New artist obsession: Lèon (Katy Perry is already a fan)

We first heard of Lèon last July. Chloë Grace Moretz sent a tweet into the universe about Lèon’s music, specifically her song “Tired of Talking.” We were instantly intrigued.

The next month another huge-name celeb expressed her Lèon love: Katy Perry.

We were intrigued times 1,000. Now as 2016 chugs along, Lèon is well on her way to stardom and has a huge year ahead. She’s an artist to watch and we’re definitely watching, well, listening.

So, who is Lèon exactly? If she’s not already on your fave Spotify playlists, by the end of 2016 the 22-year-old Swedish vocalist most definitely will be. When she posted “Tired of Talking” online last July it quickly became #1 on the popular music blog aggregator Hype Machine (and got the aforementioned celeb nods of approval). “I’d never have expected that one year ago, or even a half-year ago,” Lèon told HelloGiggles in an interview. “It’s pretty crazy.”

Lèon describes her sound as “pop with soul influences,” and credits her dad with introducing her to some of the music that’s most impacted her work. “My dad introduced me to Stevie Wonder when I was like 6,” she said. “And I remember thinking ‘this is the best thing I’ve ever heard.’”

Music was a big part of her growing up, “Most of the people in my family are musicians,” she said. “My sister’s a composer and my father’s a composer, and my mom plays cello. I started playing cello when I was, like, 5. I think that’s a big reason why I want to do it as a job now.”

And do it as a job she does. In addition to her EP Treasure, Lèon is working on a full-length album (which she’s hoping to finish up by this summer) and touring big cities in North America during February and March.

As for “Tired of Talking,” her most popular song to date, Lèon says, “It’s me saying a proper goodbye. Getting closure. It’s my break up song.” When it comes to the music world, we’re so glad Lèon is just saying hello.