This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kent State chapter.

We all have our favorite artists with no-skip albums and unforgettable melodies…but we cannot expect them to be creating new masterpieces at our every whim. If you are currently waiting patiently for new music from your favorite artist, new artists with a similar style or in a similar music genre can expand your horizons while fitting right into your playlist. Here are five popular artists and five underrated artists with similar styles that you can obsess over.

Billie Eilish & ASHWARYA: I first discovered Ashwarya through Spotify and automatically added the first song I heard to my playlist. I later found out that all of her music is equally as exciting, and soon my playlist became mostly filled with songs by this artist. The 22 year-old Indian-Australian artist debuted her first single last July and her first EP, Nocturnal Hours, was just released last month. If you are a fan of Billie Eilish’s unique music production style, specifically in songs like “bad guy” and “COPYCAT,” you are sure to like Ashwarya’s sound mixing and beats. Although her whole EP is worth a listen, some of my favorite tracks would have to be “COMIN@ME,” “BIRYANI” and “PSYCHO HOLE.”
Lady Gaga & Rina Sawayama: If you have not heard of Rina Sawayama by now, you should definitely get to know her talent as she is about to make her acting debut in the newest John Wick installment. One of my favorite YouTubers, Michael Messineo, is a fan of Sawayama’s and pointed out that her career arch appears to be mimicking that of Lady Gaga. Sawayama is a Japanese-British singer-songwriter whose music style blends genres like R&B, rock and nu-metal with a bold pop through line. Her debut album, SAWAYAMA, was released in 2020 with one of her most popular songs, “XS.” Other favorite songs of hers include “Snakeskin,” “Cyber Stockholm Syndrome,” and “STFU!”
Ariana Grande & Victoria MonÉt: I believe Victoria Monét to be severely underrated by the general public despite her immense success as a songwriter for several years. Monét is most well-known for being a long-time collaborator and songwriter for Ariana Grande ever since her debut album Yours Truly. However, her work as a solo artist should not be overlooked. Her music speaks to freedom and sexuality, blending sultry R&B and pop. Some of my most played songs performed by her include “Moment,” “Experience” and “F.U.C.K.”
Frank Ocean & Jon Vinyl: From the moment I discovered Jon Vinyl’s discography, I was obsessed. The Canadian R&B/Soul artist creates music with a similarly hypnotic atmosphere as artist Frank Ocean, Vinyl’s with a unique sense of nostalgia. Although he has not released a full album yet, his discography is full of singles from 2017 to present that are all worth a listen. “Stacy,” “Told You” and “Sundays” are a few of my current favorite singles.
Olivia Rodrigo & Banks: At first this may seem like an odd comparison…but hear me out. To me, Banks is like a grown up Olivia Rodrigo with heavier, sometimes rock influence, who is finally having her redemption moment over the guys who have wronged her. Banks’ song “Beggin For Thread” rose to popularity and was certified platinum in 2014 with her debut album Goddess. Her most recent album, III, and her recently released single, “The Devil,” have the revenge/redemption arch and high emotion that feels similar to that of Rodrigo’s SOUR. Other favorite tracks from Banks that are reminiscent of themes in Rodrigo’s album include “Mind Games,” “Judas” and “What About Love.”