REVOLT is handing out roses throughout the month of March, honoring some of the many talented women, who are dominating the music scene. Coined “Ladies We Love,” the special airs tonight (March 23) at 9PM ET and highlights some of the many burgeoning female acts poised for 2018 greatness. For a sneak peek at our picks, see below.
Princess Nokia
Princess Nokia is the alias of New York City native Destiny Frasqueri, a rapper who is a proud example of individualism. Before coining her rap alias, Frasqueri went by many names, such as Destiny and Wavy Spice. Since then, she’s been making waves left and right. In 2016, she released the independently release EP, 1992, which received an updated version last year via Rough Trade. With three projects to her name, Nokia is now an international star, touring the States and beyond.
Jorja Smith
In case you’re living under a rock, Jorja Smith is the smoky new voice offering a breath of fresh-air in today’s music scene. She stole the show on Drake’s More Life (“Get It Together”) last year, won the Brits Critics Choice Award in December, and delivered another scene-stealing spot on Kendrick Lamar’s curated “Black Panther” soundtrack (“I Am”). Oh, and all of this comes before she drops a debut album. All that said, in Jorja, we trust.
Rayvn Lenae
There are artists who sing, and others who sang — as in connecting feelings to colors. The latter is where singer Rayvn Lenae fits in. Unlike other singers who resemble the sang category, Lenae’s vocals are velvety and supple, but all in all evokes emotion on each note. Her latest EP, Crush, is already a high watermark for R&B releases this year.
VanJess
Nigerian-American sisters Ivana and Jessica Nwokike, otherwise known as VanJess, have been drizzling the REVOLT TV sets with their silky R&B/soul harmonies for several months now. Their soulful sound and soothing vocals are some of the many reasons why they continue to be such ubiquitous faces in the R&B scene.
Leikeli47
Hailing out of Brooklyn, Leikeli47 is kicking in the door for the 1-8 just like the famous words of her borough’s lionized kingpin. Her latest project, Wash & Set arrived last year to rave reviews.
Kali Uchis
Kali Uchis doesn’t need your approval to validate why she belongs here. Like Nike, she just does it. Born in Virginia as Karly Loaiza, the Colombian-American singer has been wowing heads with her intricately constructed melodies and stance for some time. In 2012, she released her psychedelic melting genre pot, Drunken Babble, which garnered her fans in Snoop Dogg and Tyler, the Creator to name a few. In 2015, she upped the ante with the acclaimed EP, Por Vida, featuring collaborations with Diplo, BADBADNOTGOOD, and Tyler. Next month, Kali’s successive incline continues with her highly-awaited debut album, Isolation. In a lane by herself, the title couldn’t have been any more fitting. Beyond the stats, what makes Kali stands out is simple. As a songwriter, producer, music video director, and fashion designer herself, she proves on every occasion that by being herself, outside noise is non-existent. Controlling her position and steering her movement at her own pace, she’s a perfect example of empowerment. And if theirs is any doubt about that, hit play on “When the Flowers Bloom” and figure it out for yourself.
To find out the rest of our top 10, be sure to check out REVOLT’s “Ladies We Love” special, airing tonight at 9PM ET.