Tayá - Taya (2017)

Vocalist Tayá arrived with a mature contemporary R&B sound despite her young age. Born in Liverpool, England, she absorbed classic Motown as a youngster and developed an affinity for pop-R&B artists like Ashanti and Ciara. Discovered after she joined a choir -- her intent was simply to spend time with friends, not to ignite a career -- she signed to the U.K. wing of major-label Atlantic. She made her recorded debut as a teenager in 2015 with the June release of the atmospheric slow jam "Got Me Wondering." "Fingerprints," an aching ballad with Soulection affiliate Sango, followed that November. A slice of modern hip-hop soul, "Sweet Waste of Time," was out by the end of February 2016, trailed a few months later by a club-oriented collaboration with Redlight, "Here with Me." ~ Andy Kellman