The artist otherwise known as Laura Pergolizzi is behind a lot of charting tracks—for Rihanna, Cher, the Backstreet Boys, Leona Lewis, and Christina Aguilera, among others. Her own more varied, alt-pop-oriented catalog hasn’t enjoyed much Billboard time, though singles like the upbeat heartache of “Lost on You” saw high commercial success in Europe (it went 4x platinum in Italy). Her vocals can reach dramatic heights of belting that are tempered with a lower-key smoky, burry tonality not unlike Stevie Nicks, though 2018’s Heart to Mouth shows that her grooves are as varied as her delivery.

by Leilani Polk