"Who the fuck is Lauren Ruth Ward?” reads the descriptive text teasing the 31-year-old American singer and guitarist’s website. Ward is a firecracker, a Scorpio, a water sign. What do Maggie Rogers, Father John Misty, and Lauren Ruth Ward have in common? Their voices read like anachronisms, under-processed, floral, not limited to modernity or copying what came before. They make music that’s difficult to place but electric to absorb. What’s more, all three artists hail from Maryland, a state that isn’t classically associated with rock music, and one that also happens to be where I grew up. On the Mason-Dixon line, this is a place where country music is charred with a rock sensibility, or in the case of Ward, rock is infused with a smokey folk flavor. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Ward, who rocks Angel Olsen bangs and tie-dye hair, worked as a hairdresser in her native town of Baltimore. “Water Sign” is a song that you feel throughout your whole body. “I'm living in my personal hell / I don't need your ammunition / Everybody say ‘Oh, I can tell’ / Can only see my own vision,” drawing out the last syllables into a growl. Ward sings of emotional volatility: being vulnerable to the moods and actions of people trying to swerve into her left lane. Single lines speak volumes, with punctuated pauses and Ward’s sharp tongue (“I did it my sentence it was cruel but I finished it”). If you’re in New York, don’t miss Ward’s upcoming show at Rough Trade in April.

"holy terrain" marks FKA twigs' second single leading up to her much anticipated sophomore album, Magdalene. The trap-gospel positions twigs at the center of her own creation story as she attempts to find a man to stand by her in a world marked by the tragedy of sin. "Take me to a deep river / Steal a kiss when I'm lost in the mist" equates the new relationship to a baptismal rebirth. In conversation with her is Future in the role of her lover atoning for his past failures. He needs her to "Pray for my sins, make me stronger where I'm weak." "I love when he gets emo," twigs said of Future. "It’s just so beautiful when he opens up." Production is led by Skrillex's prowess and the ever-ubiquitous Jack Antonoff, who are both credited as co-writers though the story is twigs' own. Having recently experienced heartbreak she described as "all-encompassing," twigs has also been forthcoming about laparoscopic surgery in 2018 that caused her to "doubt if my body would ever feel the same again." "holy terrain" proves that she has found power and respect in her body once again. Magdalene is due out October 25 via Young Turks.

After releasing her debut album, You & I, in 2017, ALA.NI’s listenership went international, spreading from France to Germany to Turkey to the United States. The genre-defying singer was born in London and is currently based in Paris and after two years, she is releasing her second album. The lead single, “Sha La La,” provides a stunning and delicate example of all of ALA.NI’s signature traits. The track is mainly made up of vocals—typical of the artist, who typically favors a cappella or the slightest hint of instrumentation. Her voice can do anything; it reaches high and clear, drops to low and rumbling, and acts as percussion when needed. The effect is accomplished through an intricate layering of countless vocal tracks, so everything you are hearing is pure ALA.NI. Similarly, her lyrics are earnest, telling exactly what she is feeling: “All you told me really was a lie / It hurt me / Darling, you hurt me.” The song tells us a story of betrayal and walks us through the break-up and the struggle to move on. The melody, however, is upbeat and airy and the few instruments that are introduced are understated, bobbing contently along with the vocals. The juxtaposition leaves a wistful and bittersweet mark, as do her final, lovesick lines: “If I see you at a party / just dance with me / say you’ll still dance with me.” “Sha La La” is the first taste of ALA.NI’s upcoming sophomore album, ACCA.

Hop in the car, roll the windows down, and be transported back to warmer summer days with Jelani Aryeh’s new track “The Garden.” With the perfect blend of R&B and bedroom pop, this dreamy tune will have you hooked and wanting to hear more from the San Diego artist, whose musical influences include BROCKHAMPTON, Frank Ocean, Rex Orange County and Childish Gambino. His heartfelt lyrics, refined electronic production and catchy hooks make it hard to believe Aryeh is not yet 20 years old. Since the release of his debut EP Suburban Destinesia in 2017, Aryeh has dropped multiple singles, all of which have the same alternative suburban-pop vibe that is unique to his sound. If you love his music as much as we do, catch Jelani Aryeh live at Chelsea Music Hall on Thursday, September 26 alongside beabadoobee, Gabriel Black and KennyHoopla.

While known for her futuristic production and stories of extravagant parties, British pop aficionado Charli XCX reaches new heights on "Official," a love letter to the person you're with when the party's over. She seems embarrassed to broach the idea of going official, toeing the line of hope and fear. "Look at us, isn't it obvious?" she asks: though she shouldn't have to, for someone as bold and brash as Charli, showing her emotional side is a terrifying concept. "Is it so dangerous? Is it so complicated?" Simple keys and a luminescent synth build in the chorus put her fragile vocals at the forefront, with the touch of autotune acting as a final barrier to protect her from feeling fully exposed. The song's earnest bridge is its highlight, as she insists, "Maybe the sky might not always be blue / All of my wishes will never come true / It doesn't matter 'cause I’m here with you." Long-time collaborator A.G. Cook pushed to have the track on her new record, where Charli felt it was too out-of-character. While it seemed Charli XCX could only shake up pop conventions by getting weirder, stripping things back turned out to be the most gratifying surprise of all.

Florida native Sierra Kay, known for her previous work in bands like Neaux and VersaEmerge, has spent the last few years on a quest for self-exploration. During her travels from NYC to Tennessee, Sierra has been creating a collection of hyper-personal songs about the inevitable heartaches of being a restless and rowdy woman who won’t settle down. These songs have morphed into Sierra’s new project, Bad Daughter. The band’s first single, the free-spirited and bittersweet “I’m Too Much” offers a glimpse at what this new endeavor will bring. The song toes the line between dreamy Americana and earthy folk with Sierra’s crystalline vocals and earnest, self-deprecating lyrics front and center. With one foot planted in the realm of indie rock and the other in the world of alt-country, Bad Daughter should be on everyone’s radar this coming year.

“House Show’ by Frames is meant for windows-down, hair-blowing driving. A bubble gum beat perfectly complements her soft, poppy voice. Underneath the lovely vocals, understated but powerful guitar strums lead the song along. Though maintaining the same love-stricken lyrics, Frames’s most recent release has a more upbeat, bubbly vibe than her past songs. Her most recent of just three songs, “House Show” is crazy catchy. Having recently joined Philly independent label Know Hope Records, we can expect—and desperately hope—for more releases.