With all the commotion over Taylor Swift these days, one might begin to wonder how in the world could any new “female” artist make a splash. Well, the easy answer is that the Swift-overload has already begun. Says one prominent PR-specialist in NYC “What Taylor and her team have accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary, but the fact of the matter is that once you hit the top, it’s difficult to maintain the momentum. From increasing the audience for football to being Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ Swift’s impact cannot be minimized, but the music buying audience these days are indeed a fickle one.”
Says SHOWBIZ 411’s Roger Friedman: “It’s only a couple of years ago that Jon Batiste won Album of the Year at the Grammy’s. He was the toast of the town. But at last week’s Grammy’s, Batiste — with a nomination for Album of the Year — was shown just playing Bill Withers songs in the In Memorial section.”
One artist to certainly watch -who both performs and writes her own music- is 17-year-old Kjersti Long (pronounced care-sti).
With one solid album under her belt (Stronger Than You Think I Am), she took on Instagram and TikTok in 2023 making a name for herself as a music influencer with over 160 thousand new followers and achieving more than 50 million views.
Long’s music -both writing and performing- has drawn immediate interest for its rock roots. She says: “I was about 8 or 9 when I started singing. It was really casual … my dad plays the guitar, and he would find songs that were fun that I liked. My grandma had a birthday, and her favorite band was Heart, so my dad asked me to sing a song for her birthday and I did. It was the first rock song that I was introduced to, and I loved it. So, that created the rock-pop edge to my music.”
Her tracks “Boys In Jersey” and “IDC (Ask Me If I Care)” were fierce tracks, both attracting a sizable following. Not afraid to embrace covers as well, her interpretation of the Beatles’ hit “Eleanor Rigby” commanded a huge following as well, with her masterfully making it sound like her own composition and her newest single, “Sad Song” (via Origin Entertainment/ Modsquad via Warner’s ADA) released on February 9, 2024 continues her journey.
Check out the video for “Boys In Jersey” here:
She said to Medium: “I just want my music to be a light to those that are in the dark. If my music can help just one person, then I’m happy.”
Long also collaborated with Ryan Follese (Hot Chelle Rae”) and is in production on a theatrical work called Relative Space; based on her music. The production is eyeing a 2025 Broadway presentation.
She also co-wrote a track for Vanessa Williams next album release and is eyeing an upcoming tour later this year.
Get ready for Kjersti Long in 2024
