Speed Dating With NYLON’s Favorite Rising Artists

No one has their ear to the ground more than a NYLON editor. As anyone who reads our weekly track roundups can tell, we listen to more music than our Spotify accounts can handle. And because we’re not in the business of gatekeeping, we’re here to put you onto the up-and-coming artists we’re most excited by, the ones we believe are deserving of a spot in pop’s new class of superstars. From Grace Ives’ DIY bedroom pop and Eli’s life-affirming Y2K anthems to Inji’s new-age club classics and Sunshine Benzi’s braggadocious bangers, we’re all in on these artists — and you should be, too.

For a special Music Issue edition of our Speed Dating series, we wined and dined these next-gen pop superstars to learn more about their music, influences, and current obsessions.

What Do You Do For Work?

Grace Ives: I make music.

Sunshine Benzi: I’m a rapper.

Inji: I’m an artist.

Eli: Make beep-boop noises on my laptop.

If You Weren’t A Musician, What Other Career Would You Have?

Inji: A belly dancer.

Eli: An architect or a veterinarian.

Sunshine Benzi: Art professor.

Grace Ives: Music teacher.

Go-To Karaoke Song?

Eli: “Adore You” by Miley Cyrus.

Sunshine Benzi: “B*tches ain’t sh*t and they ain’t sayin’ nothing / A hundred motherf*ckers can’t tell me nothing.”

Who’s Your Dream Collab?

Inji: Daft Punk.

Grace Ives: Chief Keef.

Sunshine Benzi: Lexa Gates.

Eli: Ariana Grande.

Do You Have A Guilty Pleasure Show?

Inji: Desperate Housewives.

Sunshine Benzi: Bridgerton is my thing, girl. Brid-ger-ton.

Grace Ives: I just watched all of Breaking Bad in two weeks.

What’s The Biggest Red Flag?

Sunshine Benzi: I love Deftones. But if they listen to Deftones, run.

What’s The Biggest Green Flag?

Inji: When a guy DJs. I know, hot take!

What Is Your Biggest Green Flag?

Inji: All my exes love me. That is also my biggest red flag.

Do You Have A Party Trick?

Sunshine Benzi: [Sings “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” with mouth closed.]

Grace Ives: [Sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” with mouth closed.]

Eli: [Playing with her thumb] That’s not really that good.

What Is Your Sign?

Sunshine Benzi: I’m an Aquarius. Mm.

Inji: I’m a Capricorn.

Grace Ives: Aries.

Eli: I’m a Libra.

What Is The Greatest Lyric Of All Time?

Inji: “Untz, untz, untz, untz, untz,” written by me.

Who’s On Your Mount Rushmore Of Musicians?

Grace Ives: Nina Simone, Leonard Cohen, Fleetwood Mac. We could put Lana [Del Rey].

Eli: Prince, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Little Richard. Period.

Sunshine Benzi: Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, Nicki Minaj, Foxy Brown. Boom.

Inji: Amy Winehouse, Dave Brubeck, [Frédéric] Chopin. Daft Punk.

How Do You Think This Date Went?

Grace Ives: I think I was nervous.

Sunshine Benzi: This was actually the best date I’ve ever been on. I’m not lying.

Inji: It was the perfect ratio of me talking to not me talking.

Would You Go On A Second Date With Us?

Grace Ives: Uh, maybe...

Eli: I would love to exchange numbers, and maybe like, text back and forth nonstop until we become really codependent on each other. And then we adopt a dog, we name it Scruffy, and then we get married. So, I would love to go on another date with you.