We understand, with the number of albums Taylor Swift released this year, you’ve found yourself listening 24/7, and now you’re looking for a way to make Spotify Wrapped a little more interesting for next year.
We’ve made a list of mostly upcoming artists who have taken inspiration from Taylor and even sometimes reference her in their work. Have a listen, and I’m sure you’ll discover something to add to your playlist.
1. Maisie Peters
Maisie started her career as an independent artist, taking inspiration from singer-songwriter artists like Ed Sheeran.
She has always been open about how much she has looked up to Taylor. Her perfectly crafted lyrics usually touch on themes of heartbreak, growing up and body image. When opening up to Rolling Stone in an interview, she says “I’m obsessed with the almost,”
“All those moments, I think, make for interesting music and also feel very female as well.”
I would recommend you listen to: ‘You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man)’ for a cheeky Taylor reference maybe. Along with ‘Lost The Breakup’ and ‘Wendy’.
2. Holly Humberstone
Holly recently dropped her debut album, which solidified her alternative/pop sound. Paint My Bedroom Black is an exploration of finding yourself in your twenties. The album was reportedly written by Holly on the road as she traveled, building her career. Her intimate, letter-style lyrics are sure to be popular amongst Swifties.
In her track ‘Antichrist’, she rhetorically mentions “I’m the problem” which could be a reference to Taylor’s song ‘Anti-hero’ which frequently mentions, “I’m the problem it’s me”. The songs even have the same tone and deeper meaning.
I would recommend you listen to: ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel,’ ‘Lauren,’ ‘Kissing In Swimming Pools’.
3. Gracie Abrams
Gracie launched into the success of ‘bedroom pop,’ a genre that has become popular with lo-fi sound, minimal production and intimate vocals. This style has been notably adopted by artists such as Billie Eilish, Clairo and beabadoobee.
Gracie’s work takes clear inspiration from Taylor in her songwriting style and her groundbreaking bridges. She also has been supporting Taylor on her North American Eras Tour dates which meant she has become popular amongst swifties.
When opening up to Vanity Fair in an interview, she said,
“Every formative memory in my life is paired with a Taylor Swift song that helped me get through. My boyfriend the other day did this thing where we shuffled her discography and played a song for one second … I got them all.”
I would recommend listening to: ‘Best,’ ‘I Miss You, I’m Sorry,’ ‘Mess It Up’.
4. Gretta Ray
Gretta is an Australian singer-songwriter who launched into the music world when she won the Triple J Unearthed High competition and the Vanda & Young songwriting competition for her song ‘Drive’.
In an interview with Grazia, she discusses that Swift’s vulnerability and ‘writing very diary entry-style songs’ made her validated in making a career in music.
Gretta’s song ‘Dear Seventeen’ is an open letter-style song to her younger self of all she’s learned. In the lyrics, it mentions that “no doubt you’re still obsessed with Taylor”. Which I think is very relatable.
I would recommend you listen to: ‘Positive Spin’, ‘You’ve Already Won’, and ‘The Brink’.
5. Sabrina Carpenter
Starting her career as an actress, most notably on the show Girl Meets World, Sabrina is likely a familiar face to Gen Z. She then started her music career alongside her acting and has been climbing the pop charts since. Sabrina really knows how to write pop music and has notably changed the outro to her song ‘Nonsense’ on each date of her ’emails I can’t send’ tour.
Sabrina has been touring with Taylor on her Latin American dates of The Eras Tour, which she has described as a “Childhood dream come true” in an interview with People.
I think she’s got strong potential to become the next biggest name in pop.
I would recommend listening to: ’emails I can’t send,’ ‘Tornado Warnings,’ and ‘Opposite’.
6. Annika Bennett
Upcoming singer-songwriter Annika’s style reminds me a lot of Swift. Her lyrics are often introspective, and her sound is a blend of alternative and indie. Alongside her music, she’s also credited on lots of other artist’s work. Winning multiple awards for her work, including The ASCAP Foundation Robert Allen Award for excellence in songwriting, at only 20 she’s already written hundreds of songs.
I would recommend you listen to: ‘Sad Song’, ‘Madwoman’ and ‘Scared Of Getting What I Want’.
7. Conan Gray
Conan has always been open about how much Taylor influences his music. In an interview with The Line Of Best Fit, he said, “Taylor raised an entire generation of songwriters. She taught a lot of people how to write pop songs.” Which goes to show how influencial she is in the upcoming of new artists.
His songs often cover themes of his difficult childhood and touch on elements such as divorce, bullying and instability.
I would recommend you listen to: ‘People Watching’, ‘Wish You Were Sober’, ‘Jigsaw’ and ‘Family Line’.
8. Griff
The singer-songwriter is another upcoming artist whose music I would highly recommend. Signed at just the age of thirteen, at only 20, she was also named as 2021’s Rising Star at the Brit Awards, which earned her the title of one of the youngest winners.
Griff’s talent is showcased in her Against The Clock series, where she recreates a popular song with another artist in a short space of time. She has collaborated with Maisie Peters on an episode of her series where the two recreated the Folklore track “Exile.” The video was also praised by Taylor who said, “I’m a huge fan of these two”.
I would recommend you listen to: ‘Vertigo’, ‘Black Hole’, ‘One Night’.
