MUSIC

50 Artists you Should watch at SXSW Online 2021 – Part Two

Earlier this week SXSW announced its full list of performers for 2021. 

With 280 artists hailing from 36 countries, the festival offers a taste of exceptional talent from around the world. As the festival is being hosted online this year, international artists who in other years would have had to deal with visas and transportation costs, are at the forefront. This year, ~70% of the artists performing hail from places outside the US, as compared to the ~40% featured in both the 2019 and cancelled 2020 lineup.

Here, in alphabetical order, is Part Two of the 50 artists – from the US and abroad – that we think you should check out at SXSW Online 2021.

You can find all of these artists, and a few other showcase artists we love, on our SXSW Online 2021 LIL Mix. 

Check out Part One of our list! 

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millenium parade

Alternative / Indie | Tokyo, Japan | Listen To: Trepanation

This Japanese creative collective, led by the frontman of J-Pop band King Gnu, combines the creative talents of various musicians, visual artists, filmmakers, designers, and producers. Their live shows typically feature breathtaking visuals, so we’re especially excited to see what they create for their SXSW performance.

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Miro Shot

Alternative / Indie | London, England | Listen To: Half Of Us

Miro Shot is more than just a “band”. They’re an “open source collective” of over 450 members who create visuals, music videos, live VR concerts, and virtual concerts – in addition to making great tunes as well. As part of their SXSW Online set, they are featuring Collective members’ NFTs. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, combine blockchain technology with digital artwork. Given SXSW Online’s focus on XR this year, we’re excited to see what Miro Shot will bring to their performance

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Nané

R&B / Soul | Austin, USA | Listen To: Blue Velvet

Nané’s tune “Blue Velvet” caught the attention of Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, and given the band’s irresistible indie-soul groove it’s very easy to see why. Their tune “Quaranteen” is arguably the catchiest thing to come out of this pandemic (unfortunate pun intended).

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Nayana Iz

Hip-Hop / Rap | London, England | Listen To: Growing Pains

With a personal music history that includes jazz performance and an early indie-pop band, Nayana Iz’s brand of hip-hop blends genres to create a sound of her own. Born in India, and raised in England, Iz is using her music to better connect with her motherland through her performance production and visuals. This influence is especially apparent in the track TNT.

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Noya Rao

Dance / Electronic | Leeds, England | Listen To: Talk

Noya Rao’s “synth-drenched, futuristic soul” feels both old-school and ultra-modern. Drawing from jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music, the quartet synthesizes their influences into a smart, danceable, sound.