Zee Avi

Word came out last year that Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records had signed their first female artist and, when the label’s Christmas album arrived, her song was the superb standout of the collection. Prepare for a dozen more, because the little Malaysian chanteuse named Zee Avi recently released her self-titled debut album, and it’s a guaranteed chart-topper.

The 23-year-old’s haunting voice sits comfortably somewhere on the sonic scale between Billy Holiday and Norah Jones, her songs are entertaining and accessible, and the music is quaintly catchy in a throwback, lounge-jazz sort of way. Not too bad for a girl who was bred to be a lawyer, studied to be a fashion designer, and then found fame thanks to posting YouTube videos.