The Rising Stars of the LGBTQI+ Community
List Compiled by Thomas Atkinson (Editor In Chief), Bethan Eyre (Writer), and Peter Wellman (Writer).
With it being Pride month, a celebration of strength, solidarity, and queerness, we at IndustryMe have come together to highlight the finest new talents in this community. From hyperpop energy to honest anthemic rock, here are five up-and-coming names you need to start listening to right now.
Arca
Having recently opened for Beyoncé on her European tour, the name Arca continues to gain popularity in the music scene. This Venezuelan producer, DJ, and singer have been making waves since her 2014 debut with their own takes on electronic music, pop, hip-hop, and reggaetón. Their experimental music is influenced by gender identity and sci-fi to tell its own story. With four albums from their ‘Kick‘ series released in 2021 alone, there is plenty of material to get you into Arca during Pride and beyond.
Ezra Williams
Alternative, Irish musician Ezra Williams has recently found themselves being recognised as one to watch within the new indie-pop scene, following the release of their debut album ‘Supernumeraries‘ earlier this month. Their music is intertwined with stories of love and healing, always with a strong sense of identity present. 2020 single ‘My Own Person‘ was featured as part of the soundtrack to the coming-of-age Queer Netflix show Heartstopper. Their music is actively providing today’s generation with a space for connection and a sense of community.
Jules Paymer
After recently sharing a soul-baring single about identity and belonging, Los Angeles artist Jules Paymer opens up about living as a Non-Binary person in their recent track ‘The Daughter That My Mother Wanted‘. Their emotive, story-telling has caught the attention of Queer identities across the internet and has built them a solid foundation of support ahead of their forthcoming debut EP ‘Girls Will Be Boys‘. This was released today on the final day of Pride month.
100 gecs
Laura Les and Dylan Brady are a duo who are unlike any other. Their unique take on hyperpop influenced by rock, electronic music, and hip-hop makes for wild and chaotic bangers. Whether on ‘1000 gecs‘ or ‘10,000 gecs‘ they bring plenty of experimental bops to the table, collaborating with the likes of Charli XCX, Danny L Harle, and Skrillex. If you’re looking to have your musical pallet changed then 100 gecs is the way forward.
Onyda
Storytelling in songs is hard. To tell a tale both through the music and also through lyrics that feel cinematic and cathartic is something that someone with real talent can do. However, Onyda is very capable of that. ‘Queen of Duality‘ was their first EP and they have been on BBC’s Introducing stage at Glastonbury.
They are a Non-Binary artist from Stoke. Their music makes the most tear-inducing, gentle, gossamer-like vocals over their acoustic and almost un-flashy backing. Their music is personal and raw, with such songwriting grace.
The titular track of ‘Queen of Duality‘ is a tour de force of a song; building, and building towards an epic crescendo that hits. It then leaves an emptiness that sits like an empty hourglass. Furthermore, Onyda has real songwriting chops and a poetic approach to writing. It’s theatrical and so worth a listen.
If you’re a fan of hyperpop, make sure to check out the article on the history of the sub-genre.