4 Underrated Artists You Need To Hear: Saya, Abigail Bleu, Jada Somiah & Maude Latour

I have and always will be obsessed with music. I tend to gravitate towards hip-hop and rap music, but I have a soft spot for r&b and alternative pop as well.

Over the last few years of using Spotify and loving the “Discover Weekly” playlist they give me each week, finding new music on Tok Tok and even through other friend’s suggestions, I have stumbled across some amazing artists that I need to tell you about!

I had the pleasure of interviewing three of these artists in today’s round-up. I am so inspired by their passion and the music they continue to create. Their sounds are all so beautiful and unique. 

Saya

Saya is an artist I found just over a year ago when someone I follow on IG posted her song “QT”. 

QT was recently re-released as it was featured in a new Netflix series called “Ginny and Georgia”. QT is a cute and catchy track that I couldn’t get enough of and it lead me search Saya on Spotify and listen to her other songs. 

I became quite fond of her single “Wet Dreams” and loved the “Sugar Coated” EP.  Songs like “Gots It”, “Flowers”, and “Slow Burn” are on a constant rotation in my personal playlists. 

I would say that Saya has a super “cool-girl” Madison Beer / street style aesthetic and I’d compare her sound to another artist I love, Blaise Moore. Saya’s voice is so smooth and you’ll be singing her songs in your head in no time.

I had the honour of asking Saya a few questions about her music. You can read my interview with her below:

M: What recent project are you most proud of and why?

S: I am actually most proud of my recent project that I’ve been working on for the past two years I think it’s really refined. It explores a vulnerable side of me I’ve never really shown my listeners before and it’s been such an amazing journey creating something so close to my heart. 

M: How did you get into making music? 

S: I grew up in a musical/creative home and had always shown interest in creating art in general. I started singing at a really early age but didn’t start taking it seriously until I was 14/15. I knew at that age that I wanted to create my own songs and release them. I did on YouTube and then as I got older I started releasing music on SoundCloud. Through SoundCloud I was discovered by an old manager who helped me get my first single “Wet Dreams” out and things kind of just took off from there! 

M: Who are your musical inspirations?

S: I have so many. I really am inspired by so many different genres and artists. I’ve always been a fan of music from the past. I like music that stands the test of time. It’s hard to just name a few artists...I get inspired on a song to song basis I think. Some of my all time favourite artists are Nancy Sinatra, Mazzy Star, Britney Spears, Micheal Jackson, Bob Dylan, Erykah Badu.. so many more!! 

M: How would you describe your sound/the type of music you make? Do people relate your sound to anyone in particular?

S: I find it actually really hard to explain my music. I am influenced by so many genres and I incorporate that into my sound. There’s really so many layers to my music. It's pop at the end of the day but there is so much more to it. I think my latest project is more alternative. 

You can listen to all the tracks I mentioned from Saya + more on this Spotify playlist I created here. 

You can find Saya on IG, Twitter and Tik Tok @sayaslaya.

Abigail Bleu

I found Abigail on Tik Tok and was insanely impressed by not only her vocals, but the perfection of her lyrics that she would rhyme off. She's created  her own verses for many popular songs like Say So by Doja Cat and Positions by Ariana Grande. She also did a beautiful duet version of Anyone by Justin Bieber.

Abigail’s original music such as “Better Than Alexis” and “Gifted” show that she has versatility in her style and I love the sound of her voice. Her sound has been compared to Ariana and SZA and I can totally hear it. I’m blown away every time I hear her sing!

I had the opportunity to ask Abigail a few questions about her music. You can read my full interview with her below:

M: What recent song/project are you most proud of and why?

A: I’m most proud of my recent song I did called “Wife This.” This song is definitely my favorite I’ve ever done. Pink Sweat$ and I wrote it together. The story behind it and the way it all came together is so cool. It’s just such a dope song. When I’m proud of a song I get so excited and I show all of my close friends and family, and believe me, we’ve been listening to it on repeat. It’s coming out very soon, so stay tuned!

M: How did you get into making music? 

A: I’ve always sang, and how I realized I actually could sing (as in had a talent), was by literally singing along to YouTube karaokes in my room when I was young. But I started recording music when I was 14. It was at a little studio not too far from me. You have no clue how exciting it was for me to be in the studio for the first time. My parents definitely encouraged me to get in there. It was a process for me to find my sound and know what sounded good and was for me but my first record was a part of my journey. 

M: Who/what are your musical inspirations?

A: I’m so inspired by Amy Winehouse, H.E.R., and SZA. I’m inspired by many artists but I love talking about what inspires me. I get inspired to make music by different things - a situation that I’m going through, a song that I heard, a picture I saw on tumblr, a movie I watched, a beat I heard - the list goes on. My mind is always running and music is my creative outlet!

M: How would you describe your sound/the type of music you make? Do people relate your sound to anyone in particular?

A: My music has a lot of r&b influences to it. I just love vibey music. I really tell a story with my voice. People tell me I sound like different artists but I know my sound is unique and I hold that close to me because I love sounding like Abigail Bleu. God gave me this gift and God made my voice unique because He made everyone unique. 

