When listening to a new artist, it’s natural to try to envision what they look like. It even seems to turn into a game when you finally look them up and compare what you envisioned to the artist’s actual features. The majority of the time, we quickly find out if our initial thoughts match an artist’s looks, but sometimes we are met with an even bigger surprise — an artist without an identity. It’s crazy to think that in 2017, an artist is able to successfully mask their identity with devout Twitter investigators active on the web. However, we’ve found five artists who clearly are champions in the game of “Guess Who?”
H.E.R: We previously featured this artist for her amazing vocals, but our interest in this songbird didn’t end there. H.E.R continues to be a rapidly rising R&B star. It’s obvious that her lack of identity doesn’t affect her authentic connection to her fans, as her two EPs H.E.R Vol 1 & 2 continue to gain notoriety. Currently on tour with Bryson Tiller, H.E.R amazingly hides her face with the manipulation of lighting and sunglasses. With a growing fan base and popularity, we wonder if this songstress will ever reveal her face.
Daft Punk: Daft Punk is an electronic music duo, founded in 1993 by Frenchmen Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter. As early as 2001, the duo has appeared in helmets, suits, and gloves, underscoring their robot-like personas. Their music can be described as a blend of house music with elements of pop, funk, disco, and synthesized beats. To the hip-hop community, Daft Punk has most notably worked with Kanye West on “Stronger” and Pharrell Williams on “Get Lucky.” Their most recent hip-hop hit was their collaboration on The Weeknd’s “Starboy.”
Sia: In recent years, internet investigators have been able to identify singer songwriter Sia, but for many years, her identity would remain a mystery. Not only does Sia have tops hit like “Chandelier” and “Cheap Thrills,” she has also penned for the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna, Ne-Yo, Katy Perry, and more. In private settings, Sia’s face is uncovered to friends and family alike, but when she appears in public, her face is covered, usually by some exotic hair style. Even in her music videos, she uses illusions and other people, like dancer Maddie Ziegler or actress Lena Dunham, to portray stories connected to her music’s narrative. In past interviews, Sia has revealed that even though she has managed to achieve great success in the music industry, she doesn’t actually want to be famous.
Gorillaz: Born in the early ages of the internet, Gorillaz has been a favorite for many hip hop lovers since before the infamous, “Feel Good Inc.” Founded in 1998, this virtual band has successfully mixed alternative rock, hip-hop, electronica, and pop music to create a lasting sound of their own. It is amazing to see how a virtual band found success even before the emergence of Soundcloud. Though they are a virtual band, Gorillaz has toured globally and sold millions of records. For the first time in seven years, Gorillaz has dropped a new album, Humanz, and hit the stage again to perform at Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Fransisco. They are now touring in the U.S, U.K, and Europe. As technology has advanced over the years, we are excited to see how the Gorillaz will continue to evolve as a virtual music force.
SBTRKT: If you’re a die-hard Drake fan, you may be familiar with this name, from the Toronto native’s 2011 sample, “Wildfire.” Pronounced subtract, SBTRKT is a pseudonym for Aaron Jerome. SBTRKT appears in public masked by modern designed ceremonial masks, inspired by tribes in Africa, and Central and South America. Musically, SBTRKT has mastered the skill of remixing and producing music that has elements of different genres. In a statement on his website, he said, “I’ve always tried to champion the idea of bringing together artists who are from different places both musically and geographically.” Now, you can catch SBTRKT working his magic with British singer, songwriter Sampha. Keeping it in the British circle, SBTRKT even hopped on the NAO wave and remixed her hit, “Bad Blood.” If you’re looking to familiarize yourself with this musical genius, check out his latest project, Save Yourself.
