Step into the dazzling world of overlooked pop excellence! Join us as we celebrate the most remarkable female artists who consistently deliver musical gems but somehow still fly under the mainstream radar. From innovative production to powerful vocals, these queens deserve their crown!
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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.