Victoria Abraham defines one up and coming artist each week so you can impress your friends with your musical brilliance. This week, she tackles Karmin, the fast-talking couple that stole our hearts on YouTube.

This duo, which met at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, is pioneering their own musical genre called “swag pop.” Lead singer Amy Heidemann defines it as “a pop music base with a swag reduction, garnished with sprinkles of hip hop!” But, their music is definitely more exciting than a piece of cake, with multiple covers of hits such as Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” having gone viral. Since their humble YouTube days, they signed with Epic Records and their debut album drops on May 8.

Origins: Boston, Massachusetts.

Name meaning: The name Karmin is derived from the Latin word carmen, which means “song.” The “K” symbolizes karma.

Band members: Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan

Known for: Karmin is known for jaw-dropping, sonic speed lyrical styling that puts the fastest rappers in the game to shame.

Used in a sentence: “Karmin proves that not only can white girls rap, but they can do it well.”

Download now: Their latest single “Brokenhearted.”

File next to: They ain’t like no other duo you’ve seen before. Though one YouTuber describes Karmin as the love child of Jessie J, Nicki Minaj and Kesha.  Read more…