Of course, the time has come to ring in a new year. Fireworks and a list of resolutions aside, that means more music, and in 2023, I discovered plenty that has me looking towards the coming months with anticipation. Here’s a roundup of artists on my radar in 2024 that should be on yours, too.
- Jane Louise
In January of 2023, I was sitting at a gate in O’Hare airport waiting to fly to California for my first semester at USC. To pass the time, I opened TikTok and began scrolling. My For You page has provided me with gems on several occasions, but hardly anything as poignant and raw as Jane Louise’s “where did all the good go?”
There isn’t a formula to a perfect ballad aside from one thing: heart. Jane Louise is only seventeen, but “where did all the good go?” has more heart and is crafted with more awareness of the human experience than songs I’ve heard by artists double her age. It perfectly conveys the dumbfoundedness that emerges after a breakup and willingness to betray all logic and bargain to get it back. It’s always incredible when a lyric leaves me speechless, and there is pure magic in “you said we were never in love, but I would have told you I was.”
The centerpiece of all of her songs is her voice. It is precise and it is agile, but her true skill is that she knows just how to utilize it. It soars over the acoustic guitar in “where did all the good go?” but is soft enough to evoke a sense of intimacy—like we’re listening to a personal voice memo or an undelivered voicemail. Combined with the soul-crushing lyrics, it creates what was one of my favorite releases of 2023 and solidifies her as one of the artists I’m most excited to see develop in the new year.
Listen to: “where did all the good go?” and “sanctuary”
- Tristan
It’s a routine at this point: Tristan releases music, and I text everyone I know and beg them to listen to it. She’s beyond a songwriter; she’s a storyteller. And each story she tells is so relatable that it’s hard to believe that her songs weren’t inspired by the dozens of debriefs between my college friends and I. The production on her tracks all have an atmospheric vibe that transports you to the exact moment Tristan sings of—when you listen, you’re living her experiences with her.
Her most recent release “tough subject” is a highlight in her discography. Released in the latter half of October 2023, it managed to secure the number two spot in my most streamed songs of the year after just a month of tracking. Candid lines like “Will you walk me home? / Or at least to the door?” in combination with the harmonies throughout the track create what is nothing short of a masterpiece that hits hard in the age of low commitment and nonchalance.
2023 was Tristan’s biggest year yet, with her new releases alone garnering 1.5 million streams on Spotify. However, her sophomore EP, IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT, drops January 12th, and it will undoubtedly thrust her into the public eye. Mark your calendars.
Listen to: “Keep That to Yourself” and “tough subject”
- Etta Marcus
Oftentimes, when I hear a song that catches my attention, it takes me about 30 seconds to process it. Then, I have to start it again and internalize it. “Theatre” by Etta Marcus had this effect on me and still does every time I hear it. It’s rare that a song is a journey, but “Theatre” takes you places with jaw-dropping build-ups and breakdowns. The lyricism conveys a sense of yearning and of admiration so deep it’s sickening: “I’m not flesh / I’m not blood / I am plastic / You are God.” Rarely can someone convey something so intense so simply, but Marcus hit the nail on the head.
It’s incredible that Etta has not yet been catapulted to stardom, as her tone is so unique and her music is so cohesive. In terms of development, Etta Marcus is a poster child. Some are merely musicians, but she is an artist through and through—her last three releases all have visualizers on her YouTube channel that show that she not only has a creative vision but also that she is more than capable of executing it.
As for her 2024 plans, her mini album The Death of Summer and Other Promises, will be available January 26th, and she’s embarking on a UK tour to promote it. There is much more in store for her, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll familiarize yourself with her discography now and brace for her emergence as one of the frontrunners in the Indie Rock scene.
Listen to: “Theatre” and “Little Wing”
- Leanna Firestone
Of all the artists on this list, I’ve been listening to Leanna Firestone the longest. When “Least Favorite Only Child” dropped two years ago, I found it gut-wrenching. When I went through a breakup early in 2023, her EP Public Displays of Affection saved me a little. The line that gives the song “Reincarnation” its title, “love is karmic / yeah, it works through reincarnation,” is beautiful; it’s deeply human and somehow, it makes one celebrate one of the most painful emotions there is: heartbreak. Matter cannot be created nor destroyed, so when love dies, it has to go somewhere. That’s a sentiment everyone needs to hear.
Public Displays of Affection aside, Firestone released a second EP titled Good Grief this year. Tackling subject matter from depression to addiction to and aging, Good Grief contains some of Leanna’s best. The second track, ESOEMOEHOED, is vulnerable, posing questions like “If losing me isn’t rock bottom, what is it? / Do you think you’ll die before you hit it?” But while the extended play is brutally honest, there are moments that are fun. Every adult teenage girl needs to hear Foreverever; personally, I am particularly fond of the line “Is it too much to ask to be hot and never have to apologize?”
Leanna just wrapped the second leg of her Least Favorite Only Child tour, but more music can definitely be expected in 2024, according to an Instagram post thanking her fans for over 30 million streams in 2023. It’s certain that her next work will highlight the masterful writing that launched her career.
Listen to: “Tourniquet,” “God and the Government,” and “Least Favorite Only Child”
- Amber Ais
Like most of the aforementioned artists, I stumbled across Amber Ais on TikTok. It was a video promoting her latest single “Don’t Make It Hard,” and while viewers don’t always translate to listeners, I needed to hear the full song. When I did, I played it again. Then again. Then again. It was on repeat for days and quickly found a home on several of my playlists.
Ais likens her sound to a mixture between SZA and Sabrina Carpenter, and that description is spot on. “Don’t Make It Hard” in particular rivals tracks from Sabrina Carpenter’s emails i can’t send with its delicate vocals and ruminative lyrics. The song chronicles the frustration induced by a lover’s lack of communication but still “[keeping] the door open,” which is something most of us can relate to, even if we aren’t proud of it.
In early 2024, she’s set to release the first part of her two-part EP Two Things Can Be True, and she has a show in London lined up for February. Two things can be true, indeed; although 2023 was a big year for Amber Ais, she’s still painfully underrated, and it’s about time that was remedied.
Listen to: “Don’t Make it Hard” and “Ordinary”
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