In the world of music right now, we have a lot more music being released and created, it’s very hard to differentiate the good from the bad- or the “fast food” music from the quality tunes. In the world of music longevity and replay value is the key to withstand the test of time. Think of songs like Journey’s “Don’t stop believing”, that song was released in 1981. Even though this song is 37 years old, it is still regularly played today.

Here, I will present to you five current musicians that will stand the test of time and be remembered for their work.

Kali Uchis –

Kali Uchis is a Colombian-American singer and songwriter. She is a genre-defying musician that can sing soulful ballads that sound like they could have come out in the sixties. She has been making waves in the music industry since 2012 after she dropped her debut mixtape ‘Drunken babble’.

Uchis’ vocal range is amazing and the variety of different sounds she projects is refreshing. She just released her new album ‘Isolation’ that features big names such as Jorja Smith, Tyler the creator, and Steve Lacy. It is great to listen to become a Kali Uchis fan. It is filled with catchy tunes and super melodic instrumentals that will leave one of her songs stuck in your brain all day.

Joey Bada$$ –

Joey Bada$$ is an American Hip-hop artist from Brooklyn, New York. In his early days, he was said to have brought back the “boom bap” sound that dominated the 90s hip-hop era. His first mixtape ‘1999’ was the project that caused such a commotion.  In the rap scene today, there isn’t much focus on lyrics and punchlines- Joey brings that and thought-provoking lyrics on every track he is on.

He has worked with the likes of XXXTENTACION, J.Cole, A$AP Mob, Post Malone, and countless others. His most recent project ‘ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$’ discusses topics such as race and discrimination against African-Americans and minorities. On the song “Y U DON’T LOVE ME” Joey starts as if there’s a toxic relationship then towards the second verse he reveals the song is really about the relationship African-Americans have with America. This album is way more melodic and genre-defying than a lot of other albums out right now. He is certainly an artist to watch that will be making waves years from now.

Tyler, the Creator –

Tyler, the Creator is an American musical artist from California. He rose to fame because of his controversial subject matter that turned a lot of heads in the industry. This helped him grow a big fan base, and since then Tyler has proved he is more than a rapper all about shock value.

He has made really big changes to his style over the years. He has matured gracefully with his audience and his latest record ‘Flower Boy’ is a masterpiece. He gets more intimate by including more personal lyrics that he needed to get off his chest. Not to mention this album has some of the catchiest hooks ever. It’s an engaging album and a great listen to get into Tyler, the Creator. He has also worked with people such as A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean, Mac Miller, School Boy Q, The Game, Pusha T, Kali Uchis, Pharrell, and Toro y Moi, along with many others.

Childish Gambino –

Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino) is a talent powerhouse. Due to his being an actor, comedian, writer, musician, and director, you have likely heard of his name before reading this article.

Gambino is from Atlanta, Georgia and he rose to fame through television but with the help of the internet, he gained traction as a musician. He has several mixtapes and three studio albums. Over the years he has rapped quirky punch lines and silly references to pop culture but has transitioned to now singing love songs and more mature sounding lyrics about his life. His song “This is America” started many conversations around the world, making him a big influencer in pop culture. His wide subject matter and variety in musical styles will make him an artist here to stay.

Jorja Smith –

Jorja Smith is an English singer from Walsall, West Midlands. She is an extraordinary singer that has great pitch and tone. Smith’s sound has a wide variety with an old-school feel. Smith’s lyrics are introspective and they take on many subjects that are relatable to the listener. The song ‘Blue Lights’ describes a situation in which the character is peer pressured into illegal activity and it’s sung in such a soulful way. Smith’ has received praise from other artists such as Drake and Kendrick, even getting featured on their projects: ‘More life’ & ‘The Black Panther Soundtrack’.

Smith’s Debut album was released on June 8^th, 2018. It is a solid project and has many catchy tunes. My favorite being “Lifeboats (freestyle)”. She has been compared to that of Adele and Alicia Keys due to her performance on the album. And I believe she is an artist to watch.

All the artists on this list deserve a listen and will continue turning heads with each move they continue to make whether it be in music or other business ventures.