The convergence of urban, hip-hop elements and traditional indie pop has been one of the greatest musical surprises, producing, for me at least, some of the year’s best singles. Even the traditionally nature oriented Animal Collective has seen the urbanity in going urban.
Of artists taking this route, Stockholm-based Elliphant is certainly one of the more forward thinking of the bunch. She burst onto the scene with a mind-blowing viral video teaser campaign for her single, “In the Jungle,” which captured the attention of Icona Pop and Niki and The Dove’s producers.
Since then, she’s released the profanely, delicious earworms “Ciant Hear It” and “Tekkno Scene,” and this week released the more streamlined “Down on Life.” Elliphant’s new single percolates with underground, gritty synth beats, with unforgiving lyrics that are as comfortable painting a bedroom scene between two torn lovers as they are illuminating a trek through a city nightscape.
While I love Charli XCX, this is the kind of music that she wishes she could have made on her recent EP efforts. It definitely places Elliphant as one of the artists to watch for 2013. Check out more on her SoundCloud.