12 up-and-coming artists you need to know for the new year, and the best tracks to introduce you to their catalogs. Check out the other 12 artists we picked to blow up here

By Ben Leshan

We did this series last year, focusing on multiple artists who had big years including Aries, Arlo Parks, Morray, and Clinton Kane. We’re back with another installment this year, and you better believe we’re putting you on to more future stars!

This is part 2 of a 2 part series. Please check out part 1 here

*all Spotify monthly listeners as of 3/10/22

Sebastian Paul

Age: Unknown

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,711,632

Where to Start: TROJAN HORSE, BACK AND FORTH

Sebastian Paul combines so many of the elements of modern popular music into one cohesive sound. The singer-songwriter and producer does it all throughout his catalog, creating catchy melodies, layered production that bounces around between EDM and pop, and singing emotionally-charged lyrics in a signature raspy tone. Genreless and purely artistic, Paul is carving out an intensely creative and vulnerable space in alt-pop that carries a lot of excitement with it. His music sounds like it comes from the future, and that is intentional, as Paul is always striving to push music forward. “TROJAN HORSE” shows off his roots as an artist, with electronic production but more pop-leaning lyrics, while a song like “BACK AND FORTH” has a more typical pop song structure and shows his radio-friendly appeal. Paul hasn’t released any music since 2020, but you can expect his next work to push boundaries and catch the ears of many new listeners.

Claud

Age: 22

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 676,042

Where to Start: Soft Spot, Tommy

Claud has a breathy bedroom pop voice that will immediately get you engaged, and as you continue to listen to their music, the pictures they paint of love, heartbreak, and growing up will float vividly through your mind. Somewhere in the lane of artists like Soccer Mommy and Clairo, Claud’s music is raw and emotional in its lyrics, but gentle and pretty in its sound. There is something incredibly haunting about the sadder parts of their catalog, but also something inviting and warm in their voice at all times. Highlights of their catalog include “Soft Spot”, a record about missing an ex, and “Tommy”, which describes the feeling of knowing you are not the person your partner is in love with. After their excellent 2021 album Super Monster and “Tommy” coming as a single at the end of last year, Claud is ready to breakout even more with their next project.

Brakence

Age: 20

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 797,951

Where to Start: argyle, f***boy

brakence, a 20-year-old singer who has been dropping top level music since dropping out of The Ohio State University at 17, combines a mix of influences to create a sound that he describes as “self-care punk”. His music has electronic elements and intricacies that are reminiscent of hyperpop, but his music comes at a slower pace and is very much in the emo space. With a very distinctive and deep vocal tone, brakence doesn’t sound like his peers, and his vocals are always produced with little glitches that make him sound even more unique. His music is usually about love, heartbreak, and depression, making some of the lyrics painfully sad, but in a way that has the potential to help a lot of listeners through hard times. A lowkey personality focused on the art first and foremost, brakence is at his most expressive when he yells out his lyrics at the studio or at live shows. With a growing fanbase and a whole lot of musical talent, brakence is a big artist to watch as he comes off tour with one of last year’s artists to watch, Aries.

Mustafa

Age: 25

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 256,497

Where to Start: Stay Alive, Air Forces

Mustafa makes music unlike anything you’ve ever heard before, turning stories of street violence into beautifully haunting folk songs. Born in Toronto to Sudanese parents, Mustafa was a poet before he was a musical artist, which translates to magically evocative lyrics about the pain and bright spots of growing up around street violence. Mustafa seems to effortlessly craft a completely distinctive sound, and sings with one of the most memorable tones you’ll ever hear (a sound that landed him on part 1 of our Best Albums of 2021 List). There is so much pain and passion in every part of his voice, and every note is sung with so much care. Many of his songs honor his fallen friends, like rapper Smoke Dawg and community organizer Yusuf Ali, who were both lost to gun violence, speaking about their losses in a thoughtful and poetic way. Throughout his catalog Mustafa is intensely vulnerable as he openly navigates the pain of losing these important people in his life, seeming crying into the void to ask for them back. With his incredible artistry and lyrical genius, Mustafa should be a huge force going forward into 2022.

44Phantom

Age: 20/21

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 256,042

Where to Start: freak, I WON’T COMPLAIN

44Phantom has all of the elements of a budding star, with a high-pitched tone that is easy on the ears and instantly recognizable, and a lot of youthful energy that he pairs with rebellious and vulnerable lyrics. Sitting somewhere around pop punk and alt-pop, 44Phantom is really good at being sad and angry in his lyrics while maintaining danceability and excitement. Coming from Oklahoma, Phantom didn’t grow up around the kind of music scene that would support his growth, but he has made his own path and sound. In terms of production, he has an ear for the catchiest grungy guitar licks, and his songwriting is already very developed for such a young artist. He is yet to catch major commercial success on any of his tracks, but his songs are extremely consistent in sound and commercial performance, and he has begun to work with bigger collaborators like Tom the Mail Man. Upon listening to his catalog, it becomes evident that 44Phantom is ready to become a big name with another body of work.

Renforshort

Age: 19

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,054,900

Where to Start: f*** i luv my friends, moshpit

Renforshort has all the early makings of a pop star, with excellent vocal capabilities, a wonderful tone, great story-telling abilities, and a confident and youthful delivery. The 19-year-old Canadian has an extremely consistent catalog for such a young artist, crafting songs that are highly reflective of common experiences in her generation. Ren is able to tap into the kinds of stories about love and growing up that should be sure to resonate for fans around her age, and that will bring out a lot of nostalgia in older listeners. She saw a lot of good commercial success of her EP off saint dominique in 2021, and her 2022 single “Moshpit” has hit written all over it. With songs that have an undeniable pop sound but also mix in aspects of electronica and grungier undertones, Renforshort has created her own sound that seems to resonate really well with her target audience. Expect to see Renforshort become a big name in pop in the coming years.

