The singer-songwriter music genre has been growing exponentially over the past few years. This is especially true in the digital age, where anyone can pick up a guitar and post their original music on YouTube.
There are tons of people I could recommend, but I narrowed it down to 11 artists who I think deserve to be more popular in the music world.
1. Charlene Kaye
Though recently Charlene Kaye has been going by KAYE and producing more of a pop music sound, Charlene Kaye has her roots in the more singer-songwriter, acoustic style.
Though I do like her newer music, her album "Animal Love" from back in 2012 changed my life. And I find it a crime that the album hasn't reached more ears in the seven years it's been out, so I'm plugging it here.
2. Glen Hansard
Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has been doing pretty well for himself in the music world for the past decade, having starred in the massively successful film "Once" and had his songs featured in other big movies like "The Hunger Games."
However, a music style like Glen's isn't one that you would find in pop music, making him fall into obscurity to many people.
In 2015, I had the privilege of seeing Glen live and it was one of the best concerts I'd ever been to. This is because Glen pours every ounce of emotion he has into each song. It's amazing to experience.
3. Brandi Carlile
Brandi Carlile has been getting a lot more recognition lately because of her earth-shattering performance at the Grammy's this year.
Her amazing album "By the Way I Forgive You" has been doing incredibly well, but I think that it could do even better, catapulting her folk/country/Americana/whatever-you-want-to-call-it music into more well-deserved success.
4. Thirdstory
Heavenly. That's the only word you need to describe this group. Their three-part harmony is absolutely to die for.
5. Ben Platt
You might recognize this powerhouse vocalist from "Pitch Perfect" or various Broadway musicals, but this is Ben Platt's first foray into making his own music.
You would never guess that his debut album "Sing to Me Instead" is his first because his sound is already so developed and beautiful. Each song gives off a different type of vibe, whether more acoustic, gospel-inspired, etc.
6. Lauren Aquilina
With a voice as smooth as butter, Lauren Aquilina's songs make me cry about a breakup I've never even had! Her songs really stab you right in the soul.
7. Orla Gartland
Orla Gartland has such a unique quality to her voice and it goes so well with her eccentric song-writing skills. It's just a recipe for greatness.
8. NIKI
I've been a fan of NIKI's music since she had her YouTube channel under the name Nicole Zefanya, uploading acoustic music with some of the most eloquently put together lyrics my ears have ever been blessed with. (Seriously, do yourself a favor and listen to her older song "Little Souls.")
Now, she has more of a pop sound rather than acoustic, but it's still really great.
9. Tessa Violet
Tessa Violet has been in the music business for a really long time, but she recently got her big break with her single "Crush." She only just played the first headlining show of her career and I think it's about dang time!
Her style is the perfect mix of singer-songwriter and indie pop. It's exactly what so many people like to listen to these days.
10. Jacob Collier
I can't say much about this artist because I've only just recently discovered him myself, but I can say that Jacob Collier is a breath of fresh air. His style defies the concept of genre and is unlike anything I've heard before.
11. Rusty Clanton
Rusty Clanton has also been making music for quite a while. Unfortunately, he hasn't had his big break yet, mostly playing smaller shows and releasing original music on YouTube. But his emotional voice deserves to be brought to more ears.
