Upcoming Artist Alert!
Suzi Wu and Wiley from Atlanta
Suzi Wu
Suzi Wu is a vivacious 20-year old singer hailing from Blackpool, a little seaside town in Northern England. In 2017, she released four-track project Teenage Witch EP which displays a minimalist half body mirror selfie of her on the cover. Since then, she’s come out with the track “Grim Reaper” in 2018, and “Error 404” a year later. While her discography is not the most extensive, Suzi Wu is an authentic character who has a distinct sound. Her intermingling of animated pop and dramatic punk produce an illuminated and unapologetic sound.
Her latest track, “Error 404” was released February 22, 2019 with a music video exquisitely mirroring the song’s kaleidoscopic essence. In addition, the video’s colorful visuals, distorted shots and stylized graphics fit the song inimitably. The track begins with a chant of the word “bloodshot” and dissolves into a structured four-beat rhythm almost until the very beginning of the chorus. The title track off Teenage Witch EP, “Teenage Witch,” is a nice intro to the short and sweet project. A knotty speaking voice, heavy instrumentation, and a lustrous rhythm make this song a fun tune.
The second track off the EP is “Taken Care Of.” This track’s catchy chorus goes: “Mama Papa love me/I think so anyway/Mama Papa love me/At least that’s what they say.” Unsurprisingly, the song’s music video fits its charm greatly. Then listeners get to the third song, “Jockey Full of Bourbon,” which has a wavy, disco beat. While this song does not depict Suzi’s most refined lyrical abilities, it’s still a cool track that tells the story of someone making drunk decisions at night, as it seems, because one can never fully differentiate the line between figurative versus literal language when it comes to lyrics.
The last track, “Speed,” is probably the most laid back tune because of its dreamlike and soft sound, with the help of buttery electric guitar riffs and haunting backing vocals.
Suzi Wu’s zesty and abstract sound is utterly refreshing as it blurs the lines between conventional pop and messy punk. Her creativity shines simultaneously within her and her music, and it’s exciting to see what she will bring next to the table.
Wiley from Atlanta
Will Bryant, known artistically as Wiley from Atlanta is an artist that ties aerial hip hop with relaxed R&B to craft his own sound, simultaneously including elements of pop and a dust of autotune to the mix. In 2017, Wiley released two singles, “90 Days” and “Paper Planes.”
The following year, he came out with demo 001 and demo 002 which each include one song in both a demo/studio and live version. Perhaps Wiley did this to offer a studio sound but also a more intimate and acoustic style of each song too.
This year, he has released two singles, “It Rains” and “Blood Orange.” demo 001 features the track “Pink Skies,” in its two versions. In “Pink Skies (Demo),” Wiley delivers a soft hymn that is slightly reminiscent of a lullaby throughout the whole song. It’s the perfect track to play on the way to the beach or mountainscape.
Wiley from Atlanta is an innovative artist who is definitely worth a listen because of his intimate presence in some of his songs–especially the “live” versions of “Pink Skies” and “Pressure” off demo 001 and demo 002.
The editor may be reached at
[email protected]
