“While I fully embrace the absurdity of life, I still try to make something that matters when nothing matters. I am a walking contradiction.” Emma Beko seamlessly blends melancholic, vulnerable songwriting with emotionally evocative, nostalgic soundscapes. Drawing inspiration from grunge to ambient music, she crafts an abstract yet tender interpretation of rap and beyond, adorning her sonic universe with intimate and raw aesthetics.

Born in Budapest to a Peruvian father and a Canadian-Hungarian mother, Emma grew up in Montreal. At six years old, her father would take her on his cake delivery runs, filling the car with the sounds of Nirvana, Tracy Chapman and Radiohead as they sang at the top of their lungs together. Her musical journey deepened when she discovered the Big Shiny Tunes 5 compilation, playing it on repeat alongside her treasured Ready to Die Biggie cassette. By the time she was nine, she had already developed an innate connection to sad music. Lying in bed at night, she would quietly recite lyrics that resonated deeply with her—often the melancholic ones, which seemed to echo something within her even at such a young age.

During her late teens, Emma moved to New York, immersing herself in its vibrant rap culture. She would skip class to sit by the water with friends, sipping 40’s while absorbing the raw energy of Big L and GZA albums. In the 2010s, Emma co-founded the duo Heartstreets, becoming a cornerstone of Montreal’s music scene. As one of the few female-led hip-hop groups in Canada at the time, they helped carve out a space for women in the genre.

More in tune with her artistry now than ever, Emma has reintroduced herself as a solo artist. Her debut full-length project, BLUE, set the tone for her bold, introspective style. This was followed by the two-part EPs Digital Damage and Superficial Stains, which showcased her unflinching honesty—an integral aspect of her artistry.

Her music has since resonated globally, garnering widespread radio play across Europe and North America, countless editorial playlist placements and even going on tour overseas headlining her own shows to fans scattered around the globe.

Emma’s deeply lyrical approach and raw emotional edge captivate and intrigue listeners, cementing her place as a distinctive voice in modern music. Her evolving influences have recently steered her toward cinematic ambient soundscapes and lo-fi acoustic folk, culminating in her upcoming full-length album, Cicada.

A genre-defying collection of 12 audio souvenirs conceptualized around the idea that before we die, our entire life flashes before our eyes. Cicada explores profound themes of impermanence, loss, inherited pain, self-acceptance, and the quiet intensity of anxiety inducing peacefulness to name a few. Enriched by collaborations with artists like Nailah Hunter, CFCF, and Sophia Bel, Emma masterfully weaves personal struggles, emotional turbulence, and existential reflections into a narrative that balances raw emotion with poetic complexity. Her exploration of despair, resilience, and hope paints a poignant and universal portrait of the human experience, solidifying her artistry as both deeply personal and profoundly relatable. Cicada is currently set to come out Fall of 2025.