Artist to Watch in 2012: Elle Varner

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R&B cutie Elle Varner is being touted as the next artist to shine in the music world. The 22-year-old songbird made a big splash last year with her infectious love song 'Only Wanna Give It to You,' which featured 2011s Rookie of the Year rapper J. Cole.

Now the Los Angeles native is prepping her upcoming debut LP 'Perfectly Imperfect.' "The title really encompassed how I felt about myself, reaching a point of full acceptance of who I am, how I look, how I sound," Varner told Global Grind. It’s for me and it’s for the album and I think people can relate to that concept. I hope they can take it, just accepting oneself, which is very hard to do."

Varner describes the sound of her album as a fusion of hip-hop, soul and folk. A perfect example of that combination is the leaked song 'Refill' with its 808 drum beats and hillbilly fiddling. "I’m a story teller but I’m singing over hip-hop beats," she says. -- Trent Fitzgerald

Watch the Elle Varner 'Only Wanna Give It To You' Video Feat. J. Cole