Tai Verdes
https://www.taiverdes.com
Tai Verdes was an essential worker with a 9-to-5 job at an LA Verizon Wireless store. Now he has one of the biggest viral hits in the US, hailed by The New York Times as one of the "Best Songs of 2020". After posting a series of TikTok videos, Tai's breakout single "Stuck In The Middle" took flight hitting #1 on Spotify's US viral chart (and 22 International Charts) and has since amassed more than 80 million streams and over 2.6 million TikTok creations, which have been viewed over 3billion times since the songs release in late May 2020. Tai's newestsingle"A-O-K"is on track to follow the same path, having notched more than 40 million views of the teaser and nearly 100,000 pre-saves before the feel good anthem's release earlier this month. The 25-year-old may have won the TikTok lottery, but he's playing the long game. And he's playing for keeps. "I'm gonna be a problem," says the 6'7 singer with a smile, who carries himself with as much charisma as stature. "I love everything that's happening. But this is not a one song thing, this is a 10-album thing."
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renforshort
https://www.renforshort.com
For renforshort, music is her diary: unfiltered, full of angst and tackling everyday teen struggles hit hardest when coming of age. The 18-year-old singer-songwriter doesn't pretend to have it all figured out, but she wants us to be by her side while she does. After releasing just two independent singles, Lauren inked her first record deal with Interscope Records just last year. At the peak of the pandemic, she shared her debut EP teenage angst, brimming with seven soul-baring, alt-pop bangers influenced by everyone from Nirvana to Amy Winehouse.
And she hasn't slowed down since. While quarantine found many teens biding their time making TikTok videos, renforshort continued cutting her teeth writing music. The result is her sophomore EP off saint dominique, a collection of deeply reflective and snappy tracks that range from acoustic pop to alt-rock to pop-punk. Finding inspiration in cinematic horror and Stranger Things, there's a darker, more mature edge to off saint dominique. "Sonically there's inspiration everywhere from hyperpop, to grunge to even almost Disney vibes," renforshort says. With off saint dominique, renforshort wants to continue taking listeners along with her as she navigates the complexities of young adulthood and becomes more comfortable in her art.