00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most remarkable female
00:12pop artists of the 21st century, who consistently deliver musical gems, but somehow still don't
00:17get the recognition they deserve.
00:2910.
00:30Roisin Murphy
00:31As the lead singer of Moloko, Roisin Murphy helped define late-90s electronic and trip-hop
00:36music with hits like Sing It Back and The Time Is Now.
00:45But while their music was undeniably captivating, being in a group seemed to put creative limits
00:50on her.
00:51After Moloko disbanded in 2004, Murphy went solo, and that's when the magic really happened.
00:57With an impeccable ear for original sounds, Murphy crafts music that is both cerebral
01:01and irresistibly danceable.
01:09Her songs blend elements of disco, house, art-pop, and avant-garde electronica, yet
01:14she pushes boundaries even further with her eccentric fashion style.
01:18Perhaps it's this refusal to conform to industry trends that has kept Murphy out of the mainstream,
01:23But that's precisely what makes her so brilliant.
01:329.
01:33Ally X
01:41Pop music often gets a lot of flack for how formulaic it can be, but some artists still
01:46manage to find very innovative takes on the genre.
01:49Case in point, Ally X.
01:50Since emerging with her breakout single, Catch, in 2014, the Canadian singer has been on a
01:55mission to stretch the limits of pop with every new release.
02:05Whether it's the glittering synth-pop perfection of Super Sunset, the emotional rawness of
02:09Cape God, or the gothic glam rock edge of Girl With No Face, Ally X continuously reinvents
02:15herself without losing her unique artistic vision.
02:17Yes, it's true that mainstream pop tends to favor safe, formulaic hits, so it's no surprise
02:22that an artist with such a distinct identity has struggled to break through.
02:318.
02:35Kim Petras
02:44You could argue that Kim Petras isn't exactly underrated, since she won a Grammy in 2023
02:48for Unholy.
02:49But outside of that hit, she hasn't had another song truly break into the mainstream.
02:54Petras released her first single, I Don't Want It At All, in 2017, which earned her
02:58a spot as a Spotify Rise artist.
03:07Since then, she has perfected a hyper-polished pop sound, which, paired with her genre-blurring
03:13experiments, make her more dynamic than your average singer.
03:15Granted, Petras has a massive LGBTQIA plus fanbase, but she has yet to attain that full-blown
03:21crossover moment.
03:22Could her unapologetically raunchy style be keeping her off mainstream radio?
03:26Maybe.
03:27But if that were a deal-breaker, half of today's A-listers wouldn't be where they are.
03:357.
03:38Rina Sawayama
03:40Born in Japan and raised in the UK, Rina Sawayama initially struggled to understand her peers,
03:45but she ultimately bridged that language gap with pop music.
03:48So it's only fitting that she ended up becoming a pop singer herself.
03:58Her 2020 debut album Sawayama was released to widespread acclaim, packed with anthems
04:03like Access and STFU, which tackled capitalism and racism.
04:07The album was also instrumental in getting the British phonographic industry to change
04:11its rules, after Sawayama was initially deemed ineligible for major UK awards due to her
04:16citizenship status.
04:24Her 2022 follow-up Hold the Girl pushed her artistry even further, balancing deeply personal
04:30storytelling with grand, theatrical pop production.
04:33Still, it hasn't gotten Sawayama the level of attention she fully deserves.
04:456.
04:46Sophie Ellis Baxter
04:53English singer Sophie Ellis Baxter also started out as the lead vocalist of a 90s pop group
04:57before going solo in the early 2000s.
05:00She made a striking debut in 2001 with Read My Lips, an album that quickly solidified
05:05her as a pop powerhouse.
05:07It produced the single Murder on the Dance Floor, her most iconic hit to date.
05:16While her subsequent songs didn't reach the same heights, it's certainly not for lack
05:20of talent.
05:21Unlike many of her contemporaries, Ellis Baxter has consistently evolved, drawing inspiration
05:25from different cultures to refine her sound.
05:28Her resurgence due to 2023's Saltburn might suggest she's merely a nostalgia act, but
05:32Ellis Baxter deserves far more credit for shaping modern pop and keeping disco alive
05:37in the 21st century.
05:425.
05:44Zara Larsson
05:45Zara Larsson was just 10 years old when she won the second season of Talang, the Swedish
05:50version of Got Talent.
05:51It was the perfect launching pad for the then-aspiring singer, and while Larsson has built an impressive
05:56career since then, she just hasn't reached the level of recognition she should have by
06:00now.
06:08Larsson has had a string of successful collaborations, most notably with Clean Bandit on Symphony.
06:13However, none of her solo songs, which are just as polished and infectious, have ever
06:17attained that same level of success.
06:25Larsson's ability to blend pop, R&B, and house so seamlessly should place her among
06:29today's top-tier pop stars, but she remains surprisingly overlooked in industry discussions
06:34and award considerations.
06:404.
06:45Marina
06:46Alternative pop had its golden era in the early 2010s, with artists such as Lorde and
06:50Lana Del Rey leading the charge.
06:52But amid the hype, there were some incredible artists that slipped under the radar, and
06:56Marina sits on top of that list.
07:05Formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds, this Welsh singer-songwriter introduced the
07:09world to her distinct quirky sound with her 2010 debut album The Family Jewels.
07:14Every single project she has put out since then has managed to improve upon that sound,
07:18all while keeping her sharp wit and biting social commentary intact.
07:27Even as the alt-pop genre has produced more chart-topping artists in the 2020s, Marina
07:31continues to be glossed over by the mainstream, which, frankly, feels like an injustice.
07:393.
07:42Jessie Ware
07:43When she debuted in 2012, Jessie Ware had a more R&B-leaning sound that won her acclaim.
07:48But in 2020, something shifted.
07:59The British singer ditched the moody minimalism for disco with What's Your Pleasure.
08:03This marked the birth of a modern pop icon.
08:05The album was praised for harkening back to the genre's golden era with a polished twist.
08:10She kept the momentum going with 2023's That Feels Good, tapping into her R&B roots while
08:15down on the shimmering, high-energy production.
08:25The thing with Ware is that she doesn't just rely on danceable beats.
08:29Her soulful and deeply expressive voice can elevate anything, whether it's an intimate
08:33ballad or a groovy anthem.
08:35It's about time the world stopped sleeping on her.
08:422.
08:45Tuva Lu
08:46Sweden has given the world plenty of musical giants, but one of its underrated yet highly
08:51influential exports is Tuva Lu.
08:59Since her 2014 breakout Habits, Stay High, Lu has crafted innovative pop music with a
09:03dark element, infusing grunge and synth-heavy production.
09:07Her songwriting prowess is unmatched.
09:10Not only has she penned dozens of gems for herself, she's also lent her skills to several
09:14other artists, including some on this very list.
09:24With every album, Lu gets better and better, taking bold risks that pay off both sonically
09:29and aesthetically.
09:30She's the kind of artist other musicians admire, yet somehow still flies under the mainstream
09:35radar.
09:36Whether people realize it or not, she's shaping the future of pop music.
09:47Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
09:51Banks, a visionary pop artist that always leaves room for some experimentation.
09:58Foxes, known for Clarity with Zedd, but her solo music is just as catchy.
10:10Slater, a hyper-pop powerhouse who consistently delivers infectious bangers.
10:23Agnes, Release Me still has us in a chokehold, but her subsequent work is even better.
10:39Kimbra, beyond her hit with Gautier, Kimbra still makes innovative pop music too few listen
10:44to.
11:12Carly Rae Jepsen.
11:19To many, Carly Rae Jepsen is still just the call-me-maybe girl, due to the 2012 smash
11:24hit that topped the charts in several countries.
11:26With an international debut that massive, it seemed like she was destined for a career
11:30filled with chart-topping hits.
11:32But the reality hasn't quite matched that expectation.
11:35While her 2015 album Emotion underperformed commercially, critics loved it, and it quickly
11:40became a cult favorite.
11:48Jepsen has also built a reputation as a prolific songwriter, always releasing companion projects
11:53filled with songs that are just as good, if not better, than the main album.
11:57With a knack for crafting emotionally rich pop music, Jepsen stays consistently ahead
12:01of the curve.
12:02If only the rest of the world would catch up.
12:10What other modern pop queens do you think deserve more flowers than they actually get?
12:14Give them a shout-out in the comments below.
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