By Jaelani Turner-Williams, Brandon Ousley, Colin Joyce, and Leah Mandel of Third Bridge Creative
In this week’s installment of our column featuring a few exciting emerging artists, we’re diving into a former Nickelodeon star turned songwriter, TDE’s secret weapon, a storytelling genius, Post Malone’s favorite hardcore band, and a tender country star tapping into our emotions.
Tayla Parx
Chartmetric Artist Rank: 18,551
Genre: R&B/Soul
Country: U.S.
R&B and pop singer-songwriter Tayla Parx wrote her new album Many Moons, Many Suns to heal from a called-off engagement. The Dallas-born artist, who’s written for pop giants Ariana Grande, Janelle Monáe, and Normani, revisited heartbreak through flowery anthems and heartfelt ballads. Among her new top tracks on the album are the sassy “Era” (258k Spotify streams) and confidence booster “Flowers” (589k), the latter of which was originally released in 2022 but still fits the world of Many Moons. The album, released July 12, is Parx's first on her independent label, TaylaMade Records, and her third overall. Shining brighter than ever on editorial playlists R&B Weekly, Pop Sauce, and Channel-X, Tayla has turned a broken heart into the best source material.
Zacari
Chartmetric Artist Rank: 4,745
Genre: R&B/Soul
Country: U.S.
California alt-R&B polymath Zacari rose to the spotlight when he lent his smooth rap-sung vocals to Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 chart-topper, “LOVE.” Since then, the Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) signee has appeared on the Black Panther soundtrack and codified several singles and EPs (2019’s Run Wild Run Free and 2021’s SOL) steeped in sensitivity. The self-proclaimed “lone wolf” released Bliss, his long-awaited debut album, on July 12. A sonic and visual journey into Zacari’s emotionally-driven style, the eclectic, guest-heavy project boasts the darkly introspective “Lonewolf Still” (90k Spotify streams), and the electronic rock-infused “Destiny” (59k). Hailed as “TDE’s secret weapon” by Hypebeast, the crooner continues to rise with 951k Spotify monthly listeners and placements on editorial playlists like R&B Weekly, Channel-X, and Vanguard.
Yaelokre
Chartmetric Artist Rank: 1,088
Genre: Alternative
Country: Philippines
Yaelokre — the multimedia storytelling project from songwriter and artist Keath Ósk — has taken off faster than the creator could have ever imagined. As the brittle, poignant folk song “Harpy Hare” rises on TikTok and reaches audiences around the world, they’ve written on TikTok that the sudden attention is overwhelming. The acclaim is deserved; though nascent, the project feels ambitious and, somehow, already fully formed, presenting a world of rich characters, vivid animations, and evocative folk songwriting. Discovering it feels like listening to Anaïs Mitchell’s folk-opera Hadestown, years before it was an award-winning Broadway musical. Fans have powered “Harpy Hare” onto charts globally, from the US to Ukraine, as well as editorial playlists like big on the internet, Limelight, juniper, and The Wilds. The world they’re building will only get bigger.
Militarie Gun
Chartmetric Artist Rank: 2,236
Genre: Punk
Country: U.S.
Los Angeles punk/melodic hardcore outfit Militarie Gun seemed to have come swinging out of nowhere. Suddenly, everyone was talking about them. Apparently, even Post Malone loves them so much that he tapped them to write his WWE 2K24 entrance music in June. Earlier this year, they also collaborated with Manchester Orchestra and Bully. And to think, they released their debut album All Roads Lead To The Gun, just two years ago — and this year they’ll be releasing their third. Their latest single, “Thought You Were Waving,” which sees the band leaning into their melodic side, racked up 217k Spotify streams since its July 16 release, and the band ranks #7 among all punk artists on Chartmetric.
Ella Langley
Chartmetric Artist Rank: 890
Genre: County
Country: U.S.
Ella Langley is an Alabama-born country singer with a knack for forlorn, earnest balladry that’s turned her into a sudden social-media sensation. Though she’s been writing vulnerable songs powered by cutting real-life emotions for a few years, her real breakthrough happened earlier this year with “you look like you love me,” a whiskey-warmed duet with country star Riley Green. That track has launched her into a new level of international acclaim, hitting #5 on Billboard’s TikTok chart and debuting at #53 on the Hot 100. She’s also appeared on popular editorial playlists like Hot Country and big on the internet, a sign that tastemakers and fans seem to love her too.
Portions of this piece are included in Sound Signal, a bi-weekly newsletter from Third Bridge Creative. Sign up here.
Visualizations by Nicki Camberg and cover image by Crasianne Tirado; data as of August 4, 2024.
