From Memphis, Tennessee, singer, guitarist, writer, and pianist Luisa Wilson harkens back to soul, rhythm & blues, and jazz. Many would overthink this blend of genres, but Wilson turns it into art through her lyricism and smooth vocals. 

Named on 1883 Magazine’s “2026 Breakthrough Artists You Need On Your Radar” list, Wilson released her EP, Love & Oxygen, at the beginning of the year. By blending folk, R&B, classical, and pop, not only has she developed a jazz-pop genre, but she’s also modernized it.

“Everything that I listen to and all my favorite songs were never just one genre, and I loved the singer-songwriter, more folky side of my taste. Pop and R&B are what I always gravitate towards when I sing, and a little bit of jazz too.” She continued, “So it’s really everything that I grew up listening to and that I love listening to all the time.” 

While in music school at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, Wilson recounts being told many times that she needed to pick one lane and stay in it; instead, she wants to drive in all of the lanes. In April, she followed up her EP release with a live version, Love & Oxygen (Live In Bushwick). Craving to bring a live aspect to what she has written, this was an opportunity to work with other musicians. In this particular case, she was able to work with a friend of hers: Dali Rose. 

Wilson first saw Dali Rose perform at a showcase at her school, and he was also a classmate of hers. That performance was the moment she decided to play with him and his band at some point. And when she finally could, she remembers the atmosphere during the session being fun, experimental, and carefree.  

“It felt great,” she recalled. “It was fun because there were no rules, and I let them interpret the music how they wanted. Some of the songs ended up sounding really different from how they sound on the studio EP.”

With Love and Oxygen (Live In Bushwick), she wanted to capture the live quality of Memphis, to make listeners feel as if they’re on Beale Street, which is known as the “Home of the Blues.” 

In her graduation ceremony, she received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to sing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium. This stemmed from when she played at another school, the Guggenheim; her professor saw her sing and asked if she wanted to be considered. 

“I was like, hell yeah, and I ended up being picked and chosen for it,” she said. “The moment meant so much to me because I grew up singing the national anthem. When you’re young and you’re starting to find your voice as a tiny singer, the national anthem is an easy door in and practice. It really brought me back to being a kid and entering this world for the first time. Doing it in front of thousands of my classmates, professors, and family members was kind of the biggest that moment could ever be for me.” 

Moving forward, Wilson hopes to be an artist who is authentic to their sound and as honest as possible in her writing, whether it’s about taboo topics, sexuality, relationships, or growing up. She wants to be an artist people can relate to, and her music to carry the intent that she has when she writes the songs.  

After graduation, the grind hasn’t stopped. Being in and out of sessions every day helps her lock into a flow that shields her from the outside world and external expectations.  

“My process has changed because I’ve finally found the people that I really love working with and that I’m most importantly the most comfortable with, because writing is really vulnerable. My pickiness has helped me when it comes to who I work with and when.” She concluded, “My songwriting process has come a lot easier to me now because I have carved out a little community that I feel safe in.” 

Featured image courtesy of Heronima Valledor | Interviewed on May 21, 2026