7 Kick-Ass Female Singers That Will Save Your Soul When Taylor Swift Takes Her Impending Break
2015 George Pimentel/LP51/8We were shocked yesterday when Taylor Swift decided she was going to
pull a One Directiontake a break yesterday following her * 1989 * tour. And while we’re still recovering from the news, we thought we should prepare ourselves for another pop star to keep her celeb seat warm while she’s off hanging with her ultimate girl. Following Swift’s Instagram post featuring a list of her favorite songs, we asked ourselves the tough questions: Who could carry a similar Swift-like impact in music while she’s gone? Based on our pop girl radar, here are the artists that will rule the pop world when Swift takes her “break.”
NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images2/8Hailee Steinfeld
Not only can this girl act (she just starred in * Pitch Perfect 2 *), but she can * sing *. With her self-love anthem “Love Myself” going viral, the18-year-old isn’t stopping anytime soon. The pop up-and-comer is also one of Taylor’s BFFs and had a cameo in her “Bad Blood” video. Also, anything (or anyone) Taylor touches turns to gold, so it’s not surprising that Hailee is gaining buzz.
3/8__ FRANKIE__
If you weren’t already obsessed with Frankie, you will be, now that Taylor included her on her Instagrammed favorite new songs list. The LA songwriter makes dance-pop jams inspired by those California vibes. Her single “New Obsession” has a super catchy hook that will make all Carly Rae Jepsen and Selena Gomez fans swoon. Plus, if Tay co-signed, we’re definitely in.
4/8Kacy Hill
When Kanye West endorses talent, you don’t ignore it. Hill — a former American Apparel model and * Yeezus * tour dancer—just released her debut EP * Bloo *: a compilation of R&B infused pop tracks that are hauntingly beautiful. Her dreamy jam “Experience” gained traction back in 2014 and Kacy quit the tour to focus on her passion. Even though release date of her debut album is still under wraps, we’re going to be keeping a close eye on anyone Kanye says is the next big thing.
5/8Grace Mitchell
Although Grace Mitchell hails from the U.S., she’s been getting a ton of buzz in the UK. The 18-year-old has garnered comparisons to BANKS and Lorde, which had us hooked from the start. With her raspy vocals and synth pop-driven melodies, Grace’s “Jitter” and “Maneater” are playlist essentials. She falls a little bit left of center when it comes to pop, but that’s exactly why we think she’s going to be a hit.
Getty Images for Teen Vogue6/8Alessia Cara
This year’s unexpected hit came from a 19-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter who dreamed big. Following the release of “Here,” Alessia Cara’s ‘antisocial anthem went viral and gave everyone something to talk about-mainly how unbelievably gorgeous her voice was. When Alessia did an acoustic rendition of “Bad Blood,” Taylor even gave her a Twitter shoutout (which might as well be considered an honorary Grammy in this day and age) and included the singer on her Instagram list of "songs to make your life more awesome." It’s pretty obvious that Alessia’s talent shouldn’t be ignored.
7/8MUNA
We mainly think MUNA could take over for Taylor while she’s taking a break because they are a more emotional and poppier version of HAIM. Though the trio has taken to releasing singles — “Promise” and “Loudspeaker” stand out so far — they’ll be putting out an EP eventually. By challenging ideas of race, gender, and sexuality through their music, the ladies of MUNA are using their voices to make a difference through ‘80s infused pop. We wouldn’t be shocked to see the ladies of MUNA selling out stadiums soon, too.
WireImage8/8Kat Graham
While Kat Graham may be known for her acting chops as Bonnie Bennett on * The Vampire Diaries *, she’s been making music for years. The 26-year-old singer was even a backup dancer for Missy Elliott back in the day. Last month, Kat released her self-produced, debut album * Roxbury Drive * with the guidance of legendary R&B singer Babyface. As a child of the ‘90s, her debut was heavily influenced by that era, and Kat’s mass appeal in the acting world and pop talent definitely makes her one to watch.
