Raised on a goose farm in Wales, Betsy moved to London to study fashion at London’s Central Saint Martins. As most graduates of Central Saint Martins move on to make big names in fashion, she was no exception and went on to work for Balenciaga in Paris. Whilst working for one of the most prestigious luxury fashion houses, Betsy found herself coming back to London on the weekends to do open mic nights. Working in the fashion industry wasn’t helping satisfy her growing desire to sing, so she packed up her life in Paris and moved back to Wales.

Betsy dug up some computer software and taught herself to make music. She drafted up some rough demos, plastered pictures of her face on the front of the discs, and sent them off hoping for the best. After catching her break through one of her brother’s friends and landing a manager, Betsy moved into her brother’s caravan and began to write more music.

Fast forward to 2016: Betsy is now signed to Warner in the UK and Columbia records stateside. She came charging out the gates at breakneck speed with the release of her debut EP Fair, an emotive three-track collective kick in the pants. Betsy cites Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Annie Lennox as her biggest musical influences. Lennox’s influence is felt deeply throughout the track “Rosie.”

“My music is a very personal thing,” Betsy said in a Vogue UK interview, “so my main inspirations are things that have affected me in my life, be it lost love, lost friends or lost hope. Most of my songs are a little on the sad side.”

Her breakout was the title track “Fair,” and it grabbed the attention of Radio 1’s Huw Stephens. “Fair” is a vast, sweeping, deeply personal account of a relationship that’s completely fallen apart. From start to finish, you can resonate with the heartache and desperation to grasp onto the dregs of a failed relationship. Paired with a David Lynch-esque music video, the despair and sadness is rattled with shocking clips of her smearing blood-red lipstick all over her face.

Betsy’s latest single “Lost & Found” has cut its way onto BBC Radio 2 and grabbed attention from a swarm of pop-minded journalists. It’s an uptempo pop tour de force, filled with theatrical strings and an undeniably uplifting hook. “Lost & Found” is a shockingly strong, promising single that’s opened our eyes to the rising star.

And there you have it: Betsy, the Welsh second coming of Cher. We know comparisons for new artists are hardly fair, but between Betsy’s powerhouse vocals and her bold, edgy Old Hollywood fashion taste, we’re confident Betsy has the guts, glam, and vision to forge a path to become a pop icon.

On The Rise is our spotlight series on new and emerging artists. Follow our series to find out who we feature next.