It’s easy to get caught up in the new blinding stars that enter onto the scene and blow us away with their new sounds. If you’re craving some seminal music that stands the test of time, then we’ve got the list for you. We’ve selected four of our favourite musicians – the legendary Queen Bey, the dazzlingly Miss Doja Cat, the illustrious Robyn Fenty, and stellar rising-star Shygirl – and will enlighten you as to why you’ll love the artists they look up to as much as you love them. We’ll take a look at their hero’s career and style, as well as recommend you an album of theirs that you should start with. Get ready to discover your new fav.
Beyonce & Sade
It’s sort of hard now to imagine the sensational Beyoncé before she was a sensation. However, there was, of course, a time when Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was not yet Queen Bey and known to the world as a cultural icon. In 1997 Beyoncé first rose to fame as a member of the R&B girl group Destiny’s Child who released five albums becoming one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Her seven studio solo albums achieved her icon status with all of them debuting at number one on the Billboard 200. She is now one of the world’s best-selling recording artists having sold over 200 million records worldwide.
She cites many artists as having a crucial influence on her sound and career such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, and the super sensual sophisti-pop singer Sade Adu.
“For years I’ve turned to Sade for inspiration – I cannot even begin to count the nights, days, hard times – when I need her – she is there, to inspire me, and brighten me. Her music has been a true friend, as all true music should be. Thank you SADE. Love, Beyoncé”.
Beyoncé.com
For those unfamiliar with the Nigerian-born British singer Helen Folasade Adu, known simply as Sade, she is the lead singer of the eponymous band and an incredibly influential soul singer with six stunning studio albums under her belt. Starting out singing back up in band the Pride, Sade formed in 1984 after her solo performances gained attention of record companies. Aailyah, Brandy, and Drake have all named her as an influence on their music with Drake even having a tattoo of the singer on his torso.
First-time listeners to Sade should start with her debut album, Diamond Life, one of the top-selling debut recordings of the ’80s and the best-selling debut ever by a British female vocalist. It’s impossible not to fall for her charms – her honey-smooth husky vocals aresoul soothing, the synth and sax create gorgeous drama, and the incredible lyrics paint stories of heartbreak and transport the listener to nocturnal 80s London. All nine songs are of the highest quality. Even if you haven’t listened to the artist, you may be familiar with the first track, ‘Smooth Operator’, about a fashionable womanising heartbreaker who Sade sees through. The song’s chorus and post-chorus are ridiculously catchy – you’ll be singing “Coast-to-coast, L.A. to Chicago” for days after listening. ‘Cherry Pie’, which describes a sweet love going sour, is another highlight on the album with clean guitar licks, breath-taking harmonies, and some very funky bass. It’s clear to see how Sade’s cool sexy sound has an effect on Beyoncé’s own musical style. With all of Sade’s discography holding gems, there’s lots to dive into if you enjoy her debut.
Sade is renowned for her super chic sense of style. She studied fashion design at Saint Martin’s School of Art and was a model before her musical career. Her outfits are clean cut and often B&W. Simple jumpers, suit trousers, sexy backless bodysuits, blue jeans, loose men’s shirts, and leather jackets make up the singer’s wardrobe – her look is timeless despite being nestled in 80s and 90s trends. With red lipstick and gold hoops Sade accessories her outfits minimally and effectively.
Doja Cat & Lauryn Hill
California rapper Doja Cat marched to the beat of her own drum from the moment she stepped into the spotlight in 2018 with her viral single ‘Mooo!’. After releasing three studio albums and a load of singles that hit the mark of pop perfection (‘Kiss Me More’, Need to Know’, ‘Woman’, ‘Get Into It (Yuh)’, ‘Say So’) she has solidified herself as one of the most exciting artists in pop music today.
Doja states an array of artists spanning different genres as influential on her work from her idol Nicki Minaj to Rihanna, Beyoncé, D’Angelo, Missy Elliott, Erykah Badu, and Jamiroquai. In an interview with The Honey Pop from 2021, Doja said that her mother’s music sounded like “poetry” to her and that one of the artists her mother would listen to was Lauryn Hill.
“My mom got me some albums when I was a kid, and they were Rihanna, Amy Winehouse, Beyonce, but she would listen to D’Angelo and Jamiroquai and Lauryn and Erykah… When she would play Busta and Lauryn, it sounds more than music to me. It sounds like poetry. It’s entertaining to listen to. And I was always really inspired by that.”
The Honey Pop
Dua Lipa, Britney Spears, SZA, Jay-Z, Nas, Lil’ Kim, and K-pop artist Jennie of Blackpink have also all cited Ms Lauryn Hill as influential on them. Neo-soul singer, rapper, songwriter, and producer Lauryn Hill is often credited as one of the greatest rappers of all time and as a key figure in bringing female rappers into the limelight. The New Jersey singer’s career started in 1993 when she starred in Sister Act 2 alongside Whoopi Goldberg. In high school, she formed the group which later become the iconic hip-hop trio Fugees alongside Prakazrel Michel and Wyclef Jean.
If you’re looking for a place to start with Lauryn’s music, Fugees’ second LP The Score is the perfect place to do so. Peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, it has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. It’s an absolute staple in the hip hop genre and has undergone a resurgence in recent years with Gen Z discovering the album due to ‘Ready or Not’ and ‘Fu-Gee-La’’s popularity on TikTok. ‘Ready or Not’ is a cold ominous track that stands the test of time and displays Lauryn’s prowess as a rapper. Their cover of ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ became their biggest hit – and for good reason with Lauryn’s incredible vocals touching the hearts of many. ‘Fu-Gee-La’ is super catchy with its infectious beat and chorus that invites the listener to sing along. Overall, the album displays everything you could want from a hip hop album with smooth flows, memorable beats, and excellent productions. Despite it being almost two hours long time flies when listening to it.
Lauryn’s only solo album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill released in 1998 is also an album any soul, R&B, hip hop, or rap fan is guaranteed to enjoy. With lush production, passionate vocals performances, and melodies that will grip you and won’t let go, it’s plain to see why the album won five Grammys. The concept of the album is airtight with Lauryn delivering several lessons through the tracks and the skits set in a school with the teacher asking the students questions about love and relationships. The album delves into several themes such as love, motherhood, heartbreak, and religion.
Lauryn is one of the key figures in influencing women’s style in hip hop culture as well as being a muse for the fashion world in general. Her style has been an inspiration for several fashion collections such as the s/s 2000 Dior collection, the 2017 hip hop collection by Alexander Wang, and the Menswear s/s 2021 Louis Vuitton collection. Associated with the revival of the natural hair movement, she is known for styling her hair in braids, locs, and afros. Lauryn’s outfits scream cool girl with her mixture of feminine dresses with more masculine pieces like sports jackets, bucket hats, and trainers. The pops of colour in her makeup and clothes make her always eye-catching. Whilst her look is a little less out there than Doja’s we definitely see the influence Lauryn has in Doja’s unique style.
Rihanna & Grace Jones
Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman Robyn Rihanna Fenty is an inspiration to many with eight acclaimed studio albums and 250 million record sales worldwide making her the second best-selling female music artist of all time after Madonna. Of course, she has people she admires herself and has Madonna, Mariah Carey, Bob Marley, Prince, and Janet Jackson as among her influences.
Grace Jones certainly inspires Rihanna’s style with Rihanna recently donning an ensemble very similar to Jones’ style throughout the years.Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox, Lorde, and Nile Rodgers have all spoken about Jones as an influence on their music.
The model, singer, and actress was born in Jamaica and moved to New York as a teenager. She started off as a model in the 70s before being signed by Island Records and releasing her debut album Portfolio in 1977. She really shined however when she ditched her disco sound in favour of new wave in the 80s. Jones’ fifth album Nightclubbing is the easiest place to start with her music. Though the album is genre-bending mixing elements of disco, with new wave, reggae, art pop, and R&B and therefore at first a little inaccessible to unfamiliar ears hits ‘Pull Up to the Bumper’ and ‘Demolition Man’ are sure to sway any sceptical listener. Slinky, smoky, and mechanical it’s a mood setter for a drizzly cold evening.
Jones has been a muse for designers Issey Miyake and Thierry Mugler as well as for photographer and artist Andy Warhol. Renowned for her androgynous looks inspired by gay culture she is often pictured wearing sharp suits, gloves, and a scarf headdress blending the lines between masculine and feminine dress. She is famous for wearing striking eye make-up, contour that accentuates her high cheekbones, a red lip, and her boxy short haircut.
Shygirl & Róisín Murphy
Our favourite new rapper, DJ, and singer-songwriter Shygirl has some varied influences – unsurprising considering her distinctive sound. The hyperpop nymph Blane Muse from South London, whose debut album Nymph dropped last year, listed Mariah Carey, Aphex Twin, Madonna, Rihanna, Björk, and Irish electropop singer Róisín Murphy as among her biggest influences in an interview with MTV.
Róisín Murphy has been making obscenely good off-the-wall electronic art pop, disco, and house music since 1994 when she first formed the duo Moloko alongside her romantic partner at the time Mark Brydon. If you want to dive into the band’s work a good place to start is their fourth and final album Statues from 2003. Since Murphy and Brydon had split before the album was made but as the group were contractually obliged to make another album Murphy handled most of the project without the help of Brydon setting the stage for her solo career. Statues is a buoyant energetic album that documents the milestones of a relationship before its disintegration with lyrics about heartbreak set to funky house instrumentals. Standout tracks are the grand ‘Forever More’ and the funky magical ‘Familiar Feeling’ although the whole album is perfect for hitting the dancefloor to.
As for Róisín’s solo albums, her latest Róisín Machine encapsulates everything that makes her so captivating as an artist. The nu-disco album features ten insanely replayable tracks all hypnotic due to the repetitive house beats and majestic spoken-word vocals. The album starts with the perfect dance track ‘Simulation’ which entrances the listener with the Daft Punk-esque synths and echoey vocals. ‘Kingdom of Ends’ is one of the best build-ups in a song with the track promising to erupt into a euphoric party at any moment but never quite delivering the satisfaction. The stupidly sexy ‘Shellfish Mademoiselle’ is a thumping rhythmic track that just oozes sleazy charm.
Although both Shygirl and Rósín Murphy are house artists their music completely differs with Róisín projecting an 80s-inspired deep house sound and Shygirl giving us house mixed with hip hop and electronica to create a cold futuristic vibe. Despite this Róisín’s experimental spirit clearly runs deep in Shygirl too with both artists bending genres to achieve new sounds.
Murphy described her performances as “a bit like The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in The Financial Times due to her audience’s tendency to dress up to mimic Murphy’s outlandish style. Avant-garde is the term that springs to mind when looking at Murphy’s experimental costumes that she wears on stage. Her looks are reminiscent of the 90s NYC club kids with boxy outfits in bright primary colours, Sioux Sioux eyeliner, and wacky concepts such as a yeti suit or a 3 headed headpiece. She can easily channel her sexy side too with her latex one-pieces and suits serving steamy coolness.
Words By: Molly Sutherland
