Jessica Tori

In 2021, Jess Meilman quit her 9-5 and moved from New York to Los Angeles, determined to bring the songs in her voice memos to life. Two years later, with more than half a million streams on DSPs, tens of thousands of followers across her social media platforms, and branding partnerships with Johnnie Walker and Gotham FC, Meilman has done more than simply record a few tracks; she’s rocketed up the ranks to become one of LA’s most in-demand rising artists. Meilman’s career started quickly with a series of critically acclaimed indie-pop singles, including the soulful “Guilty Soulmate,” the summer anthem “Summer Nights,” the witty “Life Is A Bitch,” and the deliciously catchy “Ketamine Kids,” the music video for which, filmed on the sun-drenched cliffs of Southern California, has racked up more than 48,000 views. Her single “Plenty” caught the attention of Spotify editors, receiving placements on the platform’s Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Pop, and Fresh Finds R&B playlists, where it eventually notched over 200,000 streams. Publications were especially extravagant in praise of her vocal talent, with Earmilk hailing Meilman’s tone as “emotive” and “(able to) effortlessly convey pain and resilience,” and Pop Passion gushing over her “ethereal vocals… that create a sonic masterpiece.” Although Meilman’s music is probably best qualified as indie pop, in truth it sits at the center of a three-part venn diagram categorized by indie-pop production, soulful, R&B-inspired vocals, and sensitive, self-reflective lyrics. In other words, like her next-gen peers, Meilman has a sharp sense for genre-blending, an intuitive touch which allows her to build sonic spaces that feel at once familiar and sparklingly new. Meilman explains her approach to songwriting simply: “Creativity without force creates intuitive magic.” It’s a process that she honed growing up in New York, where she spent countless hours in her family’s piano room writing song after song. Years later, the results have earned her national acclaim; American Songwriter honored Meilman as a Semi-Finalist in the publication’s 2022 Song Contest. Meilman will be releasing more music over the remainder of 2023.