A genre disruptor to his core, Christian Leave has had a prolific past year. Since first making his foray into music at just 15 years old, he’s distinguished himself as one to watch and grown a significant fanbase that hangs on his every word. One of his earliest releases “Please Notice” has now surpassed 100M streams, while this year’s EP release Heavy Hitting Hurts My Head has crossed 6 million streams, propelling him to over 3 million monthly Spotify listeners and 260 million total streams across his catalogue, while landing him in the top spot on high profile playlists such as Spotify’s Lorem, Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Indie and Fresh Indie, Apple Music’s INDIY, and Pandora’s New Music Now, just to name a few. He’s been selected for major fashion features with the likes of VMAN, i-D, and Boys By Girls, while critical acclaim rolls in from American Songwriter, Office Magazine, and FLAUNT, who declares, “One spin of Christian Leave’s music, and you’re immediately sucked in longing for more.” At just 21 years old, Christian has quietly worked from his bedroom, writing, producing and creating this sound that is at once naïve and wise, the product of teenage heartbreak as viewed through the eyes of a person who grew up just a little too fast. He strikes a balance between subversive vulnerability and catchy palatability that his millions of fans have already connected with, and 2021 is sure to see Christian Leave rise to the next level.

If you have a dream in the suburbs of Kansas City, Kansas, you have to make it come true yourself, but if you have a couple of friends who have the same dream as you that is half the battle. Blackstarkids are Ty, Deoindre and The Babe Gabe, and they're the most refreshingly bright and affirming alternative band to emerge from Middle America in an age.