Commanding yet soft. Sensual yet explicit. Jhene Aiko is the kind of artist that can do it all. She’s a ball of talent that rolls wherever she wants to take you, and she’s created a new wave of R&B along the way. Soft and soulful, Aiko’s soprano cuts through the quiet. She’s ambitious and driven,…
Expression and transformation. These are two words that come to mind when Wiz Khalifa is on the table. Born Cameron Jibril Thomas on September 8, 1987, the rapper from North Dakota seems to constantly turn the tables—revolving the stakes, changing the game. There’s no song in his category that’s even remotely the same from the…
Ellie Goulding is an English singer-songwriter who rose to success in the 2010s. So far, she has released just four studio albums. However, Goulding has nonetheless had a respectable number of hits. 10. Outside Goulding has performed a considerable number of songs with other artists. To name an example, there is “Outside,” which wasn’t her…
The feats of Elton John are almost too unbelievable to comprehend. In addition to the 300 million-plus records sold, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998. Sir Elton is also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame (with Bernie Taupin) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The list goes exhaustingly…
Atlanta-based rapper 2 Chainz is many artists rolled into one. He gets it done with solid trap hits, but he can also pull off traditional southern rap unlike the rest. Born Tauheed K. Epps in College Park, Georgia, 2 Chainz has established himself as a hitmaker over the last couple of decades. His studio albums…
Singer, songwriter, and music producer Anthony Hamilton may have managed to stay under the radar all these years, but it doesn’t mean he’s not successful. Considered by many to be one of soul and R&B’s greatest, Hamilton is the kind of artist that creates music that endures. His smooth style and flawless crooning is truly…
American country artist, Blake Shelton, was already a star in the making as the Oklahoma native when he began playing the guitar and singing by the age of twelve years old. As a teenager, he was already writing songs, which some of its material came from coping with the loss of his older brother, who…
Monogamy might be the key to a happy marriage, but when it comes to great songs, there’s no beating a good love triangle. Cheaters, homewreckers, heartbroken victims… whichever end of the triangle a song uses for its inspiration, you can be assured of a ton of emotion, a splash of intrigue, and enough regret to…
Tom Waits isn’t an artist who’s ever courted mainstream success. Which is just as well, as he’d have been bitterly disappointed if he had. With the odd exception, his albums have rarely made the slightest dent in the charts, while his singles have fared similarly poorly. But commercial success isn’t the yardstick by which to…