You Heard It Here First: These Are the Music Acts To Watch in 2023

UPSAHL

Taylor Upsahl, or better known by her stage name, UPSAHL is a versatile indie hitmaker. The 24-year-old songwriter’s work ethic is non-stop with multiple mixtape releases coming out this year. Her song “Drugs” catapulted her into TikTok fame and catchiness with the loopy chorus, and after that, she’s been releasing bangers  like “People I Don’t Like” and “Antsy.” Though well before virality, a younger UPSAHL graced Lollapalooza in 2019 at the smaller BMI stage. This year, she took control of the Bud Light main stage with her rocking and vibrant stage presence. We talked about her year-long tour with Tove Lo, her new release THE PHX TAPES Vol. 3, and her gorgeous fashion sense. 

You’ve been performing non-stop this year, what’s it like to be on stage and what’s your favorite moment?

It’s been fucking amazing. I always joke that I could live out of a suitcase and just toured like 365 days a year. That’s my dream. So being on the road this much this year has been cool. Like getting to go to Europe and places that haven’t been before and meeting like new fans there.  I would say the highlight was Lollapalooza though. This was so fun. I’m gonna be riding this high for a very long time. It’s sick.

What would you say to your 2019 self—to someone who was playing here for the first time?

I would probably just say to continue to trust your gut and your instincts. I feel like at that time, I had no idea what the fuck I was doing at all times of the day, and somehow I finessed my way into the main stage at Lollapalooza. I think the biggest thing I guess I’ve learned since then is just to trust my art and my vision. I feel like the musicians that I’m the biggest fan of are people who are making songs that come from a very authentic place. So, I’m just trying to continue to do that for sure.

You have THE PHX TAPES Vol. 3 coming out so soon. How are you feeling about that?

I genuinely say every release that I’m so excited. There are two songs on it. Side A is called” 0 or 100.” It’s the most excited I’ve been about a release in years. I feel like the song is different for me very vulnerable and personal. So, I’m a little scared, but still genuinely excited. We played the song today during our set for the first time and it was really fun.

Do you think there’s a formula for writing a viral song?

No, I fucking wish. For a while, with the rise of TikTok and how important it’s become for music, it scared me. I was writing songs and I was thinking “ Would this do well on TikTok?” I think the way it’s democratized music. As an artist, all I have control over is just making a song that I think is cool and that I like. Hopefully, if I like it, that means somebody else will maybe relate. I think that’s the formula if there is one. It’s continuing to not really think about the virality of something. It’s easy to get in that headspace.

You’re so fashion-forward with your performance outfits. What goes through your mind when picking out a fit for a day? 

This year, I wanted to strictly wear tracksuits just because they’re so comfy. It’s an outfit but it actually feels like pajamas. So I’m just struggling with tracksuits right now which is fun, but I think like when I’m picking on an outfit, I love a good monochrome. I feel like whenever I’m wearing something a little boxy or baggy, l look the sexiest. I try to just like do whatever makes me feel hot— whether it’s wearing a little tiny dress or big oversized t-shirts. It just depends on the day. 

The Rose

August 3 is a monumental day for The Rose. It’s the sixth anniversary of their first single “Sorry” and Woosung, Dojoon, Hajoon, and Jaehyeong could not be more giddy and thrilled. After performing at different festivals and iterations of Lollapaloozas in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, they closed out the Bacardi Stage in Chicago on Thursday night with lots of gratitude for their fans (affectionately called Black Rose). The Korean indie band is set to meet more fans across the globe on their DAWN TO DUSK tour and is releasing their upcoming album Dual later this year. 

What’s something that you learned from your last tour that you would want to change for this tour?

Woosung: Better production! Spend some money on production. [Everyone laughs]

What kind of production? 

Woosung: Just something expensive!

Dojoon: Something cool, big, and better.

Woosung: We want to fly out of a helicopter onto the stage with our guitars on and we also want to have wires so when we play guitars during the breakdowns so we can fly in!

Hajoon: We’re gonna perform under the sea. 

Jaehyeong: Sorry!

Woosung: Today’s the sixth year of “Sorry” being out!

Congrats! Your fans are super proud of all of your accomplishments! How do you want to reflect on it since it came out?

Woosung: We don’t wanna reflect we just want to move forward. [Everyone laughs] Just kidding, we made mistakes and we made good decisions, we don’t want to make the same mistakes. 

Are there any differences between performing at each Lollapalooza in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Chicago?

Woosung: Each country had its own flavor to it. Then, there were bigger ones, smaller ones, and ones that were hotter outside. Like today’s hot, but Argentina was hotter. 

