Expanding “First On SoundCloud” with more creators and a new fan-powered campaign
Today we’re launching the next installment of “First On SoundCloud”, celebrating the unique moments when artists and fans collide.
As the home to more than 20 million creators, SoundCloud is the first place new music lands, where fans discover the next generation of breaking artists. Last year we highlighted dozens of groundbreaking creators who got their start on SoundCloud in a series of micro-documentaries and playlists. Now we’re surfacing even more fresh talent. Starting today, we’ll be promoting 20 emerging and established artists (including Flipp Dinero, OSHUN, DNMO, HappyBirthdayCalvin, Billie Ellish and IV Jay) in moments throughout the SoundCloud experience – making it easier than ever for you to discover and connect with more artists you love.
We’re not just giving more creators a platform. This year, we’re turning the spotlight on you, the fans who are supporting creators every day through your comments, likes, reposts, and subscriptions. We’ve captured other SoundCloud listeners’ moments of discovery and real-life reactions to help you discover your new favorite artists.
Dive into the list below to meet your new favorite artist and experience what’s next in music.
Rising up from the hip-hop hotbed of Brooklyn, NY, 23 year-old Haitian-American rapper Flipp Dinero first turned heads with his debut EP, The Guala Way. Since then he’s landed looks in XXL, HipHopDX, HotNewHipHop, Mass Appeal, and his single “Leave Me Alone” ignited the internet with the likes of everyone from Odell Beckham and Drake, to Kim Kardashian and Joey Bada$$ professing fandom.
OSHUN is an independent hip-hop and soul duo whose music combines digital and acoustic sounds, heavy drums and bass, and ambient harmonic textures. The duo met while full-times students at New York University where they released their debut mixtape ASASE YAA which has helped them amass a large social following and earned recognition in Rolling Stone, The FADER, Viceland, Huffington Post, NPR, Essence, and Vogue.
DNMO, aka Aiden Morgan is a 17-year old electronic music artist combining cutting-edge sounds and melodic compositions. In 2018 he made his U.S. debut at the Iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater supporting Zeds Dead, making him the youngest electronic artist to perform there. Today, DNMO is a part of the Deadbeats family and his music has earned major support from industry heavyweights, The Chainsmokers, Jauz, Rezz, NGHTMRE, Ookay, Alison Wonderland, and of course Zeds Dead.
HappyBirthdayCalvin is the 17-year-old Chicago rapper/producer who went from scribbling down his dreams word-for-word and penning poems in middle school to racking up countless streams on SoundCloud. In late 2018, he caught the attention of Peezy of At The Studio, an independent Chicago label where he’s released two, three-song EPs, No Friends 1 & 2 that have created buzz that has him slated to be one of the most exciting new acts on the rise.
California native Billie Eilish is a singer and songwriter whose pop infused sound first appeared on SoundCloud with the release of “Ocean Eyes.” With multiple gold and platinum accolades to her name, she released her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? in March of this year which has received critical acclaim and billions of streams to date.
South Londoner and Brit school alumna Jaz Karis’ luscious vocals travel between the soundscape of soul, jazz and hip-hop. Her debut EP Into The Wilderness features collaborations with Sillkey, Blue Lab Beats, Mike Musiq, Tinyman and Zulu.
Sevdaliza, the Iranian/Dutch singer, songwriter, director and composer, has a sound that has been described as genre-bending, pulling influences from electronic, punk, triphop, grime and the avant-garde. Her music mixes melancholic visceral vocals over beds of thumping triphop dubs and classical harmonies creating a sound all her own.
Twenty year old South Africa born and east London raised, BERNA is a rising U.K. artist hailed as a freestyle heavyweight with hard hitting flows, raw emotions and sharp metaphors.
Hitting the spotlight at the tender age of 18, Florida rapper and R&B vocalist YK Osiris got his start self-releasing his music online. His career took off when the remix of his track “Valentine” with Lil Uzi Vert went viral, and today his latest single “Worth It” is accumulating buzz, millions of streams and enjoying time on the Billboard Hot 100.
