Metromix New York Music

Backstory: "Santogold" is the debut solo album from Santi White, a former ska singer turned neo-New Wave chanteuse.

Why you should care: She's been called an artist to watch by everyone—from Rolling Stone to the Los Angeles Times to, well, Metromix .

Verdict: From the first listen, "Santogold" wears its influences on its sleeves: a bit of Gwen Stefani–ish reggae sunsplash here, a healthy dose of M.I.A.'s noise collages there, a breathy hit off of Debbie Harry's joints all over. But what Santogold, the artist, gets right is combining all of these elements into something palpably arty, sexy and poppy all at once. The meandering bass grooves of "Starstruck" are as dirty-boogie effective as the Clash beat of "Say Aha" and the pan-African rhythms of lead single "Creator." It's a global dance party that coalesces both in spite and because of its myriad influences.

X-Factor: Santogold's tongue-in-cheek press release is full of heady claims—including that she is older than Mr. Miyagi and that Michael Jackson played her songs on the air in Dubai.