Paris Texas

Group Members: Louie Pastel & Felix

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 380,336

Where to Start: HEAVY METAL, girls like drugs

Paris Texas have found a nice lane in hip hop, with enough experimentation to bring in more indie fans, enough lyricism to please the hip hop purists, and enough pure aggressive energy to get people rocking with them. The California duo of Louie Pastel and Felix will truly stand out in the rap game, drifting between soft melodies and intensely aggressive bars over rock guitar riffs and heavy hip hop drums. Just like their song “HEAVY METAL” suggests, there is something very reminiscent of the rock subgenre especially in their production, and their raps sound like something in between Earl Sweatshirt, OutKast, and Rage Against The Machine. The duo truly seem like they don’t care what anyone thinks, and doing their own thing has already brought them a lot of success. Paris Texas’s experimentation and energy make them special, and they have the potential to get bigger in hip hop due to their original sound.

SAIAH

Age: 23/24

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 210,077

Where to Start: CHEATER, LAZLO

SAIAH is full of so much energy, and his crisp and clean tone is extremely pleasing to the ear. A former college track athlete, SAIAH is a genre-bender able to bounce between pop, indie, rnb, hip hop and rock sounds. His most recent project, RACEWAY: THE WISDOM OF INSECURITY, leans more indie rock/pop though. As an artist, he just oozes confidence and vision, with a great ear for exciting sounds, an amazing pen for translating emotions into lyrics that resonate, and a creative and innovative fashion style. SAIAH brings so many things to the table, with the potential to make a wide range of listeners happy. Some of his best tracks include “CHEATER” (which was featured on part 2 of our Best Songs of 2021 List), a passionate punk leaning cut about infidelity that features Tom The Mail Man, and “LAZLO” a more laidback indie love song featuring RIZ LA VIE. SAIAH’s versatility, energy, incredible voice, and command of his vision make him an exciting young talent, and definitely a major artist to look out for this year.

Ama Lou

Age: 21

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 445,200

Where to Start: NORTHSIDE, All I Can Say

Ama Lou has been releasing great music since she was just a young teen in 2016, but her career is really ready to take off in 2022. The British singer has an incredible RnB voice, and an ear for sounds that always make her stand out. Making tracks that lean into hip hop and grime with lyrics that exude confidence and emotional intelligence, Ama Lou is already at the top of her game, she just needs more ears to find her work. Her 2021 EP At Least We Have This, which we highlighted on our Best Albums of 2021 Part 2, shows off her ability to dive into different sounds (even singing over a drill beat) and craft amazing earworm melodies. She also has an incredible fashion sense and is a successful model, which should make her stand out even further. Ama’s voice truly has the potential to be iconic, and her melodies sound excellent throughout her catalog, but especially on her standout tracks like “NORTHSIDE” and “All I Can Say”. All in all it is clear that Ama Lou has so much potential to break out in a big way this year.

Nilüfer Yanya

Age: 26

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 959,895

Where to Start: Keep On Calling, midnight sun

26-year-old British singer Nilüfer Yanya has an incredible vocal tone that you won’t be able to get out of your head once you first hear it. Yanya’s rnb infused indie rock sound is exciting and original, featuring soft indie drums and guitars with floating vocals delivered in a signature tone you’ll want to hear over and over again. Lyrically, Yanya often speaks about relationships and insecurities, fully opening up about her struggles and trying to grow through her songs. The singer also has a very recent release under her belt, as she dropped her album PAINLESS in early March of 2022. The record has been receiving rave reviews, and is certainly an early favorite for one of our albums of the year, with great tracks front-to-back. You can expect to see Yanya and PAINLESS on a lot of top music publications, and this record should easily surpass her previous streaming totals. Yanya is certainly becoming a big name, so it’s definitely time to get on her wave.

BERWYN

Age: 25/26

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 228,277

Where to Start: RUBBER BANDS, TO BE LOVED

BERWYN, a Trinidad-born and London-based alt-rnb/rap artist is creating unorthodox songs packed with universal emotion. His accented vocals float with grace over sparse and spacious production, creating a sense of warmth in the darkness. His voice is so soulful and full, and he is able to transition effortlessly between his singing and rapping voices, both of which sound excellent. BERWYN is incredibly vivid in his descriptions of love and pain, and he is excellent at selecting production that matches his energy. There is a lot of darkness in his stories, a lot of regret and sadness, but also optimism in hope in the lines he sings and raps. His 2021 project “TAPE 2/FOMALHAUT” is a great release, featuring a lot of amazing tracks including the infectious breakup anthem “RUBBER BANDS” and the vulnerable and spacey “TO BE LOVED”.

Brevin Kim

Group Members: Brendan Paulhus & Callin Paulhus

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 198,155

Where to Start: NAPLES, YOU.F.O.

Brevin Kim, a duo of brothers from suburban Massachusetts, found success after taking a chance on their dreams early in the Covid-19 pandemic, but they still have a lot of room to grow. Making music that blurs the lines between rock, pop, electronic music, and hip hop (with elements that can link them back to hyperpop), Brevin Kim are truly creating their own signature sound. With music that can be aggressive, vulnerable, deeply sad, and energetic, the duo truly capture the frenzy of love and finding oneself. The production they choose really jumps all over the map, but the sounds all match their vibe, with a lot of booming drums, grimy synths, and big, chaotic moments. The duo hasn’t caught any major hits yet, but the quality of their work is consistent, and they have seen significant commercial growth in the last year. Brevin Kim is definitely an artist to have on your radar going into 2022.

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