Tune in to these 10 international acts
Two years ago, we took lockdown-trapped readers on a musical voyage around the world with a playlist of acts from outside the U.S. so they could at least travel via sounds and rhythm. In 2022, much of the globe has reopened, but it still can be hard to keep up with what’s happening musically across the planet. In that spirit, here are 10 more international performers making pop music worth exploring.
Maneskin
Hometown: Rome, Italy The continental European rock ’n’ roll success story of the past year, Maneskin went from anonymity outside Italy to winning the Eurovision song contest to having global radio hits with “Zitti e Buoni,” “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” and “Beggin,’ ” becoming the most successful Italian rock band ever. The group’s glammy hard rock, with slinky frontman Damiano David at the center, was a hit at this year’s Coachella. The rest of the U.S. gets to experience the band with a fall tour.
If you like: Aerosmith, The Struts, The Darkness
Recommended tracks: “Zitti e Buoni,” “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” “Beggin’,” “Coraline”
Ckay
Hometown: Kaduna, Nigeria The singer with the mellow, suave and sinewy Afro-pop sound is following in the footsteps of Wizkid, Fireboy, Burna Boy and Davido as the next big star out of Nigeria. The many versions/remixes of “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” became hits across Africa, Europe, Australia and North America, and the song just came in at No. 1 on Billboard’s new Afrobeat
chart after climbing to No. 2 on Billboard’s Global 200.
If you like: Sun-el Musician, Wizkid, Habib Koite
Recommended tracks: “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah),” “Emiliana,” “Oliver Kahn”
Gang of Youths
Hometown: Sydney
It took Gang of Youths’ frontman Dave Le’aupepe five years to craft the band’s recently released masterwork, “Angel in Realtime,” a sweeping meditation on death and grief that was worth the wait; it is one of the best albums of 2022. Stung by the passing of his father, who was Samoan, the mixedrace Le’aupepe climbed into his family tree and began to explore his dad’s life and roots. The result ranks with Nick Cave’s “Ghosteen” and the Arcade Fire’s “Funeral” as one of the best rock albums to emerge from personal loss. The band tours the U.S. this month.
If you like: U2, The National, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Arcade Fire
Recommended tracks: “The Man Himself,” “The Angel
of 8th Ave.,” “In the Wake of Your Leave”
Yseult
Hometown: Quessy, France If you love Adele but think she would be even better (and sadder) in French, then Yseult is right up your alley. Her soulful piano balladry has been tagged as part of France’s “nouveau chanson” movement, but she makes it her own. As the site Frenchly said, put on Yseult’s music “to sing along to loudly in the shower while crying over a man you never dated.”
If you like: Adele, Alicia Keys
Recommended tracks: “Corps,” “Indélébile,” “Bad Boy”
Anitta
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro This singer, the queen of Brazil’s “baile funk” scene, represents a new generation of Brazilian pop music. Her songs often reverberate with Brazilian Portuguese slang, and in the track “Girl from Rio,” she sings “the streets have raised me, I’m favela.” But these days, she is also a wider global consciousness. She just performed at Coachella, her Spanish-language track “Envolver” had the distinction this spring of being the most streamed song in one day, and her just-released “Versions of Me” album features collaborations with Saweetie, Cardi B and Khalid.
If you like: Shakira, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry
Recommended tracks: “Girl from Rio,” “Envolver,” “Boys Don’t Cry”
Daughters of Reykjavik
Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland
This isn’t your parents’ Nordic pop culture. The self-proclaimed feminist hip-hop collective Daughters of Reykjavik seems more inspired by “WAP” than ABBA. That’s evident in the songs, a mashup of Icelandic and English, with such titles as “Hot Milf Summer,” “Thirsty Hoes” and “Drusla” (Slut). Unsurprisingly, the group has been the subject of much controversy.
If you like: Megan the Stallion, Iggy Azalea, Cardi B
Recommended tracks: “Thirsty Hoes,” “Hot Milf Summer,” “Turn This Around,” “Bossy”
Sam Fender
Hometown: North Shields, England
One of the best of the rising young singer-songwriters from England, Fender is an arenalevel star with a few hits under his belt. He now lives in a world where Elton John invites him to perform at his yearly AIDS Foundation Oscar after party. And he’s quickly gaining a reputation in the U.S., where he’s touring later this year.
If you like: Hozier, Kaleo
Recommended tracks: “Seventeen Going Under,” “Hypersonic Missiles,” “Will We Talk?”
Koffee
Hometown: Spanish Town, Jamaica
This 22-year-old born Mikayla Simpson makes a brand of reggae that belies her young age. There is a throwback, oldschool island feel to tracks like the lovers-rock “Lonely” and the swaying “Shine.” Two years ago, she became the first woman to win a best-reggae album honor at the Grammys. She has a new album, “Gifted,” and tours the U.S in May.
If you like: Sean Paul, Damian Marley
Recommended tracks: “Lonely,” “Toast,” “Shine”
Crown Lands
Hometown: Oshawa, Canada
Winning Canada’s 2021 Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the year, this duo of Cody Bowles and Kevin Comeau crafts a metal/prog-rock blend with a twist, one that includes gender fluidity and Native American identity. The group is touring the U.S. this year with Greta Van Fleet, including San Antonio and El Paso in the fall.
If you like: Rush, Greta Van Fleet, Led Zeppelin, Redbone
Recommended tracks: “White Buffalo,” “Mountain,” “Waterfall”
Say Sue Me
Hometown: Busan, South Korea
This alternately dreamy, jangly and noisy quartet makes hooky guitar-pop that’s gaining international traction. The group has a new album, “The Last Thing Left,” out in May and tours the U.S. in the fall.
If you like: Beach House, Alvvays, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Recommended tracks: “So Tender,” “Old Town,” “To Dream”