You can find Abigail on IG here and Tik Tok @abigailbleu.

Look out for her upcoming song “Wife This” on Spotify under her artist page Abigail Bleu.

You can listen to all the tracks I mentioned from Abigail + more on this Spotify playlist I created here. 

Jada Somiah

I became hooked on Jada’s r&b sound when I first found her song “Trust Fall” on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. I since then found her on IG and love her outer space / rainbow themed aesthetic and bubbly online persona. I have recently been digging her more recent tracks “Spaceship” and “Gameboy”.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jada and you can read the full Q&A below: 

M: What song/project are you most proud of recently and why?

J: I’m most proud of my second EP project called “Dark Matterz” because I managed to get it done after going through a rough process with my first EP “Space Love”. When I was working on my first EP I was going through a lot inside and outside of the studio while also working multiple jobs and finishing college. I started working on a couple of songs from DM after I graduated in 2019 but the songs didn’t have words or form until a year later. I wrote most of the lyrics and melodies for DM during the Summer of 2020 which was also a challenging time. However, the reason I’m proud of this project is because I released it on my own terms. I did everything on my own because I needed to take back my creative agency after my experience with my first project/ first songs. I’m glad I took that leap and have a project out there where I started it and finished it (with the help of encouraging friends along the way). 

M: How did you get into making music? 

J: I’ve been singing for a long time but I started singing in school concerts. I was also a commuter kid because my mom worked about an hour away from home and I went to school that far away too. So, I spent a lot of time listening to music or singing in the car with my mom and my grandma or my dad. When I was in fifth grade my mom and I learned about an arts charter school in downtown Oakland called the Oakland School for the Arts. I wasn’t excepting to get in after the audition because I didn’t have any formal training. I got into the school of vocal music and spent the next seven years at OSA. While at OSA I gained experience in choral singing, musical theatre, music theory, and solo performance of contemporary music and other genres. When I was a junior an a-cappella group I was in called Vocal Rush participated in NBCs the Sing Off Season 4. I was the second youngest person on the set and it was a very interesting 7 week long experience that actually lead me to question and ultimately revoke my dream of making music. After graduating from OSA I decided to study psychology even though I continued to do a-cappella at UCLA as a member of the Scattertones. After singing with kids as a camp counselor at Bruin Woods and with my friends in various bands and the Scattertones, I realized that music isn’t really something I’ve ever not made and it’s not something I probably will ever quit doing. I also realized I don’t have to do it in one specific kind of way. I don’t have to sign to a label. I don’t have to make anything I don’t want to make. So, I picked up a ukulele first and started writing in my junior year in 2017. Then at the end of 2018, I crowdfunded $2,300, picked up my roommate/friends midi keyboard, bought logic, and started producing. 

M: Who/what are your musical inspirations?

J: Growing up I listened to a lot of Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and anything that was playing on the car radio or from my dads Mp3 device. I vividly remember watching music videos all day by Aaliyah, Usher, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Destiny’s Child, and Lady Gaga. I was also obsessed with Prince and No Doubt, and a huge fan of The Black Eyed Peas and the Pussycat Dolls. I feel like the people I listened to back then definitely inspire me today. Some modern artists that inspire me as well are Solange, Smino, Daniel Caesar, Steve Lacy, Tierra Whack, Deaton Chris Anthony, and of course I love Mr. Ocean. I really enjoy the sounds in their music, the melodies, choices, and their aesthetics are killer. 

M: How would you describe your sound/the type of music you make? Do people relate your sound to anyone in particular?

J: I feel like my music probably sounds a little bit otherworldly because of the sounds I use and the way I go about making music. I like to call it space pop/r&b. I’m not sure about anyone relating my sound to a particular person but my friend who’s a sound engineer described my songs as little worlds which really fits the idea of space pop/r&b. Each song is its own type of space or little world with a lot going on. This is probably because I produce music like I arrange a-cappella music. Also funny story, I was working with a friend who showed one of my songs to a producer she was networking with and he said my music sounded like ADHD. That comment was for sure disrespectful but I was honestly surprised because I had been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in 2019 (I like the term VAST better). I’m proud of what my music sounds like. I love my little song worlds. <3 

You can listen to all the tracks I mentioned from Jada + more on this Spotify playlist I created here. 

You can find Jada on the following platforms:

IG: jadasomiah 

Twitter: jadainspace 

TikTok: jadainspace 

Maude Latour

When I first heard Maude Latour, I swore I was listening to Lorde. Maude is an intergalactic rainbow version of Lorde and her voice has a very comparable; lush and magnetic. Over the last couple years, I have fallen in love with many Maude songs including “Superfruit”, “Lovesick” and “Block Your Number”. They are songs that make me want to dance and sing along. Every single time!

You can find Maude on IG here. 

You can listen to all the tracks I mentioned from these artists + more on this Spotify playlist I created here. 

Let me know which song and artist is your favourite! 

Thanks for reading today.