Several young artists who have pursued music careers have found it incredibly challenging and left the spotlight. Independent artists, especially young talents, easily become overwhelmed, frustrated or overworked.
The journey of being a musician is full of ups and downs and is a long road full of endless work. These young artists also had to deal with opinions from friends and family who influenced their lives.
As time passes, many fans often wonder where their favorite artists are now. So, here’s a list of young musicians who took time away from the spotlight and what they’re up to now:
Melanie Martinez
Born in 1995, Melanie Martinez is an example of a young artist who stepped out of the spotlight before dropping new music with a new look.
While a junior in high school, Martinez participated in a televised talent competition. She lost but later appeared on ”The Voice” in 2012. She was eliminated during the Top 6 phase of the competition, but the appearance was her rise to fame.
She released her debut single, “Dollhouse,” in early 2014 and signed with Atlantic Records later that year. The only single that reached the Alternative Digital Songs Sales Billboard chart, “Carousel,” became certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song was also featured in a preview for the fourth season of FX’s “American Horror Story.”
Her debut album, “Cry Baby,” was released in 2015 and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number six. She also released a fragrance and a series of lipsticks.
She released her second album, “K-12” in 2019, and it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200. After the album’s release, there was a gap of time when Martinez did not release new music. The “Play Date” track from “Cry Baby,” went viral on Tiktok in 2020, but it would be the last of Martinez until 2023.
Martinez released “Portals” in 2023, and debuted a new look, taking fans by surprise. Now, she is on tour for her latest album.
Daniel Caesar
A Toronto native, musician Daniel Caesar also gained prominence in 2014 after the release of his debut single and EP. In 2016, he released a single, “Get You,” which featured vocalist Kali Uchis. It became massively popular, and Caesar quickly gained millions of plays and video views.
Following the explosive success of the single, Caesar began performing live to promote his music. He worked on new tracks between concerts and festival appearances, ultimately releasing another single in 2017 called “We Find Love.” At the Grammy Awards in 2019, he won Best R&B Performance for "Best Part," his duet with artist H.E.R.
Throughout 2021 and 2022, Caesar was featured on several tracks by other artists, such as Justin Bieber. Recently, Caesar released his third album, “NEVER ENOUGH” and is now on tour in sparse locations worldwide.
Bazzi
Bazzi, born as Andrew Bazzi in 1997, found viral success after he released “Mine” in 2017. He had not been in the industry long but was 20 years old when he released the single.
The R&B-influenced pop singer-songwriter’s single climbed the charts and peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album, “COSMIC,” also charted on the Hot 100. He continued to have smashing hits on the Billboard 200 and began to make his way up in the music industry.
He grew up impersonating Elvis Presley and Ricky Martin and played music on the acoustic guitar. He wanted to pursue a music career after graduating high school, so he moved to Los Angeles with his dad.
A year after releasing his debut album, Bazzi would collaborate with 6LACK and 21 Savage. He released an array of singles in 2020, a single in 2021 and one album, “Infinite Dream,” in 2022. He released a single called “Eyes” in 2023 but no new albums have since been released.
Alessia Cara
Alessia Caracciolo, also known as Alessia Cara, was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1996. She began her music path when she was 10 years old after discovering an acoustic guitar and listening to Amy Winehouse. She devoted much of her childhood to music and even took a year off after high school to pursue her music.
The gap benefited her as she signed with Def Jam Records. She would have major success releasing singles, like “Scars to Your Beautiful,” and working with Lin-Manuel Miranda to record her version of “How Far I’ll Go.”
In 2019, she released her first live album, “This Summer.” Cara continued working with a role in 2020’s ”The Wiloughbys” and an album, “In the Meantime,” in 2021. However, it was the last fans have heard of Cara’s music besides a few posts on Instagram.
