Hemlocke Springs
Isimeme "Naomi" Udu (born November 17, 1998), better known as Hemlocke Springs (stylized in all lowercase), is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She first gained attention in 2022, when her song "Girlfriend" achieved viral popularity on TikTok. She released her debut extended play, Going...Going...Gone!, on September 29, 2023.
Hemlocke Springs | |
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Born | Isimeme "Naomi" Udu November 17, 1998 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
Education | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2022–present |
Musical career | |
Origin | Concord, North Carolina, U.S. |
Genres | |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Website | hemlockesprings |
Early life and education
Isimeme Naomi Udu was born on November 17, 1998, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to two Nigerian immigrants.[1] She grew up in Concord, North Carolina.[2] She took an interest in electronic music in middle school, listening to artists such as Calvin Harris and Tiesto. She also began to use GarageBand to create electronic music.[3] She graduated from Spelman College in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in biology, and is currently working on a master's degree in medical informatics at Dartmouth College.[4]
Career
2022–present: Going...Going...Gone!
On May 24, 2022, Springs released her debut single "Gimme All Ur Luv". The song gained over a million streams through Spotify and was named as "the best bedroom pop" song by Complex.[5] She released the song "Girlfriend" on November 2, 2022, and it also surpassed one million Spotify streams with people calling it the "awkward Black girl anthem". In an interview with Rolling Stone, Springs said that she was "happy people are listening to it".[6]
She released her third single "Stranger Danger!" on January 13, 2023,[7] and was named one of the "essential emerging artists for 2023" by New Musical Express.[8] From May to August, she collaborated with English producer, Burns, and released three more songs.[9] Springs released "Enknee1" on August 21, on the same day she announced her debut extended play, Going...Going...Gone!, and was released on September 29, 2023.[10] While touring in from North America, she was an opening act for one show in Muna's Life's So Fun Tour (2023). In early Winter, the indie artist is also set to be an opening act for Ashnikko's Weedkiller Tour in Europe.
Artistry
Influences
In her middle school years, Springs was influenced by many EDM artists, primarily Swedish artist Avicii and his 2011 song "Levels".[11] She told Alternative Press that she came up with her stage name from a random name generator and added the letter "e" to the end of "Hemlock" in honor of New Zealand singer Lorde.[12]
Music style
Springs' style distinctly draws from lo-fi music and indie pop. With the release of "Girlfriend", Heven Haile from Pitchfork described the song as "an ideal rom-com song" that "channels the bratty bravado of Family Jewels-era Marina and the springy falsetto of Kate Bush".[13] Many of Springs' fans compared her debut song to Canadian singer Grimes' style, with Grimes also commenting on it.[3]
Discography
Extended plays
Title | Details |
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Going...Going...Gone! |
|
Singles
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
NZ Hot [14] | |||
"Gimme All Ur Luv" | 2022 | — | Going...Going...Gone! |
"Girlfriend" | 22 | ||
"Stranger Danger!" | 2023 | — | Non-album singles |
"Sever the Blight" | — | ||
"Heavun" | — | Going...Going...Gone! | |
"Enknee1" | — | ||
"POS" | — | ||
"—" denotes a recording that failed to chart, was ineligible for the chart or was not released. |
Tours
Supporting
- Muna – Life's So Fun Tour (2023)
- Ashnikko – Weedkiller Tour (2023)
Filmography
See also
References
- Rigotti, Alex (March 9, 2023). "hemlocke springs is making the underdog the main character". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
- Gunn, Charlotte (January 20, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs: "It's all so exciting!"". The Forty-Five. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- Moore, Jacob (January 20, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs' Change of Plans". Complex. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- Garrett, Jonathan (December 14, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs: TikTok star creating a new, wildly eclectic pop vision". New Musical Express. Archived from the original on December 18, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
- Moore, Jacob; Gardner, Alex; Fife, Carter; Hill, Shamus (September 29, 2022). "Best New Artists". Complex. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
- Spanos, Brittany (November 23, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs Is Happy to Make Your 'Awkward Black Girl Anthems'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
- Disalvo, Tom (January 13, 2023). "Listen to Hemlocke Springs' new single 'stranger danger!'". New Musical Express. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- "The NME 100: essential emerging artists for 2023". New Musical Express. January 6, 2023. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- Renshaw, David (May 3, 2023). "hemlocke springs throws a medieval feast in her "sever the blight" video". The Fader. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
- Damara Kelly, Tyler (May 3, 2023). "hemlocke springs announces new EP, going...going...GONE!". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
- Young, Martyn (April 13, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs: "You only get a first impression once"". Dork. Archived from the original on April 13, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- Rosenberg, Sam (January 9, 2023). "TikTok sensation Hemlocke Springs is your next DIY pop obsession". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- Haile, Heven (November 2, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs: "Girlfriend"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
- NZ Hot Singles Chart peaks:
- "Girlfriend": "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
- Springs, Hemlocke (November 30, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs — gimme all ur luv (Official Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- Springs, Hemlocke (November 30, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs — girlfriend (Official Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- Springs, Hemlocke (November 30, 2022). "Hemlocke Springs — stranger danger! (Official Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- Springs, Hemlocke (May 3, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs — sever the blight (Official Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- Springs, Hemlocke (May 3, 2023). "Hemlocke Springs — pos (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
- "Hemlocke Springs". Superbloom Radio. December 9, 2022. Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- "Hemlocke Springs and Shawn Mendes". The Zane Lowe Show. June 12, 2023. Apple Music (US). Retrieved June 17, 2023.
Further reading
- Taylor, Henrietta (September 18, 2023). "One to Watch: Hemlocke Springs". The Guardian. Retrieved October 12, 2023.