Her first track of 2021, emerging indie pop artist Taylor B-W showcases her cool-girl pop sensibilities and knack for rich alt-R&B notes on 'Nunchucks'.
The Sydney artist worked with producer Shivaji on 'Nunchucks', influenced by the likes of Kimbra, BANKS and Halsey to create a "no strings attached pop song"."The song is about giving up on a relationship; I've done as much as I can, there's nothing else worth fighting for in this partnership. So why bother?" Taylor B-W says.
"It's a no strings attached pop song: nothing deep, just fun."
For the accompanying music video for 'Nunchucks', Taylor took her creative direction from her love of '90s R&B.
"Having always been inspired by '90s music and culture," Taylor says, "including the bright outfits and cheeky attitudes of R&B female groups and artists like TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, Janet Jackson and Spice Girls, I wanted to give a nostalgic nod to that era by incorporating the '90s vibe into the whole look of the single."
Here, Taylor shares five female artists that may have slipped under your music radar in 2020, but who she is excited to hear/ see more of in 2021.
Ashwarya
I reckon she is Australia's answer to Billie Eilish. Her left-leaning, alt-pop first single release 'Psycho Hole' snapped me up in 2020 and I've stanned her ever since (she was my number one choice for 2020 triple j Hottest 100 – she was robbed!).I am a big fan of intertwining cultural roots into contemporary music, and Ashwarya does just that by melding traditional Indian music with hard-hitting, edgy synth-pop.
I am so excited to see what she brings out next and I will definitely be buying the first ticket to her Sydney show whenever that happens.
Iyah May
Iyah May was originally known as 'Mayah'. I was driving my car in 2019, listening to triple j, when I heard Iyah's catchy first single, 'Pray'.I loved it so much that I pulled over and looked her up on Instagram. . . only to realise she and I had already been following each other for ages and I didn't realise she had finally released music.
So it's been awesome following her journey. Even though she also released 'Tied You Up' in 2019, she hadn't released anything in 2020 because she was thrown back into the medical field, working as a doctor during the pandemic (which makes her even cooler).
But with a recent artist name change, I am so keen to hear what this means for her music – I have a good feeling it will be a big year for her.
Ivy Rose
I actually only recently discovered Ivy Rose a few weeks ago, when I heard her first single 'I've Been Watching You' on the radio, and I reckon she will be one to watch in 2021.Her voice sends shivers down my spine – if Stevie Nicks and Patti Smith had a baby with Florence and the Machine, it would be Ivy Rose. Even her name is reminiscent of the same mystical pop/ rock genre.
Although from Houston, Texas, Ivy Rose is signed to PNAU's label Lab78 after a chance encounter by Nick Littlemore, when he and his wife were scrolling through YouTube and came across her covers.
So I reckon Aussie audiences will hear more and more of her. If this first single is anything to go by, she is going to slam dunk this industry. I am totally intrigued by her.
Stevie Jean
This artist can always be found in my playlists – she is so young, so cool, and has so much potential, I need to hear more from her.I first fell in love with her indie, bluesy-roots tune 'December Song', which came out in 2019, and then she has just gone from strength to strength in 2020, with 'Bored' and 'Stress Me Out'. She reminds me of American artist Tal Wilkenfeld (another bluesy artist I am hoping releases more music this year).
I am really looking forward to hearing what else she has in store for us. I've read that she will be releasing her debut album this year, so I'm busting at the seams in anticipation. Check her out.
Samsarah
I've been listening to Samsarah for a few years now, ever since I discovered 'Beautiful Killer' in 2017. Samsarah is the real deal. Her voice is sultry and husky, and I love her old-school, rock-chick vibes. From what I've seen in videos online, she puts on a good live show too.In November last year, she released an epic single called 'Radio Silence' and I recommend you listen to it – the song will take you on a ride, twirling and tossing you around its Queen-esque sound. It was one of my favourite tunes of 2020, so I hope she heads in that direction and explores this sound more. . . and then releases it for me in 2021. Rock on!
Taylor B-W 2021 Tour Dates
Thu 29 Apr - The Potting Shed (Sydney)Fri 30 Apr - Croydon Lane Wine and Tapas Bar (Sydney)
Sun 2 May - Sunday Road Brewing (Sydney)
Fri 28 May - Union Place Hotel (Sydney)
Sun 30 May - Sunday Road Brewing (Sydney)
