It’s no secret thatTaylor Swiftis the greatest musical act of the 21st century. Since the release of her self-titled debut in 2006,Swift has released eleven studio albums(including four re-releases), four of which won theGrammy for Album of The Year- the most of any artist in that category. She has also won the most American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards of any artist, and her Eras Tour changed the landscape of live music across the globe as the highest-grossing tour of all time.
As immensely talented and successful as she is in her own right, Swift has also been an inspiration, whether directly or indirectly, tocountless other artistswho have burst onto the scene as young singer-songwriters.Swift boasts a breadth of versatilityin her sound, from pop to country, alternative to indie acoustic, and, as a result, she has paved the way for any number of artists who’ve risen to fame in the last few decades. If you love Taylor Swift, here are ten artists you’re sure to love just as much.
10Girlpuppy
Indie Rock Queen From Atlanta
Girlpuppy is the stage name of singer-songwriter, Becca Harvey. Harvey started making music during COVID, and from there, it didn’t take her long to sign with a record label. Her debut EP,Swan,was a fairly mellow release,clear that she hadn’t fully discovered her identity as an artist, but compelling nonetheless. Harvey’s vocals have a comforting quality which is especially apparent in the debut EP, which is likely what got her signed by a label and allowed her to release her debut album,When I’m Alone, just one year later.
Girlpuppy released her second full-length studio album,Sweetness, in March of this year, andwhile she may have been experimenting to find her cohesive sound before, she most certainly has it down pat on this album. Harvey switched record labels for this album, and when listening, you may hear the difference in production. She released four singles fromSweetness, among them being the catchy alternative pop song, “I Just Do!” with an adorably nostalgic yet painfully relatable chorus:
Think I’m a masochist
I know you’re able to hurt me
And I’m letting you
‘Cause I like you
I just do
Girlpuppy is still in the early stages of her career, no doubt, but she has the talent and the musical identity to rise to the forefront of the indie pop scene. I, for one, will be shocked if she isn’t front and center within the next few years.
9Julia Jacklin
Folk-Influenced Pop With Range
Julia Jacklin is a singer-songwriter who has enjoyed the most success in her home country of Australia, butwho has started to break out into international waters over the last few years. Jacklin began her career as one half of the duo Salta,which eventually morphed into her three-piece band, Phantastic Ferniture. Jacklin’s primary focus, however, has been her solo career, what with her three full-length albums and a handful of additional non-album singles. By the time she released her third album,PRE PLEASURE, in 2022, she had already played the iconic Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Jacklin’s unique soundcombines elements of slow-paced indie and folk music, with upbeat alt-rock garage music. “Don’t Let the Kids Win,” the first single released from her debut of the same name, has a gritty slow sound, while the fourth single from that album, “Coming of Age” is much more of the uptempo alt-rock sound. The combination of those two singles is a shining example of the sound from which she has never really strayed, making it the perfect way to introduce her music to the world.
8Gracie Abrams
The Eras Tour Opener
While many artists' sound and success may have been indirectly influenced by Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams drew her influence from Swift in a much more direct manner. After playing as the opening act on Olivia Rodrigo’sSOURTour in 2022,Abrams took on the massive venture of opening for Swift on her Eras Tourfor roughly half of the dates of the North American leg of the tour. During the Eras Tour is when Abrams released her second album,The Secret of Us, which included the track “us,” which actually features Swift.
While many artists' sound and success may have been indirectly influenced by Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams drew her influence from Swift in a much more direct manner.
Not long after her stint on the Eras Tour, Abrams appeared as the musical guest onSaturday Night Liveto promote the album,a breakout opportunity that has done wonders for a ton of artists in the past. Between her father, acclaimed filmmaker, JJ Abrams, and her association with Swift, Gracie Abrams admittedly has had a bit more straightforward of a path to fame than perhaps some other artists. In no way, however, does that detract from her talent as a vocalist.
Abrams’ music, particularly her voice, has a feel-good quality to it, even on the tracks that do not necessarily feature feel-good lyrics. Both of her full-length albums are the kind that you want to listen to on repeat.
7Soccer Mommy
Indie Pop With An Emo Flare
Sophie Allison, or Soccer Mommy, isone of the most underrated artists currently making music. Allison has released a total of six albums as Soccer Mommy, with a clear shift between the third and fourth albums, when she signed onto a new record label which she has been with for her three most recent albums. Her first three albums were the ones to get her recognized, primarily by other big-name artists such as Paramore, Wilco, and Vampire Weekend, who brought her on their tours all before the release of her fourth full-length album,Color Theory,in 2020.
AfterColor TheorywasSometimes, Forever, released in 2022, and followed inColor Theory’sfootsteps, receiving a fair amount of critical acclaim. Allison is responsible for both the vocals and guitar on most of her music, whichcombines elements of dream pop, indie acoustic, and even some pop punk and emo influences at times. Remarkably, her 2024 album,Evergreen, did not reach the same level of success asColor TheoryandSometimes, Forever.The singles “Driver” and “Abigail,” however, mark a shift towards a more widely-adored pop sound which should, still, aid in taking Soccer Mommy’s career to the next level.
6boygenius
Powerhouse Female Alt-Rock Trio
Solo artists Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Phoebe Bridgers came together in 2018 to form the alt-rock supergroup, boygenius. All three women were at similar stages in their solo careers when they decided to put out an EP together as boygenius.The EP was an indie hit, and gained a decent following for the band, even just based on the combination of each of their individual followings alone. They then went on a five-year hiatus from boygenius to refocus on their solo careers, but when they came back together to releaseThe Recordin 2023,their following and critical acclaim absolutely skyrocketed.
