The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill. It was released on August 19, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. Recorded after the Fugees embarked on a hiatus, the album was almost entirely written and produced by Hill. It is a concept album about educating oneself on love, with lyrical themes encompassing relationship complexities, interpersonal conflicts, motherhood, and faith. Predominantly a neo soul and R&B record, it incorporates genres such as hip hop, reggae, and soul, and features guest appearances from Carlos Santana, Mary J. Blige, and D'Angelo.
Diana Gordon, known professionally as Wynter Gordon, is an American singer and songwriter. She began her career writing music for other artists, later signing with Atlantic Records where she started to work on her own album. Her debut album With the Music I Die was released in 2011, with its lead single "Dirty Talk" receiving triple platinum and gold certifications in Australia and the United Kingdom. She began going by her birth name in 2016, and released the extended plays Pure (2018) and Wasted Youth (2020)
Marlanna Evans, better known by her stage name Rapsody, is an American rapper. After signing with music producer 9th Wonder's music label It's a Wonderful World Music Group, she released a series of mixtapes and collaborated with Erykah Badu and Talib Kweli. Soon afterwards Rapsody released her debut album The Idea of Beautiful (2012). She would attain further prominence when she was featured on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly, on the track "Complexion ".
Claudia Alexandra Madriz Meza, known professionally as Snow tha Product, is a Mexican American rapper and singer from San Jose, California. Her debut studio album, Unorthodox (2011) was met with positive critical reception and led her to sign with Atlantic Records the following year. Her commercial mixtape, Half Way There... Pt. 1 (2016) entered the Top Rap Albums chart at number 15. Her other releases failed to chart, leading her to part ways with the label in November 2018.
Karly Marina Loaiza, known professionally as Kali Uchis, is an American singer and songwriter. After releasing her debut mixtape Drunken Babble (2012), she gained recognition for her debut extended play, Por Vida (2015). She signed with Virgin EMI Records to release her debut studio album Isolation (2018), which peaked at number 34 on the Billboard 200 and saw widespread acclaim. She then signed with Interscope Records to release her second studio album and first Spanish-language project, Sin Miedo (2020). It spawned the single "Telepatía", which first gained virality on TikTok and marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 25, also receiving double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her third studio album, Red Moon in Venus (2023) peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, while her fourth album and second Spanish-language project, Orquídeas (2024), peaked at number two.
Courtney Shanade Salter, known professionally as Ari Lennox, is an American R&B singer-songwriter from Washington, D.C. She signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records as the former label's first female artist in 2015. She started gaining recognition after the release of her second extended play (EP) and major label debut, Pho (2016). That same year, she made an uncredited guest appearance on Cole's song "Change". Her debut studio album, Shea Butter Baby (2019), was met with critical praise and lukewarm commercial response.
Alma-Sofia Miettinen, known professionally as Alma, is a Finnish singer and songwriter. Beginning her career in 2013, she placed fifth in the seventh season of the Finnish version of Idol. Her breakthrough came in 2015 when she was featured on the single "Muuta ku mä" by Sini Sabotage, and was subsequently signed to Universal Music Group.
Rachel Agatha Keen, known professionally as Raye, is an English singer and songwriter. She first rose to prominence after signing with Polydor Records, and later her 2016 collaborations, "By Your Side" and "You Don't Know Me" with Jonas Blue and Jax Jones respectively. She also gained media attention following her departure from Polydor after the label allegedly refused to release her debut album.
Lehlogonolo Ronald Mataboge, known professionally as A-Reece, is a South African rapper, songwriter and record producer. He was raised in Pretoria, Gauteng.
Genesis Yasmine Mohanraj, known by her stage name Tommy Genesis, is a Canadian rapper and model. In 2016, Dazed magazine described her as "the internet's most rebellious underground rap queen". Her music incorporates experimental style and often sexual verses. Her debut album titled Tommy Genesis was released in November 2018. Her second album Goldilocks X was released in September 2021.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known professionally as H.E.R. is a Filipino-American singer, songwriter and composer. She has won an Academy Award, a Children's and Family Emmy Award, and five Grammy Awards, along with nominations for a Golden Globe Award, three American Music Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards.
Alba Farelo Solé, known professionally as Bad Gyal, is Spanish singer, songwriter, DJ and model. Known for her distinctive overall use of Auto-Tune, Bad Gyal has developed a strong cult following ever since her musical career began in 2016, with an interpretation of Rihanna's "Work" in the Catalan language. She continued to make music as an independent artist, releasing records like "Indapanden", "Jacaranda" and "Fiebre". Bad Gyal later released two mixtapes: Slow Wine Mixtape (2016) and Worldwide Angel (2018), which consecrated her as an emerging artist within the Spanish urban scene.
Stephanie Victoria Allen, known professionally as Stefflon Don, is an English rapper and singer. She rose to fame after her 2017 single "Hurtin' Me" peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2016, Allen released her debut mixtape Real Ting followed by another mixtape, Secure, in 2018.
Snoh Sheri Nowrozi, better known by her stage name Snoh Aalegra, is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, Feels, was released in 2017, followed by Ugh, Those Feels Again in 2019.
Summer Marjani Walker is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Atlanta, she signed with the local record label Love Renaissance, an imprint of Interscope Records in late 2017. The following year, she released her debut commercial mixtape Last Day of Summer (2018), supported by its lead single, "Girls Need Love." The song became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned a remix featuring Canadian rapper Drake. Her debut studio album, Over It (2019) was met with critical and commercial success, peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 chart—briefly breaking the record for the biggest debut streaming week for a female R&B artist—and receiving triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Michael Wilson Hardy, known professionally as HARDY, is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has written songs for Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, Blake Shelton, Dallas Smith, Thomas Rhett, and Morgan Wallen. He released his debut album A Rock for Big Loud Records, as well as the mixtape Hixtape, Vol. 1. His singles "Give Heaven Some Hell", "One Beer", "Wait in the Truck" and "Truck Bed" charted in the US and Canada and he was featured on the Dallas Smith song "Some Things Never Change". His album, The Mockingbird & the Crow, topped the country music charts in early 2023.
Haviah Mighty is a Canadian rapper from Brampton, Ontario. She rose to prominence in 2016 as a member of the hip hop group the Sorority, before releasing several EPs on her own, most notably Flower City, in 2017. Her first album, 13th Floor, was released in 2019 and won the Polaris Music Prize. After her debut, XXL named her one of the "15 Toronto rappers you should know" and CBC Music called her one of the "New Faces of Canadian Hip Hop".
Sarah Faith Griffiths, known professionally as Griff, is an English singer-songwriter. In 2019, she released her debut single, "Mirror Talk", through Warner Records. This was followed by her debut extended play of the same name, released later that year. Griff was named the Rising Star at the 2021 Brit Awards, becoming one of the youngest winners in the category at 20. Later that year, she released her debut mixtape, One Foot in Front of the Other, to commercial success and critical acclaim. On 12 July 2024, Griff released her debut studio album, Vertigo.
Olivia Lauryn Dean is an English neo soul singer. She has released one studio album: Messy (2023) and five EPs. In 2021, Dean was named the breakthrough artist of the year by Amazon Music and, in 2023, Dean was selected as BBC Music Introducing Artist of the Year.
Bayli Mckeithan, known professionally as Bayli, is an American Pop and R&B singer. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, she first gained fame as part of the music band The Skins, with which she released one EP and various singles. Following the group's hiatus in 2018, she began the solo project, BAYLI.
