Women to Watch For

By Aaliyah Hamilton
Music Journalist

Behind some of the biggest songs of recent years is the genius of a woman. Some women in particular have taken their talent from behind the scenes and established themselves as artists in the spotlight,  so in honor of International Women’s Month, here is a list of women who deserve recognition for their artistry.

Victoria Monet

Starting this list off strong is Victoria Monet, who has produced and written songs for big names such as Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony and Machine Gun Kelly. While she’s been helping other artists for over a decade, she didn’t release her first single and EP until 2014. Since then, she has released three studio albums, with her most recent being Jaguar, which was released in 2020. Jaguar is infused with funk and disco elements, with vocals that are similar to those of her frequent collaborator and friend, Ariana Grande. The track that seems to be the most uplifting would be “*ss Like That,” where she can be heard singing about how she is utterly confident about her figure.

Syd

While originally a member of the alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future, Syd is also a self-taught producer, engineer, and recording artist. After touring with the Odd Future collective as their DJ, she went on to help form the band The Internet, where she was the lead vocalist. While still working on projects with the band, she also releases solo music of her own. With her soft and silky voice, her album Broken Hearts Club is a full-on collection of mellow tracks for a total of 38 minutes and 55 seconds. A perfect staple of the album would be “Fast Car,” which feels like a modern-day Prince record.

Ravyn Lenae

In a genre that is no longer as prominent as it used to be, Ravyn Lenae creates neo-soul records for a modern audience. Her first full-length album, Hypnos, was released this past May and has received positive critical acclaim. Each track contains ethereal harmony after harmony that can be compared to the likes of Aaliyah. The best example where these harmonies can be heard is “Skin Tight,” which includes a feature from Steve Lacy.

Jenevieve

With Wonderland Magazine calling her the singer-songwriter “who could be the love child of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson,” Jenevive is a newer artist on the scene, with her first song “Medallion” only dropping in 2020. A year later, she went on to release her debut album, Division, which has the perfect blend of old-school soul and new-wave R&B. While it’s hard to choose a favorite from the album, the track that stands out the most to me is “Crybaby,” with a production that was created so dreamily to really showcase her vocals.