As women continue to dominate the music industry, including sweeping the Grammys just a few days ago, there comes a new wave of smaller female artists. In this post, I delve into a few of my favourite smaller female artists to be on your radar for this year.

Alessi Rose

With her most recent release,” eat me alive,” being played on the Future Pop playlist on BBC R1, she is one to watch this year. Throughout her few records, she uses her honest and catchy lyricism, to explore the highs and lows of being in your twenties, which is already resonating with her fast-growing audience. However, she does not just talk about the realities of such, but the dreams and wishes too. Her debut single, ‘say your mine,’ talks about an unrequited love and what she wishes for them, if they were together -,’In my head we dance in kitchens’. I find that she takes that almost spoken-word poetry into her music, paired with incredible production. If you are a big fan of Olivia Rodrigo or Gracie Abrams, you will love her music immediately – as she takes that similar feel into her art, whilst remaining unique as a songwriter. A rising star for 2024 already.

Abby Cates

Abby Cates may be known for her uniquely beautiful covers on TikTok, but her own singing career started in 2021, with her debut single, ’RoadTrip’. A stripped back, angelic record where she expresses her love for so many beautiful things, but this person is the best out of all. Abby manages to use her strong songwriting skills to express this: “I love the sky so fiercely, still the thunder cracks,” and then finishing the verse with,” Out of all the things I’ve loved, my darling, the best by far is you.” A song you can listen to on your own roadtrip or in a cabin in the woods. She also keeps to a folk theme throughout her records, developing on deeper topics which is not always expressed in music but regardless, is important. Her recent single, ‘Rainbowfish,’ questions life, specifically with her past experiences with the church as a queer individual. On the track, she uses the comparison of nature to her experiences, “Then I am a hummingbird with gills like a rainbowfish.” As well as using the idea of a river to compare love and grief, feelings vital to life. “If love is a river, we’re all fools with buckets,” and,” If grief was a river, we all would be drowning.” Her truthful tone as a songwriter as well as poetic lyricism, is one of the many reasons why Abby Cates should be on your 2024 Spotify Wrapped.

Piper Dumont

The first song I discovered from this artist was, “I hope I dream of stars when I’m dying”, and I found her calm tone partnered with an acoustic feel, on the rest of her records. She expresses in the song all the beautiful things about life and people she would miss as she inevitably gets older, but in a way that feels optimistic. “Then brittle bones and movement doesn’t come like I’m wishing; I’ll wish for one more sudden dance in my kitchen.” A lyric that is also used similarly in her Spotify bio is,” But we all need a reminder when things go wrong.” As a detailed songwriter, she allows the audience to truly have these records in times of distress, to remind them about the beautifully small things in life – in a world of chaos. Paired with her comforting vocals, Piper Dumont continues to create records that are uniquely calm, alongside all her discography being self-written.

If you liked the sound of these artists, you can check out their Spotify pages below:

Alessi Rose:

Abby Cates:

Piper Dumont: