Underrated Singers

Ripleigh’s pick:

Lauren Spencer Smith is my favorite unrecognized singer. She is a British-born Canadian singer with a beautiful voice that can sing both high and low pitches. Her lyrics are well-written and flow beautifully, without too much repetition, unlike many hit songs. Her song “Flowers” is her most well-known song, which many people found because of its name’s similarity to Miley Cyrus’s hit song. Smith mostly writes slower songs, like “Narcissist” and “Fingers Crossed,” but also has some upbeat songs, like my personal favorite, “Fantasy,” which also has a remix featuring GAYLE and Em Beihold, both of whom I consider very good underrated singers as well. 

Smith’s songs mostly deal with heartbreak and healing, but also feature strong themes of being better off without the other person in the relationship. She has done a few remixes of Christmas songs, having made covers of “Santa Baby” and “Last Christmas,” and many other songs by famous artists such as Lady Gaga and Pink, to name a few. Smith has a similar sound to Adele with her ability to deliver emotional and vulnerable lyrics in a powerful voice. Her songs share similar themes with Olivia Rodrigo’s, both singing about deep heartbreak.

Siyona’s pick:

Tori Kelly is another incredibly underrated singer with a gorgeous voice. She is known for her R&B and gospel music, starting her songs relaxed and neutral and bringing the listener into the song. She started singing when she was 14, posting covers on YouTube (which eventually led her to her record label). She then auditioned for American Idol in season 9, and was featured again in season 24 as a mentor. After competing on American Idol she released her debut album, “Unbreakable Smile,” on June 23, 2015, with hit songs “Nobody Love” and “Should Have Been Us.” She also won a Grammy for her gospel album “Hiding Place” and gospel performance “Never Alone” in 2019. Kelly also voiced Meena the elephant in Sing and Sing 2. Kelly is also an extremely talented guitarist, performing Leonard Cohen's “Hallelujah” on guitar at the 2016 Emmy Awards. Tori Kelly has amazing vocal stamina and pitch. 

We hope you enjoyed reading about our favorite underrated singers! Feel free to listen to these singers' songs. Their voices are so unique and amazing!