Brisbane newcomer Hartley has stormed out of the gates with two absolutely bangin' drum'n'bass-inspired pop jams - first with Used To, then with Mind and now it keeps getting better, with the young singer/songwriter/producer dropping her third single Own today.
Penned about the struggle that young female musicians often face in a male-dominated industry, Own is about owning your shit and realising you have to trust your gut and choices and ultimately have your own back, even if it seems others don't.
"When I was starting music in an intimidating, male-dominated industry, I felt powerless and already misjudged as a female vocalist and producer. I struggled with these feelings for a really long time. But I realised that I didn't need anybody's approval. If they didn't like what I was doing, it was their problem, not mine. That's when I wrote Own."
It's a triumphant song about empowerment and feeling enough for yourself, coupled with a huge booming chorus that we're gonna be pumping all day.
To celebrate, we had Hartley write us a list of 10 musicians she thinks is absolutely owning it in 2019 - carving out their own path and staying true to themselves no matter what.
Lizzo
Starting off this list right, because of course Lizzo’s a given. I can’t believe she was going to give up after releasing Truth Hurts before it blew up a year later. She’s the body positivity coach that we all needed and I’m so glad it’s being recognised on an international level now.
King Princess
I actually discovered her music on Charli XCX’s "The Motherf*cking Future" playlist and had a huge thing for her production, vocal processing and songwriting. Then I ran into her in the studio in Sydney one day and realised she really is a modern day queen/king/princess. She’s a huge LGBTQ+ advocate and her Instagram presence is my fave.
BENEE
Her voice makes my ears so happy, and she keeps coming out with single after single, each as strong as the last in my opinion. Her EP FIRE ON MARZZ is wholly made up of catchy, high quality tracks too, with no filler songs whatsoever. Her entire aesthetic is so cool. She’s killing it.
Wafia
I’ve stuck with her since The Raid, one of her first tracks in 2015, but it’s so easy to see she’s owning 2019 too with her amazing songwriting. She’s always had an air of being this strong, compelling woman in the industry and she’s never wavered from that. Her feature on Louis The Child’s song is huge and her recent singles are such bops.
Hayden James
I seriously don’t think he’s ever made a wrong move musically, and honestly probably every year has been his year, but he’s definitely owning 2019. His Splendour set is all I needed to be convinced by that. Also he has some additional production and mixing credits from Cassian, which is such a dream team.
Austen
She’s got this Lana Del Rey meets BANKS vibe throughout all her songs, and she’s just released her first EP that’s full of solid emotional bops. She’s an awesome example of a female artist who hustles hard and holds her own. Her visions for her music videos are fire too.
FINNEAS
This year his production on Billie Eilish’s tracks made a huge mark on the overall sound of pop music globally, and now he’s produced beautiful songs for Julia Michaels and Selena Gomez. Not to mention his songs for his own project are so gorgeous. He’s so talented it blows my mind, and he’s still so young!
Clairo
I had to add Clairo to this list because I listen to her recent album Immunity on most of my train rides. Her voice and songwriting has this nostalgic, melancholic feel to it that takes me to another place. It’s almost meditative. I think 2019 has been the year she’s really found her own sound.
Ninajirachi
Her production is second to none. She released her album Lapland this year, and the album has such a sick dynamic range, you can tell it’s all so beautifully thought out. There’s no one else with a sound quite like hers. Another example of a hard-working female in the industry.
Ruel
Okay so his fame freaks me right out, it’s so damn impressive. His songs are strong as hell, and he has a Justin Bieber-like hold on his audiences. I remember when he did a Like A Version on triple j a couple of years ago where he was shy but still super talented, and now this year he’s become an international pop star. Wild but well-deserved.
