4. “Phantom” by Madi Diaz

She didn’t write a chart-topper on Billboard, she hasn’t been heard on the radio, she wasn’t featured in any major movie. So just why are Madi Diaz and her album “Phantom” making our list? Arguably the most underrated gem of the year, “Phantom” marked Diaz’s electronica crossover from being another folksy singer-songwriter from Nashville. “But,” you may say, “every folksy singer-songwriter
got this obsession with synthesizers in 2014!” And you’re absolutely right, except the difference between Diaz and her peers is that with “Phantom,” the songstress actually succeeded. Diaz polished the raw talent she’s been storing up over the years, knew how to capture our attention with catchy beats and didn’t simply copy all the dub-loving musicians out there — all marks of extraordinary, versatile talent you need to watch in the coming years.

– Jacqueline Kim, A&E Editor