Within the endless current of new music, it’s difficult for anyone to keep up with all that’s coming out. To combat this ongoing influx of sound, we publish our “Best New Artists of the Month” articles in the hopes that you never miss out on the outstanding new artists emerging in recent times. Nao & A. K. Paul [track id="00946998" artist="Nao & A. K. Paul" title="So Good"] It only took a few hours for "So Good" to send ripples through the internet shortly after its release, and it's easy to understand why. When you have Jai Paul's brother (A.K Paul) making his debut, there's going to be some heads turning, and with the kind of level that "So Good" sits on, one has to wonder if A.K is going to steal his brother's shine, because, to his credit, we may be looking towards him to supply us with that "Paul" sound moving forward. With the UK-based singer-songwriter, Nao, this in not quite her debut, (she's released one track before this one "Back Porch"), but there's no doubt this collaboration with A.K Paul has shot her career into a new stratosphere. So, whether this is a one-off collaboration, or is just the beginning of these two working together, there's no doubt both of these individuals are here to stay. Ryn Weaver [track id="00947070" artist="Ryn Weaver" title="OctaHate"] We always get excited about new names who find early success and display massive potential right from the get-go. So far, 2014 has been filled with more than a few acts that fit this bill, but it would seem that Ryn Weaver is looking to distinguish herself even further by going from 0 to 100 in almost no time at all. It's only been five days since her song came out, but already it's pulled almost half a million plays, and it doesn't look like the buzz is going to be dying down any time soon. Since she's only got one song out at the moment, we don't have a lot to go off of right now, but something tell us that "OctaHate" isn't just a flash in the pan. Rather, it's quite possibly the beginning of a long and successful career for your new favorite pop star. - Chris Danks Slaptop [track id="00946894" artist="Slaptop" title="Sunrise"] ZHU proved that people would come in droves if somebody could effectively combine dance production work with quality songwriting and vocals, and with his success, a new wave of vertically integrated dance music recording artists has appeared. One of the more notable names in the group is Slaptop. His first track came out a couple of weeks ago, and people have already connected with his ability to fuse his own stellar vocals with big dance production work and a brightly lit sound. It's a winning formula, and the success of Slaptop's "Sunrise" is testament to the fact the people are willing to accept producers and songwriters who can do it all, and do it well. No longer will the DJ or producer simply be relegated to the background, because names like Slaptop are going have their fingerprints on every facet of their songs, creating followings which will support a new surge of dance-pop superstars. - Chris Danks TCVVX [track id="00947027" artist="TCVVX" title="Clocks"] We were a little late to the party when TCVXX put out his first official single a couple weeks ago, but we couldn't pass up on his slick brand of experiential R&B, and we're willing to bet that he's got a lot more stashed away where his breakout track "Clocks" came from. He's definitely got his own sound, but it's hard to not draw comparisons to The Weeknd when the dude obviously is making plans to be the next big name to blend R&B with other styles of music. So far, he's displayed that same attention to detail that Abel Tesfaye has with his work, but the vocals are a different animal entirely, and we still haven't gotten tired of "Clocks" yet. Be on the lookout for this guy in the coming year, definitely, because if he makes all the right moves (as it appears he's able to do), he'll have more options than he knows what to do with. - Chris Danks Billie Black [track id="00946943" artist="Billie Black" title="I Waited For You"] [track id="00947088" artist="Billie Black" title="I Dont Need Another Lover"] We seem to have no shortage of exceptional singer-songwriters cropping up from all over the globe, but, of course, London continues to be the epicenter of all the emerging talent. With a seemingly inexhuastible amount of marvelous music to share, we've been absolutely spoiled over the past couple of years with the area's artistic output, and it's up-and-comers like Billie Black that ensure the trend continues. With two tracks to her name, Billie is still seriously fresh in the eyes and ears of UK connoisseurs, but that won't be the case for long. "I Waited For You", and, more recently, "I Don't Need Another Lover", tells of an extraordinarly mature, and really, a majestic talent, and if either shape up into an EP or album at some point, there's no doubt it'll sweep the music world over. Billie's the captivating vocals to make such a reality arise, and, coupled with her ear for splendidly complementing production, we think it'll only take an effort or two more of hers until she's cast into the light of the next big thing. - Taylor Rummel Litany [track id="00946944" artist="Litany" title="Slopes"] Litany's an indie-electronic duo hailing from the UK, and if that's not reason enough to grab your attention already, you've not been paying attention to the scene for very long. There have been a slew of similar-natured acts emerging from the area of the world, each incredibly well-received, and Litany, though they've only a track to their name, is another you're going to want to get familiar with very fast. With their lone effort, "Slopes", released nearly three weeks ago, we've an intriguingly twisted, ethereal blend of the aforementioned genres. It's really quite difficult to pinpoint their exact sound, but that's beside the point; what atmosphere they do cook up is chilling, tranquil, and entirely enrapturing, and this is due in equal parts to Beth's encompassing tone, and Jake's invigorating production. It's really quite incredible to think that they've this much chemistry so early in their career together (and it's plainly evident in their sound), so we'll be watching out for more from the two, hoping their next tracks have half the intrigue as this one we've fallen so deeply in love with. - Taylor Rummel
Best New Artists of the Month