If you have listened to the radio anytime in the last year or so you have probably heard a song by Bryce Vine.You may have not known his name at the moment but you will now!

Fig.2. Bryce Vine, EW

Bryce Vine’s real name is Bryce Ross-Johnson and he is currently 31 years old. He is originally from New York City but has since relocated to California to further his music career. He describes his early life as “humble beginnings”. Then Vine started to get into music at a young age and in order to pursue his talent he attended the Berklee College of Music which is a prestigious music school.

After attending the school Bryce Vine released his first EP which did fairly well. However, it was not until he released Drew Barrymore in 2017 he found true success. It was partially written alongside Julia Micheals who is also a growing pop artist. According to Song Facts, Bryce chose to write the song about Drew Barrymore because on tv and in movies she is always the sweet and cute girl. He wanted to focus more on personality than solely on looks. It was off of his first full album called Carnival . Personally I love the album for just chilling out and I think Pitchfork magazine described it the best by saying “The debut full-length from the “Drew Barrymore” singer isn’t designed for conscious, focused listening. This is music for poolsides and basements.” It reminds me of summer and driving around, blasting music with my windows down. In essence it is feel good music and everyone could use some feel good music sometimes.

More recently, Bryce Vine came out with the hit single La La Land in early 2019. It became most popular in the summer though because of its chill vibe and beat. It features the rapper YG as well which adds another effect to the. song itself.The song is about California culture and in a way it mocks the influencer lifestyle which includes Coachella and instagram photos. A common theme within his music is mocking the social media industry and the people within it.

As of now he is touring around the globe with his new music and promoting his album as well. Theres no new information on when more of his new music will be released but trust me, as soon as it is I will be sure to listen.

Fig.2. Bryce, Billboard

Today I am going to talk about Polo and up and coming rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Polo G recently found success after releasing his song Pop Out which featured Lil Tjay which very quickly went platinum.

Figure 1, POLO G, Polo

Despite his newfound fame Polo G has not always had it easy. He grew up in the projects of Chicago and within his music he explains what it was like growing up in an area such as that. In an interview with vladtv Polo explains that when he was a teenager he slowly became involved in trouble because of hometown influences and was arrested for drug offenses and even a high speed chase. When he was arrested again in 2018 he vowed to himself that he would change and now he has put all his energy into his music.

Polo G is the type of rapper that has much deeper meaning within his lyrics. In his song Through the Storm, off of his album Die a Legend he features his little sisters voice saying how proud she is of him. In fact, Polo G credits a lot of his success and change to the female role models in his life such as his mom, grandmother and little sister. In another line from the same song Polo says “Everybody go through something it’s all about preserving” which is related to him fighting through societal pressures and becoming a better version of himself. Another great song of his is Finer Things which is primarily about his upbringing and his personal struggles. It is a slower style of rap with a great beat behind it. He talks about how he nearly lost himself because of the pressure. My favorite line is “You got God on your side but it’s hard to do right.” In my opinion this line means that although Polo G is strong in his religious roots he still faces struggles both related to crime and internally which is something I feel many could relate to.

Polo G is a prime example of someone who was faced by pressure from all over but was able to make it positive and become and inspiration for many. At only twenty Polo G teaches us that we to have the ability to turn our lives around and focus out energy on better things.

Figure 2, Polo G, Pitchfork

Okay so I already know what you’re thinking, “Harry Styles is certainly NOT a new and upcoming artist” and you would be right in thinking that. However, Styles just released a new song that is just so unique and quite frankly amazing so, I just have to talk about it.

Fig.1, Lights up, Gulf News

I am sure you have heard his name before but let me give you some background information on Styles. He was a part of one of the biggest boybands ever One Direction which was formed on the British X factor in 2010. One Direction had massive success with their debut single What Makes You Beautiful and their popularity grew rapidly from there. After 5 full length albums and one member leaving the band announced in 2015 that they would be taking a break. Now it is end of 2019 and all the members have released solo music and there is little chance that the band will reunite anytime soon.

Fig.2,  One Direction, Cosmo

Styles has had the most success with his solo career thus far especially with his song Sign of The Times which hit number one on iTunes. His first album could be described as a rock-pop album and it was extremely well received even by those who were not fans of his former boyband. During this period Harry also acted in Dunkirk which is a World War 2 film. Many applauded his acting abilities and questioned whether he would launch an acting career. As of now, there is no new news on that, but fans can hope!

Last week Styles released his first single in nearly two years. It was seemingly out of the blue as there was no announcement of the release but it was a great surprise for fans. The new song is called Lights Out it is extremely different than Harry’s first album. It has a pop-alternative feel and the music video is extremely unique. The video is definitely more sensual. than what Styles has created in the past and it features a ton of extras. The lyrics also represent that Styles is a changed person who feels no regret for who he has evolved into. The question “do you know who you are?” is repeated throughout the song. Listeners can interpret this as Styles asserting that he has finally found his place in the music industry. Fans are still waiting for an announcement of a new album, but for now, I have Lights Up on repeat.