IV Jay, the 16-years old R&B singer/songwriter also known as Jaylynn hails from Paterson, New Jersey. A trained dancer of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Colombian descent, she had dreams of becoming a prima ballerina before recognizing her love of music and connecting with millions of fans on social media via covers of Alicia Keys’ “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready), among others. She is slated to release her debut EP entitled IV in the fall.
Candace Camacho, born and raised in Queens, New York, is the Afro-Latinx artist, duendita. Her soulful, deep, jazzy sound channels a sentimental blend of life experiences which can be heard in her debut album direct line to My Creator.
With his ability to seamlessly blur the lines between pop, hip-hop, electronic and soul, Quinn XCII’s standout single “Straightjacket,” has accumulated more than 70 million streams globally to date. His sophmore album, From Michigan With Love, features collaborations with Jon Bellion, Elohim, Yoshi Flower, Noah Kahan, Ashe and Louis Futon and serves as a deeper dive into who he is as an artist–while therapeutically unleashing his inner thoughts and battles with anxiety and mental health.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Lor Choc’s personal fusion of raw lyrics over R&B melodies and trap beats have earned her coverage in Complex, The FADER, Pitchfork and more. Inspired by India Arie, Lauryn Hill and Jay-Z, the soulful Choc recently released her latest full length album Love is Love.
Rising singer/rapper Teddy combines raw and authentic guitars with bass heavy rap beats and snarling vocals for a sound that cannot be defined with traditional genre classifications. Best known for his collaborations with producers Smokeasac and Canto, his previous works have received acclaim from the likes of Beats 1, AltPress, Brooklyn Vegan and more–paving the path for his self-titled debut coming out on Friday.
Vanessa Ortiz, also known as Ness Heads, makes music that defies categorization. Her melodic instincts, powerful stage presence and lyrical prowess have made her a rising star in the Chicago scene. Her songs feature a signature blend of pop and hip-hop vibes, with lyrics that stick in your head like glue. Ness Heads grew up playing the piano and saxophone, which is evident in her ear for melody, and is yet another example of the powerful and talented female MCs coming to define the Chicago hip-hop scene right now.
GRiZ, born Grant Kwiecinski, is a Michigan-born electronic music producer and musician who describes his sound as “future funk.” With a saxophone in hand, his glitchy, energetic tracks with booming dubstep bass and elements of jazz, hip-hop, and soul come to life in concert via a 15-piece live band. In April 2019, GRiZ issued his star-studded sixth album Ride Waves, which featured help from Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Bootsy Collins, and many more.
New artist, Ruuth, is an indie-pop singer songwriter from the northern island of Wyk auf Föhr in Germany. Her debut single “All About,” released in 2018 hit #1 on blog aggregator Hype Machine, and has received press accolades from the likes of WeFoundNewMusic, Indie Shuffle, ZEIT Magazin, and more.
LA-based singer/songwriter Delacey started writing songs and playing piano at age seven and eventually lent her lyrical prowess to The Chainsmokers’ “New York City,” Halsey’s #1 single “Without Me” and many more. Her first album (produced by Ido Zmishlany in Brooklyn) is an authentic exploration of self-awareness grounded in soulful instrumentation and sharp storytelling; you can get a glimpse of what’s to come with the melodic-pop single, “My Man,” out now.
Daniel Morales, known by his stage name Danny Ocean, is an independent singer, songwriter and record producer born in Venezuela who now resides in Miami, Florida. Before dropping his self-produced debut album 54+1 in March, Ocean climbed the Latin charts with his hit song “Me Rehúso,” and the English version called “Baby I Won’t.”
Grammy-nominated dance music DJ, producer and label owner Mark Knight is the second highest-selling Beatport artist of all-time (with no less than eight No.1’s). His career has spanned more than a decade, with releases on a diverse range of labels such as Suara, 1605, Stereo and of course his own Toolroom.