, distributing his project physically, and creating stunning videos to support his music. His creative process knows no bounds.—Zach Horowitz

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Abby Sage

Abby Sage

“Pool Party,” the opening track on Abby Sage’s sophomore EP The Florist, feels like an invitation. Maybe it’s Sage’s disarming lilt singing, “Kids can’t swim / They ask nobody / Just sink to the bottom and think / Off the deep end.” Or maybe it’s the bassline, which marches along as if it’s going somewhere you haven’t quite figured out yet. It’s a slightly eerie track with an equally unsettling music video (think: Ari Aster finds a pile of theater masks). “Pool Party” leaves the listener wondering what any of it means and wanting to know more about Abby Sage and the world of The Florist

Canadian musician Abby Sage started secretly uploading songs to SoundCloud in high school. Inspired by watching her musician father play the Toronto club circuit as a child, Sage would later begin collaborating with her dad on these early tracks. One day, in a stroke of serendipity, she accidentally released one of these tracks publicly. She attributes that moment – and the song’s positive reception – as “what sparked the confidence to keep going.”

Fast forward a few years, Sage signed to Nettwerk Music Group and released her debut EP Fears of Yours & Mine, followed a year later by her most recent offering, a 5-track EP titled The Florist.  

With its stripped back (in relation to her past work) production and repeated refrains, it would be easy to mistaken the songs on The Florist as simple. Play it through a few more times, however, and it’s clear how carefully crafted each song is. There’s an intentionality behind where every piece goes—every lyric, backing vocal, snare—that makes each listen different yet equally rewarding.

The Florist sees Sage come into her own as an incredible world builder and songwriter, although it may not have always felt that way during the recording process. “Writing this project I felt a lot of frustration towards myself, I wanted to scream,” Sage says. “It taught me to scream with intention. I envision screaming at such a low volume that people who want to listen gather together in this quiet little living room together, with warm lighting of course, to listen and scream back.” 

“I’ve always been taught to lead with quiet confidence. To listen,” she adds. “I wanted to create a world that felt safe but still explorative and curious for myself and for listeners.”—Madeline Quach

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AntsLive

antslive best new artists by Tom Emmerson

If you haven’t seen AntsLive’s “Number One Candidate” music video yet, prepare to be impressed, surprised, and likely to end up with a smile on your face. It takes self-belief for a rising artist to go all-in on a music video like this, but so far it’s paying of as the video for the bombastic rap song is racking up views and turning heads. It’s the perfect introduction—AntsLive’s sense of humor and self-assurance jumps off the screen in one memorable scene after another, while the backdrop of the stunning Italian Alps takes everything to the next level.

Directed by Tom Emmerson, the video was almost a year in the making and pushed AntsLive out of his comfort zone. “I had to learn to gallop a horse in Italy for the video so I think that is a pretty big statement,” he tells us, adding that the vision for the video was simply, “To make something as big as the song. The song is all about declaring I’m next up, so we had to visually match that.”

The rapper from North London has been making music in groups and solo for a few years now, but took things to a new level this year, kicking off January with his project Just A Matter of Time. Although “Number One Candidate” is the standout, the 9-track mixtape introduces a versatile rapper who weaves melody into his flows (“Matter of Time”) and can make reflective tracks over sparse beats (“Greater Good,” “Talking Stages”) as easily as he can deliver fun tracks full of boastful punchlines (“Lightskin Beatle”).  


As buzz is building in the UK and people around the world are starting to pay attention, AntsLive is staying focused. “People are now taking me in but life hasn’t changed much really,” he tells us. “Still in the studio everyday creating music and loading up the next drop. Stay locked in [for] another project, more shows, more movies. We really just getting started.”—Alex Gardner

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CLIP

CLIP photo by coughs for best new artists

Sometimes, escaping one’s hometown isn’t just a sappy dream, but rather a necessity. After enduring a suffocating life at home in Texas, CLIP took it upon herself to take a leap of faith—one that ultimately landed her in New York alongside a group of people who truly let her be herself. Now growing into the person she was always destined to become, the rising rapper is doing anything but looking back. 

“I’m a true believer that everything happens for a reason,” CLIP says. “All of my life, I’ve struggled with severe anxiety and depression to the point where it made it hard to simply exist every day. Now through music, I got my voice back and I’m finally starting to enjoy the beauty of life for what it is.”

Over the years, CLIP has amassed quite the following through being chronically online, doing modeling campaigns, and most notably, releasing music. Though she technically only has one EP out up until now, the viral success of songs such as “Sad B!tch” and “Calvin K” have resulted in multiple performances at Rolling Loud, numerous features across major publications, and a devoted fan base. Despite this blossoming audience, CLIP won’t let herself be limited by the expectations of her fans. “I’m really strict on making stuff that truly resonates with me. I take pride in being my raw, unfiltered self, so I really have no other option than to create what I see fit,” CLIP tells us. “It’s either that or I wont create, period!” 