With your new album Dual coming out, how would you describe your music evolving?

Dojoon: It’s called Dual and it’s about duality. 

Woosung: Nice. 

Dojoon: Well, you know how a human being has every aspect and duality? We want to put that out as a song—into those lyrics and sounds.

Woosung: It’s also about balancing the duality.

Were there any creative challenges that you came upon writing the album?

Woosung: Of course not, we’re The Rose. [Everyone laughs]

Dojoon: Every time we sit down on a chair and say, “What should we write about?” That’s a challenge. We try too much and sometimes it ruins the vibe. So we always try to stay light and heavy. Yeah, it’s dual! That’s the background of the album.

Jaehyeong: The funny thing is that we made the name Dual in an Olive Garden. We were eating pasta and immediately came up with it. 

Woosung: Olive Garden hit us up!

What were you eating specifically? 

Woosung: I was eating a pomodoro. 

Dojoon: Meatballs and Spaghetti. 

Jaehyeong: Same.

Hajoon: I don’t remember.

Sarah Kinsley

Sarah Kinsley performs with ethereal wonder. It’s early in the day and breezy, and her music sweeps across the hazy Grant Park. A couple of years ago, she was a Columbia University college girl producing music in her bedroom and with the virality of her glistening song “The King,” now she’s traveling everywhere—making an impeccable impact with her fans. Fresh off the stage, she’s beaming with excitement and relief. 

How was your first Lollapalooza experience?

It was literally incredible. There are multiple moments in the show where I was looking around at the crowd and feeling people’s energy seeing their faces on how they reacted to a lot of the new songs live. It genuinely felt like a dream. I felt really elated and on Cloud 9. When we got off stage, the ground was just immaculate and the energy was so good. I had a great time. 

What went into picking the setlist for the festival?

Choosing the order of songs is such a funny job to do because I don’t really think about it. And then the time comes, and we have to figure it out. It almost comes in waves. I love going to concerts, I love feeling how people structure a set and it’s been fun to create this sort of hourglass or like a V of coming out with a really strong few songs and getting people moving and feeling the sort of vibe of the crowd. Then inviting people to wander into intimacy, and to be a little bit more relaxed and see how people feel. It was such a treat because people were still so in it during those slower songs in the middle of the set, which I was really hoping for. You never know at a festival, like when you play songs that are ballads, or they’re just generally softer on how people will feel. But they just received it so well and gave back so much to me. It was a real pleasure.

I love your TikTok videos where you’re deconstructing production on a song. What’s it like to translate those production skills whenever your performing live?

In some ways, showing the production behind the scenes, it feels organic, in a lot of ways. It also feels like “Oh, I’m adding people into the process of how I make music.” But it can be equally very artificial. Because it’s edited and it’s chopped together live, it’s like you’re seeing the real thing.

We’ve just really started playing shows, but I think a really important thing for people to not only hear the elements of what I’ve produced and created in the live set, but to also hear how that meshes with what my band is playing live because we don’t stick exactly to the record. We don’t play exactly what the songs sound like on the album but in a way that’s so much more exciting because there are constantly new melodies being innovative and being formed. In a lot of ways, that’s way more natural than a video you might see online of someone piecing things together because there’s so much that happens behind the scenes and it’s a really funny give and take because as much as you learn about it when people are like “She uses this software, and she’s she’s dabbling with this type of synth and sound.” There’s so much more that you don’t see. Things are just presented now so quickly and easily.

There’s so much access but live— unless you’re like on a huge stadium and have so much production you don’t know what’s happening. For the most part, it’s way more organic because it’s right in front of you and you can see us. I like using different instruments taking some time in between and that’s the real thing more than maybe what’s on the phone. They both have cool qualities. 

It’s been two months since your EP Ascension was released, what’s your favorite song to perform live? 

My partner and my parents were watching the live stream and there were so many videos. I felt so electric during “Oh No Darling!” and then I watched the video back. It was crazy how loud the crowd was when they were singing the words back. They were screaming “Are you really there?” That song has been probably one of the most fun things to perform. 

What are your goals in terms of songwriting this year?

I think one of the trickiest bits in songwriting is like trying to push yourself to be more or more explorative and more risky than in previous times. To talk about things that you haven’t discovered yet to somehow be more vulnerable, more open if that’s even possible. That’s always a big goal for me—to feel like I’m writing something entirely new that I haven’t said or have been able to speak. That’s definitely my biggest goal as a songwriter to just keep exploring.