Hot New Pop Alert: Meet Sky Ferreira

The new year is almost upon us and with it comes a whole bunch of new artists pitching for space on your playlists. Into this maelstrom of Ellie Goulding, Reni Lane, Janelle Monae, Mini Viva and many others steps the prodigiously talented Sky Ferreira.

She's 17, from L.A. and gearing up to unleash her self-proclaimed "revolutionary pop album" on the world. It's chock-full of planet-sized potential hits, co-written by Sky in collaboration with the likes of Bloodshy & Avant, Greg Kurstin, Paul Epworth, Dallas Austin, Nicole Morier and Linda Perry. Not too shabby for your very first outing.

So who is this very special new talent? Her story really started when she wrote her first song at age 15  after an internet break-up. She describes that first song as her version of "Careless Whisper" in outer space. Interested in both music and fashion, Sky eventually set her sights on making music and reached out to hit maker Bloodshy on MySpace. He answered her message and decided to take her under his wing.

One of the most striking feats about Sky Ferreira is her gut-wrenching vocal delivery. Trained in gospel and opera, she has a vocal range similar to Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis, but she mixes in a whole lot more spunk and gusto. Head over to her MySpace page to get a taste of Sky. You must hear the '60s-inspired "Femme Fatale" that was produced by Greg Kurstin and shows off Sky's confidence and unique style that contrasts nicely with the pop tarts she's surrounded with.

Also, listen to her acoustic cover of Miike Snow's "Animal." Would you guess she's only 17 years-old? It sounds she lived the lifes of many and speaks from direct experience. Sky Ferreira is a name you need to remember. What do you think of Sky?