I’m not sure about you all, but I rarely listen to the radio anymore because I don’t think it ever plays the best music. Sure, radio stations will play Taylor Swift, who is undoubtedly talented, but they’ll never play her best songs. This goes for almost every artist ever; the people in the business will pick one song to market and the rest are completely ignored. However, they are not ignored by me. I am going to share with you my top seven most underrated songs, some of which may be by common artists, some of which may be by artists you’ve never heard of (if this is the case, then this list will technically be including underrated artists as well as songs). Keep in mind, this list isn’t in a particular order! Alright, get ready for some top-notch music.
- “Erase” by Omar Apollo
-
This is one of those examples where both the artist and the song are underrated. First, Omar Apollo is brilliant; he has insane instrumentals on his track and his voice is absolutely incredible. “Erase” is one of my favorite songs by Apollo; it’s catchy, beautiful, and super relatable. I highly recommend adding this one to your playlist.
- “Rain” by Nicole Bus
-
Personally, I couldn’t tell you a lot about Nicole Bus because this is the only song I know of hers, but it’s stunning. If you’re into songs to listen to when it’s raining, this is the one for you, hence the name. Bus’ voice is off the charts and the background vocals in this song are haunting. On another note, although rain is typically soothing, this song has an amazing beat, so you could even dance to it if you’d like!
- “Tadow” by Masego and FKJ
-
You will, hands down, feel this song in your soul. This song starts with an amazing instrumental introduction that is smooth, jazzy, and so pleasing to the ears. One of the things I’m most sad about when it comes to changes in music is that people in the industry typically don’t like long introductions to songs anymore; they want to hear the first words in the first 15 seconds or they’ll get bored – I can’t relate.
- “Contaminated” by BANKS
-
BANKS is incredibly overrated!! Her singing style is so unique that it’s impossible for me to describe it, so definitely go listen to her. “Contaminated” is my all-time favorite song of hers. If you’re ever on a long drive at night, this is THE song to listen to. It’s a little slower, but it definitely has a nice beat that you can groove to.
- “Moi” by Lolo Zouaï
-
It was so hard to choose a song for this one because ALL of Lolo’s songs are underrated, and so is she! Lolo’s music is super fun and she often sings in French and English, which, in my opinion, is super cool and very satisfying to listen to. Her music is up the pop and R&B aisle, but it’s not like anything they play on the radio, so definitely give her a listen!
- “Like Everybody Else” by Lennon Stella
-
You might have heard of Lennon Stella; she sings that song called “Kissing Other People” that I think went a little viral on TikTok. But this song gives me chills. It’s acoustic and completely stripped down, so all you hear is Stella’s voice and the piano; it is chilling. The song itself is really sad, so I’d save this one for a bad day.
- “The One” by Jorja Smith
-
Jorja might be one of the only artists on here that could be considered not underrated, but I still consider her to be. Her voice is one of the best voices I’ve ever heard, and I think she should be world-famous. I saw her play live a couple of years ago and it was breathtaking, and since she isn’t selling out stadiums (I could not tell you why, I guess people just hate good music) the venue was super intimate so I could see and hear her perfectly. “The One” is my absolute favorite song of hers. Again, the instrumentals in this song blow me away everytime I listen to it, and when the beat drops, all bets are off.
And that is all I have for you! Please download some of these songs and give them a try, especially if you’re looking for a change in music. Once you listen to one or more of these songs, typically the streaming service you use will provide suggestions for other musicians who are similar which can lead you into a whole new world of music. Okay, I don’t know why you’re still here, you have a lot of listening to do, get on it!