It’s this idea of perception that lies at the center of her late-2022 PERCEPTION EP. Serving as CLIP’s first true body of work, the EP is a microcosm of what her music has to offer. On songs like “Happy”, CLIP glides weightlessly over a Drum & Bass infused instrumental as she details a turbulent response to love. However, on songs like “Lowkey,” she weaves in and out of a trap beat while enveloping listeners with an aura of promiscuity. Already, CLIP’s versatility is one of her biggest strengths. “That’s the beauty of this shit,” she says. “Music feels like a big world where people can do whatever the fuck they want.”

As she continues to forge her own path, CLIP wants to remind her fans that she’s always going to be there for them, no matter what. “I want my listeners to see me as a friend. I’m just a peer that drops stuff on streaming platforms,” she tells us. “I wanna be that comfort for someone when they need it for whatever mood they’re in.” As 2023 rolls forward for CLIP, there’s no telling what lies ahead, but one thing’s for sure, and it’s that CLIP is going to continue doing what she wants.—Shamus Hill

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Groupthink

groupthink by liquormeat photo

Drawing inspiration from past eras and blending multiple genres to make alt-pop songs that feel fresh yet nostalgic, Groupthink is on the rise. Growing up in North Carolina, he was creative from a young age with poetry being the biggest form of self-expression. This eventually earned him a scholarship to the University of Wisconsin, but it was after graduating, while living in Chicago, that Groupthink developed his musical skills as a producer alongside the focus on lyrics that might be expected from an award-winning poet. Now in Los Angeles, Groupthink is building momentum with consistently impressive releases.

In a crowded field of artists taking pop and indie rock in new directions, Groupthink refuses to put himself in a box. He explores different vocal styles and focuses on feeling more than anything else, highlighting the spirit of 2000s acts like Daft Punk and MGMT as a source of inspiration. Self-produced 2022 single “Guilty Pleasure” is Groupthink’s most popular release to date and serves as a perfect example of how he creates a new world with each song.

“We don’t want to spoil anything but we’ve been working non-stop, sleeping in the studio, working on our next project, called before the afters, that we think is going to change everything. Other than that, our upcoming plans are to adopt a cat and get a therapist,” says Groupthink, speaking on plans for the near future. For now, you can listen to the January released Miss Carolina EP, featuring collaborations with Carlie Hanson and Cybertrash.—Lee McIntosh

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Diz

diz best new artists

What’s most important to Diz when he’s making music is how it makes him feel. “If it’s making me feel something, I know it’s right,” he explains. For the 19-year-old rapper and saxophonist from Cambridge, Massachusetts, feeling is everything, as he hopes to have a profound effect on whoever ventures through his discography.

Balancing his time between studying at Berklee College of Music as a saxophonist and a career as an artist is no easy task, but for Diz, musical expression is interwoven into everyday life. In 2022, he released two full-length projects and a handful of singles, proving to be unrelenting when it comes to his craft. Though we try to stray away from comparison, Diz’s music fits into the same world of rappers such as Mavi, MIKE, and Earl Sweatshirt, namely through the style of production and the aura that clouds his verses—consistently rapping with a melancholy, pensive, demeanor as he reflects on life. 

Taking his tumultuous past and hoping to extract both lessons and meaning from it, Diz remains his authentic self on every track. the way forward is not the way home is his latest project, detailing his journey from the depths of misery towards the gates of his dreams. This dichotomy between the negatives and the positives is something that lies at the very core of Diz’s identity, and subsequently at the center of his music. 

One of Diz’s artistic goals is to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, John Wilson, who is a famed lithographer, painter, and muralist from Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. “He was like my father, and I really looked up to him a lot,” shares Diz. “He was able to comment on topics in ways that didn’t make them feel corny or forced, but natural, and I think it’s because he really let his life inform his art. I want to have the same type of effect in my art.” 

Only time will tell of the impact left behind by his music, but one thing we know already is that there’s true power in what he creates.—Shamus Hill

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Bliss Samsa

bliss samsa photo for best new artists

Born and currently based in India, Bliss Samsa collaborates on music remotely with producers in the US and UK, recording his vocals at home and working closely with the producers via calls and emails to hone the sound and execute his precise vision. Nathan Menon, who is behind the songs, has had other artist projects in the past but Bliss Samsa is his most fully formed expression yet.

“I’ve been writing compulsively over the last four years,” Menon says. “The stray singles that have come out are from the first and second year—I’d written so much but decided to water it down to four singles. If they serve a purpose, it’s to provide a sonic patchwork of what’s to come.” Those stray singles include “Father Figure,” a funky, bold introduction, “Cold Shoulder,” a moody, slower paced song that builds to a stunning crescendo, and the recently released “Only Me.” Other music that we’ve heard is closer to post-punk and new wave than the futuristic pop of the current singles, and Bliss Samsa’s own musical taste stretches far and wide, from The Knife to Young Thug.

“When I got kicked out of boarding school, I got homeschooled; now more or less left to my own devices, I felt disconnected with what was happening locally (musically speaking) so I withdrew to the internet,” Bliss explains. “This of course opened up endless doors from The Cure to Thomas Dolby’s work. What drew me to that world is essentially what drives me to make music: mostly a series of conflicting impulses. An intensity but in the same vein a tongue-in-cheek-ness. Theres always the temptation to take yourself too serious but falling back on contradictory emotions always produces the best work, Robert [Smith] is amazing at doing that.”

