XOV

Lovers of new music; rejoice. MUSE has uncovered a new star in the making, and you’re not going to want to miss this one. XOV is the artist to watch out for if you’re a fan of musicians like The Weeknd, Lorde, and Frank Ocean, who embrace moody sounds and lyrics as their signatures.Right now, XOV is flying a little under the radar, as he is still new on the scene and trying to get his career up and running. Don’t worry; we at MUSE did all of the snooping for you to get the rundown.If his name seems familiar to you, it may be because he recorded the track “Animal” for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack. XOV was interviewed by NYLON magazine, and disclosed that superstar Lorde messaged XOV on Twitter and offered to help him work on his track for The Hunger Games soundtrack. According to his interview in NYLON, Lorde told XOV that she was a fan of his music. He has the Lorde stamp of approval? I don’t know about you, but I’m on board.Let’s backtrack for a moment and talk about XOV’s origins. Raised in Tensta, a ghetto in Sweden, XOV had a troubled life from a young age. He attributes the darkness of his music to the fact that his father had a drug problem, and he grew up with his mother in the suburbs. He began writing poetry as a release for his emotions, which eventually led to him making music. XOV began rapping around the age of 10, and continues to channel his darker thoughts into the music he makes today. His sound combines electronic beats, and his own smooth vocals to create an emotional sound he refers to as “dark pop”.If you search him on the internet, you will find limited biographical information. His official website links to his Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter accounts, all of which sport somber black and white photos. You can also find his Soundcloud, where you can listen to “Boys Don’t Cry”, his debut single (he is currently working on an EP for his album that he hopes to put out in January). Finding some of his other music is a little trickier, but he is on Grooveshark, which is where his two previous EPs—Clowns and Clowns II— can be found.Yours Creatively,Celina Fazio, Online ContributorPhotographs: http://instagram.com/xovofficial