Bossa nova is a relaxed style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a calm syncopated rhythm with chords and fingerstyle mimicking the beat of a samba groove, as if it was a simplification and stylization on the guitar of the rhythm produced by a samba school band. Another defining characteristic of the style is the use of unconventional chords in some cases with complex progressions and "ambiguous" harmonies. A common misconception is that these complex chords and harmonies were derived from jazz, but samba guitar players have been using similar arrangement structures since the early 1920s, indicating a case of parallel evolution of styles rather than a simple transference from jazz to bossa nova. Nevertheless, bossa nova was influenced by jazz, both in the harmonies used and also by the instrumentation of songs, and today many bossa nova songs are considered jazz standards. The popularity of bossa nova has helped to renew samba and contributed to the modernization of Brazilian music in general.
Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop, electronica, and Brazilian music, including bossa nova.
Vetiver is an American folk band headed by songwriter Andy Cabic.
Jennifer Vashti Bunyan is an English singer-songwriter. She began her career in the mid-1960s and released a debut album, Just Another Diamond Day, in 1970. The album sold very few copies and Bunyan, discouraged, abandoned her musical career. By 2000, her album had acquired a cult following; it was re-released and Bunyan recorded more songs, initiating the second phase of her musical career after a gap of thirty years. She released two more albums, Lookaftering in 2005, and Heartleap in 2014.
Lisa Ono is a Brazilian-Japanese bossa nova singer.
Just Another Diamond Day is the debut album by the English folk singer-songwriter Vashti Bunyan, and was released on Philips Records in December 1970. Much of the album is a musical reflection on Bunyan and travelling partner Robert Lewis's experiences while travelling by horse and wagon through Scotland in 1968. It highlighted Bunyan's vocals with minimal instrumental accompaniment that was arranged by contemporary musical artists supervised under record producer Joe Boyd.
Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won six Grammy Awards.
Anthony Reynolds is a Welsh musician. He has worked as a solo artist and in collaboration with others in his bands Jack and Jacques.
Astrud Gilberto was a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer and songwriter. She gained international attention in the mid-1960s following her recording of the song "The Girl from Ipanema".
Fiona Brice is an English composer, orchestral arranger and violinist.
Nina Nesbitt is a Scottish singer and songwriter. She is best known for her UK and Scottish top 40 hit singles "Stay Out" and "Selfies". She also earned further recognition with her rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" which was featured in an advert for the department store John Lewis.
Juliana Areias is a Brazilian singer-songwriter based in Australia. She is best known for her Bossa nova-style and her album Bossa Nova Baby, released in 2015. She has toured internationally and also recorded six albums with Márcio Catunda.
Sabrina Claudio is an American singer and songwriter. In late 2016, Claudio uploaded several songs to SoundCloud, before compiling a select collection as part of her debut extended play, Confidently Lost, which was released independently in March 2017.
Alexander James O'Connor, known professionally as Rex Orange County, is an English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. NPR Music's Zoë Jones has described O'Connor's music as "a bright blend of hip-hop, jazz, and bedroom pop".
Anna Burch is an American singer-songwriter from Detroit, Michigan.
Christiana Elizabeth "Tia" Wallman, better known by her stage name Tia Blake, was an American singer-songwriter and writer. She was known for her 1971 debut album, Folk Songs & Ballads: Tia Blake and Her Folk-Group. Originally released only in France and selling very few copies, it was reissued in 2011 and has been described as a rediscovered lost album. The album gained cult status during the 1990s and 2000s, with comparisons being drawn to musicians such as Nick Drake and Nico.
Maia, known professionally as mxmtoon, is an American singer-songwriter and YouTuber. Her music is characterized by emotionally transparent, confessional lyrics and often employs the ukulele. She released her first EP, Plum Blossom (2018); her debut album, The Masquerade (2019); the 2020 twin EPs—Dawn, Dusk; and her second studio album Rising (2022). In 2024, she released her third studio album, Liminal Space.
Shannon Lay is an American folk and punk musician. She has released four solo albums and was a member of the band Feels.
Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir, known mononymously as Laufey, is an Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician. She rose to prominence in the early 2020s for her success as a jazz-inspired pop artist.
"Falling Behind" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey. It was released through AWAL on 11 August 2022, as the fifth single from her first studio album, Everything I Know About Love (2022).
