Promising Pop: Fletcher, Kiiara and Elohim

Summer is OFFICIALLY here which means it’s time to update that playlist with some fresh new tunes. For my latest edition of “PROMISING POP” I have three, completely unique, interesting fresh-faced artists for you to check out. I’d like to introduce you to Kiiara, Fletcher and Elohim.

First up, we have 20 year-old singer/songwriter Kiiara from Illinois (*SHOUT OUT TO MY HOME STATE*), whose punchy, electro/RnB-infused debut “GOLD” is currently setting the blogosphere alight. Produced by Felix Snow (SZA, Gallant, Leona Lewis), “Gold” is the ultimate tease! This glitter-dipped synthpop gem, with it’s glitchy production and hip-hop sensibilities fill my earholes with all sorts of VIBEY goodness, leaving me wanting for nothing EXCEPT MORE! More KIIARA that is. At the moment, “Gold” is the only track of hers online and that’s just not fair.

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At the moment, Kiiara seems to be taking all of the buzz she’s generating in stride. Her social profile is low right now, keeping only a SoundCloud and Twitter to start with but given her rising popularity I think she’s going to need to AT LEAST add a Facebook page pretty soon. Why? Well, for one “Gold” recently No. 1 on the Hype Machine Main Chart and she’s got her first celeb fan in actress Chloë Moretz. Look out for Kiiara‘s first EP, Meet Me In The Cornfield, coming soon.

21 year-old singer/songwriter FLETCHER hails from Asbury Park, New Jersey originally but now calls New York City home. This young beauty first caught my attention with her debut release, “Over My Head,” an expertly crafted piece of electronic-pop balladry with a soaring chorus and lyrics mature beyond her young 21 years.  With latest single, the buzz-generating “War Paint,” Fletcher commands your attention from the get-go, thanks to a subtle-yet-effective tribal/chant drum intro that launches into a confident first verse (including some light call-and-response) and bigger-than-life chorus, complete with a rousing round of “WOAH-OOH“s . If you like your pop music stuffed with plenty of attitude, Fletcher‘s your girl—think sorta like an edgier Sara Bareilles. Listen to “War Paint” below.

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If Fletcher looks familiar, it might be because of her stint on the debut season of The X-Factor (U.S.) competition series, where she was a member of one of Paula Abdul‘s groups, Lakoda Rayne. After they were eliminated, the group briefly continued on, releasing a song called “Emergency Brake” in September 2012. Following the group’s split, it appears that Fletcher is no worse for wear. Be on the look out for some live dates and a debut EP coming soon. (Oh, and Chloë Moretz is also a fan. We’re 2/2 with music Chloë Moretz likes).

Los Angeles-based artist ELOHIM (actually a name for God frequently used in the Hebrew Bible) is yet another new find that I am already obsessed with. Admittedly, it was a REMIX of her single “She Talks Too Much” that drew me in but after listening to the original track I think I’m here for the long-haul. The remix by BECOME (“an offering from the LA/Paris EXGF Collective,” according to their Facebook) gives the song a more stripped back CHVRCHES vibe—stripped back but still very much electronic. Elohim’s light-as-a-feather vocals (recalling CHVRCHES-own Lauren Mayberry) float dreamily over raucous drumbeats, finger snaps and a myriad of other electronic F/X and vocal distortions without getting lost in the production. It’s absolutely magnetic. Check out the BECOME remix of “She Talks Too Much” below.

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The original version of the song was released back in May, when Stereogum touted it “a big, catchy song.” For those of you that are vinyl aficionados (like myself—albeit NEWLY), “She Talks Too Much” will released on 12″ black vinyl (via B3SCI Records) July 24th. You can pre-order it right here. The song is also available digitally (iTunes). No word yet whether Chloë Moretz is into Elohim, but she definitely should be.