wens

Los Angeles native Wens is a singer/songwriter who layers her vocals -- which range from a whisper to a soar -- atop atmospheric electronic soundscapes in a mode similar to Billie Eilish, Lorde, and Alessia Cara. With vulnerable lyrics that touch upon mental health, self-esteem, and cautious hope, she built a following with early singles like 2016's "Bones" and 2017's "Life," issuing her debut work, That Really Long Night, in 2018. Raised in Manhattan Beach, she absorbed the sounds of her mother's '80s favorites, artists such as Gloria Estefan, Chaka Khan, Prince, Donna Summer, and Michael Jackson, and merged them with her own inspirations like Nirvana, Kanye West, Alt-J, Lana Del Rey, and Beyoncé. Taking her stage name from Wednesday Addams of The Addams Family, Wens first crafted her moody, dark pop for other artists before deciding that she'd rather be on the stage instead of behind the scenes. Her first single, 2016's "Bones," was a streaming hit, a dramatic debut that was reminiscent of Lorde and Banks. "Bleed" and "Life" followed in 2017, just as she was transitioning from high school into early adulthood. Her debut EP, That Really Long Night, arrived in 2018 and featured the hit singles "Take" and "Call." Wens continued the following year with a steady stream of tracks, which later landed on her sophomore EP, 2020's Lemoncholy. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi