Troy Ogletree

Move over music elders, the young people are taking over.

When you look at the Billboard music charts today, you will see a flood of young musicians who are making a name for themselves and bringing the sound to heights that many used to think were unreachable. Whether you like the style of today or not, you have to give the young musicians of today their due props, and although we have the well-known young artists already covered, there are many out there who are on the cusps of stardom.

So as we continue our countdown of the top five in ever music category imaginable, here are the top five emerging young artists who are ready for stardom.

5. Hayley Orrantia

She plays “Erica" on the hit television show The Goldbergs, but not only can Hayley Orrantia act, she can also sing her heart out. In 2015, she released two singles, “Love Sick” and “Until Then,” both of which showcases her amazing singing abilities; and this year, she released her third single, the beautiful “Silence You,” and opened for country superstar Brad Paisley at his show in Laughlin, Nevada. Things are looking bright in the music world for this Texas native, and she should be on every country fan’s radar this year.

AXS “Must Have” Pick: “Love Sick”

4. Troy Ogletree

With the way hip-hop is going today, listeners who long for the days when both lyrics and beats mattered are losing hope in the genre. To those feeling a tad bit discouraged with the sound of hip-hop today, take a listen to Troy Ogletree, who released a splendid debut LP last year in No Label and, just recently, has released his newest single, the intoxicating “Let Me Down,” which continues his track record of recording stellar hip-hop without the elementary lyrics that is plaguing the genre today. There is hope in hip-hop, and his name is Troy Ogletree.

AXS “Must Have” Pick: “Life’s Like”

3. Anne-Marie

She jumped right out of the box with the bouncy “Boy” last year, but Anne-Marie really let her vocal talents shine with the beautifully mid-tempo “Alarm,” which is based on the worst moment in her life and has become a sensation of Spotify. Once you listen to this sterling track, you will be anxious to hear more from the England-based songstress.

AXS “Must Have” Pick: “Alarm”

2. Fletcher

She scored the number one viral track on Spotify last year with the booming “War Paint,” and this year, Fletcher isn’t showing signs of resting on her laurels, releasing the spectacular “Avalanche” that has left many listeners in sheer awe of her voice and pop sensibilities. Fletcher has star power written all over her, and it’s only a matter of time before we are mentioning her in the same breath as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.

AXS “Must Have” Pick: “Avalanche”

1. Shawn Mendes

Who would have believed that a Canadian who started out singing covers on Vine would today be the number one emerging young artist? Make no mistake, Shawn Mendes’ rise the stardom is no fluke. He has already made hits that will stand the test of time and his star power is only getting stronger. Watch out, Justin Bieber, your fellow countryman is right on your heels.

AXS “Must Have” Pick: “Stitches” - AXS

Based out of Texas, Troy Ogletree is a pop recording artist who recently released his debut single, Let Me Down. Through his honest lyrics, he emphasizes positivity, being authentic, staying true to who you are, and above all making you think. Troy is also an actor who stars in the film The Walking Deceased, which is now available on Netflix and on DVD in Walmart and Redbox.

In this interview spotlight, we chat with Troy about music, influences, and more.

Full Q&A, links, and the video for Let Me Down below. The single is now on iTunes and Spotify.



Let’s dive a little deeper into you, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?

I’ve always been drawn to upbeat tracks that you know people can jam out to, but that still contain those intricate/weird sounds that keep it from being just another stock pop song. Styles like twenty one pilots, Drake, The Chainsmokers, Jack Ü, even to guys like Troye Sivan influenced the style that I like, and Brandon’s production on Let Me Down has those accents that I feel bring it to another level and showcase its uniqueness.

How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?

I got the courage to actually start sharing covers and some remixes on YouTube my sophomore year of college (2014), but had been writing since early on in high school. Since then I’ve been releasing covers and my first original EP in February of 2015, and I have a new EP is coming this fall of 2016.

Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?

Two of my biggest writing influences have been twenty one pilots and Chlidish Gambino. The songs that I always gravitate toward are personal ones that make you feel like you’re in the artists head, seeing what they see and feeling what they feel, and I feel like both of those artists do that really well which inspires me to do it myself. Writing is my favorite part of creating a song, and usually it comes late at night when I’m alone and it’s just still, and all those thoughts start pouring into my head. But sometimes is just comes when Brandon and I are creating a beat and I just feel whatever it sparks in my head. The most important thing that keeps me going besides the actual love for creating is knowing the people I’m influencing and effecting, particularly younger kids who are probably going through what I’ve written about. It’s all about the connection with people and what it can do to help them.

Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?

For “Let Me Down” it was really just introducing this new sound that I had never done before and preparing people for what’s to come on the new EP. From the start, we kept our minds open to all sounds and just made what came naturally to us, and for this first single we wanted to welcome everyone to this world we created.

What was the last song you listened to?

Heathens – twenty one pilots

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I wish I could claim hipster and say I only listen to vinyls on my record player, but honestly I only have 3 vinyls (although I do want to continue to build my collection). I’m pretty true to my millennial companions in that I listen to most of my stuff on iTunes/Spotify, but when it’s an artist I really like or album I’m a huge fan of I’ll get it on CD or vinyl.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

I always switch between iTunes and Spotify. I love investing in artists/albums that inspire me and that I really want to support and see succeed, so I buy a lot of albums on iTunes. But Spotify is good for discovering new music and being able to listen to pretty much any song whenever you want. There are perks to both.

Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?

I think one of the toughest things is just getting people to pay attention to someone they haven’t heard of before. Everyone always wants to hear new stuff from Bieber, Drake, Rihanna, and all those major stars (as they should, they’re all incredibly talented). So I think the biggest challenge is packaging your song to stand out from everyone else who’s trying to do the same thing. It’s more than just having a great song today, you have to provide a full experience and world for the listener to get lost in.

Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?

As an independent artist, it’s been tough to get a tour going so far, but I’m planning on it for the future. I do live streams through Twitter and am starting to Periscope so I can answer questions about the new music and future plans. Getting a couple shows lined up in Los Angeles in time for the EP release, so LA people stay posted with me on social media for those shows!

Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?

All of my original music is on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, etc., but for covers and music videos you can subscribe to my YouTube channel. On social media I always try to respond and interact as much as I can on Twitter and Snapchat.

Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?

Just want to thank you guys for featuring the song on your blog and helping me get the word out about it. The independent artist grind is tough but it’s people like y’all that make it possible. Also huge shout out to my producer Brandon Phillips (who you’re going to be hearing a lot of very soon), and everyone who gave notes on the track to help shape it to what it turned out to be. I guess any words of wisdom I have are if you’re trying to be an artist or musician or anything really, you just have to keep grinding every single day no matter how discouraging it can be. If you believe in your craft and what you’re doing, other people will too eventually. - Middle Tennessee Music

On the surface, Troy Ogletree may seem like any other hip-hop/pop talent, and a young artist who is trying to make a name for himself among the crowded field of others who are on the same train he's on. But dig deeper and you will find an artist that is unlike any of his contemporaries.

Ogletree is a different breed of talent. He isn’t the one to brag about how many cars he owns or how many girls he can pimp, he’s not that type of person. Ogletree is a lyricist who promotes positivity and self-worth through his words, and what he is doing is bringing hip-hop back to its roots, when the sound had a message and connected with its audience.

If you checked out Ogletree’s debut EP No Label – which you should – you will get the general idea of what he is about. In an email interview, Ogletree said that he draws his musical influence from a lot of genres and artists, from Ed Sheeran to Kendrick Lamar. But Ogletree’s biggest influence is Childish Gambino, and the two actual share a similar level of lyrical depth and creativity that is rooted in authentic clarity, something that is lost amid the rudimentary lyrics and over-the-top production that currently dominates today’s hip-hop landscape.

In some ways, it’s hard to get noticed off of the brand Ogletree is presenting. The sound today is all about following crowds and trends, and if you don’t fall in line, you will be put on the backburner. Many artists have sadly abandoned their unique brand for commercial success, and while it’s great having your music on the radio and your name on the charts, it feels as if you sacrificed your creative soul to have a taste of the spotlight.

The end result is a formulaic sound that record companies have managed to profit greatly from, and it drives independent artists to either revamp themselves to fit the mold or find another route to express their creativity.

Ogletree hopes to avoid this, as he is out to prove that you can have commercial glory without having to sell your creative soul to the devil to achieve massive success. At the end of the No Label review, we wrote this about Troy:

“Ogletree has demonstrated that he is not just another vanity project, but a legitimate artist who has the skills to really take his sound and mold it into something special.”

That quote holds true today, as his skill are as rare as a Moussaieff Red Diamond, and as with all rare diamonds, it deserves to be appreciated for its sheer worth and beauty, not altered for the sake of achieving maximum profits.

So make sure that you pay attention to the talent of Troy Ogletree because this young man is too good, too diverse, and too special to go unnoticed. - AXS