Gen Z artists have more opportunities than ever to promote their work online thanks to easily accessible platforms like TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, and other social media platforms. Since there are so many singer-songwriters, it’s hard to find all of the talented artists in the millions of creators on all of these platforms.
The next song you find yourself playing on repeat could just as easily be from a small scale artist and not the Grammy God Olivia Rodrigo (all love to liv!). Here are ten (of many) singer-songwriters on this Gen Z Girl Bosses playlist.
Claire Rosinkranz
You might recognize this first name for her single, “Backyard Boy,” that went viral on TikTok in 2020. Since then, Claire released one of my favorite EP’s of all time — “6 of a Billion” — and singles like “i h8 that i still feel bad for u” and “don’t miss me.” She’s currently on tour with fellow Gen Z artist Aidan Bassett, and they have a new single together: “stuck on us.” Her music is super fun, the perfect anthems for you and all your single buddies!
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Ashley Kutcher
Like Claire Rosinkranz, Ashley Kutcher gained a fan base on TikTok. The Baltimore-based singer-songwriter released her first viral song, “Love You From a Distance,” in late 2020. Her newest single, “Love You More,” is what got my attention — and I’ve been taking in all of her earlier music since I found it. According to her website, she will release her debut album by the end of the year!
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Grace Yurchuk
Grace Yurchuk is a current sophomore at NYU. She released her debut single, “Need Me,” last Spring, followed by her debut EP, Footsteps on the Moon, in July 2021. I’ll be honest, I’m a little biased with this one — Grace is a vocal performance major, as am I, so I have had the pleasure of getting to know her in this life-changing year she’s had. Grace’s music is just like her: brilliant, inspired, and always brings you comfort.
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Seeing Double
Okay, so this is a band, but I am only slightly obsessed with their singles, so they deserve a shoutout. This band is composed of Allie Sandt, Michael Aaron, Ali McQueeney, Zach Torncello, and Dylan Travison, and they’re based in upstate New York. They released a double single, “Leah” and “Don’t Wait,” that you can listen to now on Spotify. To me, their music is the perfect cross between Fleetwood Mac-type rock and today’s “indie pop.”
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Rachel Chinouriri
I was drawn to Rachel’s music from her single “All I Ever Asked.” She released her first album, Four Degrees in Winter— plus a deluxe edition — in 2021. Each of the eight songs is as good as the next, especially one of the more popular songs from the album: “Darker Place.” Most recently, she released an acoustic version of her 2018 single, “So My Darling.” Also, according to her Tik Tok, she’s releasing a new EP very soon!
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
mazie
mazie, aka Grace Christian, is an artist i listened to based on a friend’s recommendation, and i will never stop thanking him for it. Her single, “spinnin,” is as fun as it is brilliant. Her first album, the rainbow cassette, establishes her musical style as fun and upbeat even though the lyrics are not always “happy” things. She also has teased her newest song on Tik Tok, “ur mom h8s me.” Her songs are seriously on as many of my playlists as possible.
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Sadie Jean
Sadie Jean’s single “WYD Now?” drew in a huge fan base on Spotify. Though it’s her only single on the platform, I know there will be more just like it coming soon. She also goes to NYU, studying at Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music! “WYD Now?” is the relatable story of missing your ex partner and wondering how they’re living without you. It’s heart-breaking and relatable, but makes you want to listen again and again.
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Maude Latour
Maude Latour has two EPs: Starsick (2019) and Strangers Forever (2021). My personal favorite of her songs is “Furniture” in Strangers Forever. It’s all about how to navigate social situations where you may have to see an ex; she describes feeling like she’s “melting through the furniture.” Latour’s lyrics are so conversational, you feel like she’s just confiding in you — or maybe persuading you to get on the “i hate my ex” train. Her newest single “Lola,” dedicated to her best friend, is out now!
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Avery Lynch
Avery Lynch got her start on TikTok writing short songs using comments from her videos. One of the most popular being the first bit of “Out of Love With You,” a song about having to break up with your partner because the love just isn’t there anymore. It’s heartbreaking, but a feeling we rarely hear in music. In 2020, she released her first EP, To Love Someone Else, and in 2021, she released her first album, As Written, Vol. 1. Most recently, she released her second EP, When It Ends. She described it on Instagram as, “a collection of endings that either myself or others I know have experienced.”
Spotify Artist Page | Instagram | TikTok | Website
Leanna Firestone
Leanna Firestone is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, TN who also gained a following from TikTok. She recently released her first album, Forward / Slash, and it is unlike any album I’ve ever listened to. All songs on the album start with a depiction of a situation or relationship, and then finish with how it ended up. Her song, “Google Translate / poppies,” is what drew me in. The “Google Translate” part is about her talking to someone new and falling for him, but she’s afraid to tell him in fear he’ll freak out and leave. The “poppies” section talks about how she told him how she felt, and he said they should be just friends. It hurts to listen to, I know, but it’s genius, just like the rest of her album.