Jewelles Imani is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter and performer originally from Dayton, Ohio, now pursuing her work as an artist in New York City. She’s been writing music for more than a decade, turning the weird, overwhelming, sentimental parts of growing up into songs that feel like reading someone else’s diary and realizing they’ve been feeling the exact same things you have. (Dayton Metro Library)

Her music lives somewhere between singer-songwriter and indie pop: intimate, wistful and incredibly personal, but still catchy enough to stay with you. Jewelles describes herself as a certified “sad black girl,” and much of her work centers on memory, identity, relationships and the uncertainty that comes with entering adulthood. (Bandsintown)

Music has been part of her life since childhood. She remembers listening to jazz and learning to scat with her parents while painting in their kitchen, and has cited artists including SZA, Lizzy McAlpine and Reneé Rapp among the music that helped her reconnect with her own identity. (Apple Music - Web Player)

Start with The Refining, Jewelles’ 2025 EP. Songs including “Nostalgia on Route 4,” “On Trial,” and “Turning 20” give you a really good introduction to the world she’s building. Then go backward to “Lobby,” “Glass Pot,” and “blue and sentimental.” (Apple Music)

There’s something special about finding an artist while their world is still being built. Jewelles’ music doesn’t feel like it’s trying to make growing up prettier or simpler than it actually is. It’s sentimental, a little messy, and deeply self-aware.

And that’s kind of the point of this whole section. We don’t want to tell you what everyone is already listening to. We want to introduce you to the girls making something worth listening to next.