Leah Kate is not your typical pop artist—the impending music starlet has an incredible ability to channel multi-faceted emotions into accessible yet poignant ballads. Upon first listen, her discography articulates like a sonic diary, sharing some of the singer-songwriter’s most intimate and unadulterated experiences while simultaneously detailing her relatable journey of self-discovery and the emotions enveloped within it.

The Los Angeles-born pop star in the making came on the scene with the release of her 2019 debut EP, Impulse. A quick succession of singles followed, with her Used To This EP arriving only a year later. She quickly garnered buzz for stand-out songs such as “Fuck Up The Friendship” which led to her gaining an enormous social media following in the span of a few months with the help of a handful of remixes and catching the attention of Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian. The song—a true story about catching feelings for a friend of hers—gained over 50 million streams and demonstrates the power that Gen Z holds over the Internet.

Arriving in late 2021, Leah Kate continues her rise to viral triumph with the release of her What Just Happened? EP. Comprised of six songs, the full-length offering paints a portrait of a young woman navigating through life’s ups and downs including love lost and found, and much more. Pre-release singles like “Veronica” and “Calabasas” appear on the project while newer records such as “F U Anthem” propel the EP to newfound heights both artistically and commercially.

Despite being released back in October, Leah’s “F U Anthem” is rapidly ascending to popularity thanks to TikTok and its nostalgia-inducing visuals, which are a mix of ’90s angst blended with modern-day pop aesthetics. The song has since then amassed over 5 million streams across streaming services and nearly a quarter-million video creations on the video-sharing platform, making it her second most-streamed song to date. “I wrote this and randomly just thought to myself, I wish I had a fuck you anthem to blast to get all of my feelings out, so I literally just wrote one right then and there,” she told EUPHORIA. on the inspiration behind the record.

Already, this is shaping up to be yet another phenomenal year for Leah Kate as her fanbase continues to scale massively along with her music catalog. Injecting her youthful spirit and cheerful energy into the world, the future is bright for the “Shit Show” singer. She’s carving out her own pocket in the industry and if the previous years showed us anything, it’s that she has the star power to thrive within all corners of pop.

Elsewhere in music, meet Nashville’s rising artist Lou Ridley making anti-country country anthems.