The Recordpeaked at number four on the Billboard 200, and won them the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2024. The combination of Baker’s gritty alternative, Dacus' ethereal folk, and Bridgers' indie rock sounds makeeach and every song of theirs a true listening experience. Their music has layers upon layers, without any one vocalist ever stealing the thunder of the other two. BetweenThe Record, and their two EPs,BoygeniusandThe Rest, boygenius has made a huge impact on the alternative music scene, and if you’re not listening to them, you’re doing yourself a major disservice.
5Suki Waterhouse
Of Fictional Music Fame
Suki Waterhouse started her career in modeling and acting long before her career in music, and as such, she has only released two full-length studio albums. That is most definitely not indicative of her musical prowess, however, asher two full-length albums boast a masterfully refined sound, with hints of grunge, indie, alternative, and dream pop. Waterhouse began focusing on her music career around the time that her acting career led her towards it, when she portrayed Karen Sirko in the beloved novel adaptation miniseries,Daisy Jones & The Six.
Waterhouse released her debut album,I Can’t Let Go, in 2022, then enjoyed the spotlight fromDaisy Jones & The Sixin 2023, and released her second album,Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, in 2024. One month before the release ofMemoir of a Sparklemuffin, Waterhouse also opened for one show of the Eras Tour in her hometown of London. Though only one of her singles (“Good Looking,” which was released as a non-album single in 2022) has ever charted in the UK,her two LPs certainly helped to put her on the music map, bringing her monthly Spotify listeners to nearly 10 million.
4The Big Moon
London-Based Indie Rock Band
The Big Moon is one of the greatest, most criminally underrated rock bands in today’s music landscape. The British four-piece band toured alongside The Pixies on their UK and Ireland tour in 2019, whichhelped them gain some recognition and momentum just in time for the release of their second studio albumin January 2020,Walking Like We Do. The band released their first album,Love in the 4th Dimension, three years prior.
The Big Moon is one of the greatest, most criminally underrated rock bands in today’s music landscape.
They have enjoyed a steady incline in success with each subsequent album, with their first peaking at number 66 on the UK charts, their second, after touring with the Pixies, peaking at number 19, and their third album,Here is Everything, peaking at number 9. Though the band’s success has primarily been confined to the UK, they did recently accompany the band Glass Animals on part of their 2024 “Tour of Earth,” which surely boosted their international following.
The Big Moon reflects a traditional rock sound with their lineup of vocals, guitar, bass, and drums, but still with a very modern sound fueled by a lot of contemporary indie rock influences.It’s this juxtaposition of sound and influence that makes them so unique, and so worth listening to if you are at all a fan of any modern pop rock subgenre.
3Snail Mail
Multi-Talented From A Young Age
Lindsey Jordan, or Snail Mail, released her first EP,Habit, at the age of just 16. Two years later, she released her debut studio album,Lush, with the record label Matador Records, which has represented artists as large as Queens of the Stone Age and Interpol.Jordan has a gritty garage sound, driven by her throaty, borderline monotone at times, vocals and guitar. Admittedly, she is probably the most dissimilar artist to Taylor Swift on this list, but channels the same spirited energy as Swift does on many of her more recent albums.
If she didn’t already have a decent following, Snail Mail’s second album,Valentine,received a review inThe New Yorker,and peaked at number 61 on the Billboard 200. Jordan released a cover of The Smashing Pumpkins' “Tonight, Tonight” in 2024,reaffirming her affinity for a more alternative sound, but her versatility as an artist means she hardly has to limit herself. From just 16 years old at the time of her first release, to her second full-length album at age 21, and still going strong at 25,Snail Mail is an artist with immense amounts of talent and potential.
2MUNA
Pop Rock Trio Formed in College
MUNA is a pop-rock trio who met in college, began making music together in 2014, and have become a staple of the LGBTQ+ community. I first encountered them at the music festival All Things Go, where they played a set that absolutely blew me away. Another group with Eras Tour experience,MUNA has toured alongside a number of big-name artists, including Harry Styles, Kacey Musgraves, and Lorde. Their three studio albums have all charted in the top ten of the Billboard Heatseekers Chart for up-and-coming artists. Their third, self-titled studio album peaked at number 188 on the Billboard 200 chart.
I first encountered them at the music festival All Things Go, where they played a set that absolutely blew me away.
MUNA’s hit lead single, “Silk Chiffon,” from their self-titled album, featured vocals from boygenius' Phoebe Bridgers, and earned them a performance onThe Late Late Show with James Cordennot long after its release. This song in particular exemplifies what makes MUNA so great;they are the kind of band who excels at turning lemons into lemonade for the sheer musical enjoyment of their fans. The lyrics of “Silk Chiffon,” released just a year and a half after the pandemic hit, are positive and upbeat, evoking high school nostalgia and young love.
1Indigo De Souza
A Self-Made Mega Talent
Indigo De Souza grew up making music, and as such, released her first two EPs in 2016 and 2017, and her first full-length album in 2018,all entirely on her own. Her 2018 album,I Love My Mom, was the release that got her noticed, and she signed with Saddle Creek Records, a notable independent label that specializes in folk pop.
Once she had representation, De Souza releasedI Love My Momagain and was met with even more praise. Included in such praise was acclaimed producer Brad Cook, who has previously worked with legendary folk artist, Bon Iver, and with whom she created her second studio album,Any Shape You Take. De Souza released her third studio album,All of This Will End, in April 2023. That album peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, which wasultimately when she started turning heads outside the immediate indie rock sphere.
Though her primary genre and most present influence among her first three full-length albums is indie folk rock, in an interview withFLOOD Magazine, De Souza expressed, “I also have a lot of interest in collaborating with different producers and learning what they have to offer,” hinting that she is looking to collaborate on some more pop-influenced tracks in the future.