He adds, “I’m mostly inspired by things that happen in my own life: I never really referenced or thought about another artist when I’m writing/singing but if they peer out from the corner of one my songs, it’s wholly subconscious.” With a memorable voice and unique point-of-view, the Bliss Samsa project is bursting with potential. There’s lots more music on the way, starting with a debut EP coming soon.—Alex Gardner

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kurffew

kurrfew photo for best new artists

If kurffew hasn’t turned up on your For You page yet, he probably will soon. Last December, the artist started sharing his catchy, bite-sized approach to indie rock on TikTok, showcasing his skills through tutorials, memes, and clips of himself jamming out in his room. While he didn’t see immediate success, he continued to flood the platform with content. This dedication paid off in January when a video where he claims to have found his song “Lazy” on his little brother’s phone went viral. He didn’t stop there, and has since released two more singles, “i dont wna cry” and “romanticwityob!tch,” all while continuing to post TikToks almost daily.

Born in Malaysia and growing up in places like Tokyo and Jakarta before coming to the US, kurffew has been immersed in music for a long time. Inspired by bands like Nirvana, Oasis, and Arctic Monkeys, he began his career playing guitar in rock bands in high school, but it wasn’t until he moved to the US that he learned how to create beats and record his own instruments. Producing his music on BandLab with vocals recorded through Apple earbuds, his DIY process is what many on social media have gravitated to, intrigued by the quality of music kurffew is able to make without a studio full of expensive equipment. 

In his own words, “The kurffew music came to me about two months ago as I was sitting in my garage, downloaded BandLab, and decided to record over some of the beats I had been making.” His songs sometimes feel like a constant stream of sticky hooks guaranteed to get stuck in your head, and this, alongside the genuine emotion found in the lyricism and his endearingly whiny pop-punk style vocals, create a unique combination. This relatability is a major part of his appeal—you can’t help but want to see kurffew win. 

Engineering his music for maximum accessibility, kurffew has released his three singles with their own “haste” renditions, which are sped up versions of the songs. “lazy (haste)” takes the longing wails of the original and laces them with a Julian Casablancas-esque too-cool-for-school attitude, bringing an electric energy to the track and turning it into a slacker anthem. His songs are built to be replayed over and over until you find yourself hollering along to every lyric.

At the end of the day though, kurffew knows exactly what he is doing by releasing his music in this way. He joins the growing legion of young, talented, social media savvy artists who know how to cater to the new ways this generation consumes music. On surveying his success, kurffew is still looking towards the future: “Here we are today, still have a lot to figure out but grateful that people are enjoying the music this early on.”—Neel Shah

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Portraits of Tracy

portraits of tracy photo best new artists

Portraits Of Tracy is the artist project of Couren Bowman, an 18-year-old self-taught producer and multi-instrumentalist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who developed a sizable audience on YouTube with his elaborate beat remake videos of his major influences including Tyler, the Creator, Madlib, and Steve Lacy. The Portraits Of Tracy project centers around the character of Junie, an aspiring rapper navigating the conflicts and struggles of new found fame, familial trauma, and self-acceptance.

“I began making music at 6 years old [and] it was absolute trash! But at the time I wasn’t looking at music creation as art, it was more of a video game to me,” Bowman tells us. “For the next 9 years I began taking influences from all of my childhood inspirations and just trying to figure out the best ways to make them ‘me.’ My works in this period were extremely unoriginal but to me they sounded great, and it kept me going!” After years of evolution, Bowman’s sound came into focus and the first album was coming together, but he needed a name, eventually deciding to pay homage to a piece of music that inspired him, jazz musician Jaco Pastorious’ “Portrait Of Tracy.”

If there’s one attribute that many generation-defining artists share, it’s a talent for world building—a strength of  Bowman’s. While his discography boasts a versatile array of sounds, they all seem to take place in this universe Portraits of Tracy has carved out for himself. With colorful production, powerful lyricism, and vocals full of passion, this music is sure to evoke feelings of hope and wonder.

“Some of my biggest influences are Queen, Frank Ocean, Yes, Tame Impala, Phoenix , Beyoncé, Paul Epworth, Thundercat, Steely Dan, Beach House, Kendrick Lamar & Florence + The Machine,” he tells us, helping explain why he blends elements of indie, psychedelic rock, hip hop, and soul in his music.

He has tracks that are hard-hitting like recent single “En Garde,” with intense production reminiscent of “On Sight” by Kanye West. Meanwhile, single “Aeternum” has dreamy harmonies and quick, bouncy raps. His song “One Last Year” (a personal favorite) is an uplifting anthem that makes you feel like you’re ascending into the clouds or majestically swimming in a lake of glitter.

Most recent single “The Party” introduces a nostalgic side to Portraits of Tracy’s sound. Looking forward, he has been working on new music and is gearing up for the release of a new album. We’ll be watching him every step of the way.—Annabelle Kline-Zilles

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