12 up-and-coming artists you need to know for the new year, and the best tracks to introduce you to their catalogs. 13 more coming soon in the next edition!

We did this series the last two years, covering rising stars like Rina Sawayama, Nilüfer Yanya, glaive, Jean Dawson, and more (Find last year’s articles HERE and HERE, and the 2021 edition HERE). We’re back with another installment this year, and you better believe we’re putting you on to more future stars!

*all Spotify monthly listeners are as of January 24, 2022

Ethel Cain

Age: 24

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 2,101,397

Source: @mothercain

Where to Start: American Teenager, A House In Nebraska

Ethel Cain feels like she is destined to gain a massive following for her gripping artistic vision. Raised in Tallahassee, Florida in a Southern Baptist family, Cain left the church behind years ago, but her music still centers Americana themes that often include religious references. Her style is often described as ethereal, featuring reverb and open production that allows her voice to take centerstage and create spiritual experiences for her listener. Cain’s vocal has significant similarities to that of Florence Welch (who has already worked with the young artist), but her lyrical themes mesh elements of Americana, folk, and country, and the sonics add a surreal quality to alternative rock and pop sounds. She has already delivered a fantastic project in her 2022 effort Preacher’s Daughter, and has picked up significant buzz both on the internet and from music critics over the last year. Expect Cain to keep delivering incredible art and gaining visibility in 2023.

Q

Age: 23

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 3,143,171

Source: @qmarsden

Where to Start: Take Me Where Your Heart Is, Stereo Driver

The artist simply known as Q is quickly becoming a big name in current RnB. His sound revolves around taking elements of 1970s and 80s music and transforming them to fit the modern era. He produces much of his own music, making sure that each baseline and guitar lick are perfectly placed to allow his voice to shine. Whether in full voice or falsetto, Q’s vocal is always full of soul and passion. Thematically, Q often centers love and relationships in his songs, showing an ability to express adoration, heartbreak, and everything in between in his writing. Q has a level of skill to warrant comparisons to megastars like Frank Ocean, Steve Lacy, and The Weeknd, and his ability to modernize stylistic elements from past eras is impressive. On tracks like the funky, falsetto-heavy “Take Me Where Your Heart Is”, and the 80s pop-leaning “Stereo Driver” it’s evident the world has a future star on their hands with Q.

Fana Hues

Age: 27

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 2,514,596

Source: @fanahues

Where to Start: Icarus, BAD bad

Fana Hues is one of the most impressive emerging voices in RnB right now. With a soulful voice that cuts through the second you hear it, Fana is bound to catch your attention. Many might know her feature on Tyler, The Creator’s “SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE”, but it’s her solo work that is most impressive. Her 2022 album flora + fana landed on part 1 of our Best Albums of 2022 list for good reason, and we are anticipating more exciting releases from the California singer. Lyrically, Hues sings about her pain, but she also always seems to find her strength in dark moments, making for songs that have the power to uplift her listener with the skill of modern stars in her genre like Ari Lennox and Jazmine Sullivan. Beyond the lyrics, Hues’s vocals are consistently incredible, with a balance of power and control, and an excellent natural tone. Keep an eye on Fana Hues in 2023.

midwxst

Age: 19

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 2,032,010

Source: @midwxst

Where to Start: 223’s feat. BabyTron, i know you hate me

Midwxst is one of the most important names in the rise of hyper pop despite only being 19-years-old. A rapper and singer able to use both hyper pop production as well as beats that lean more into rock and hip hop, wxst has proven to have impressive versatility and a knack for creating underground hits. His music never lacks energy, and no matter what influences or sounds he draws from on a track, his energy will never be lacking. While his technical ability as both a singer and a rapper are still improving, his talent for finding melodies and flows that get listeners excited is uncanny. His music has elements of some of Gen-Z’s most important rappers like Trippie Redd, Juice Wrld, and XXXTentacion, and his ability to rap, sing songs that lean into pop, and make rock-leaning rage music give him the potential to become a massive commercial star. The young artist is exactly the kind of versatile musician that appeals to young audiences, and his talent should give him many opportunities to continue building an audience in 2023.

Zachary Knowles

Age: 23/34

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 907,613

Source: @zacharyknowles

Where to Start: carpool, CIGARETTES

Texas singer Zachary Knowles has the voice and songwriting skill to develop into a major name in the industry. Throughout his releases Knowles has showcased a gripping vocal tone and an ability to write memorable songs that pack in significant emotional meaning. His songs usually have clever concepts that are well-executed, built on incredibly catchy pop choruses and passionate delivery. Knowles tends to sing about love and relationships, and his songwriting strives for relatability and vulnerability. His production often leans into rock in its guitars and drum patterns, but some of his tracks also lean more towards hip hop drums. With a sound that really captures the direction of the emerging pop scene, Knowles should continue to see increasing success into 2023.

Matt Schuster

Age: Unknown

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,907,343

Source: @its.matt.schuster

Where to Start: From The Start, If I Was A Cowboy

Matt Schuster first rose to national attention covering songs on TikTok, but now he is here to stay as one of the major rising stars in the country scene. Initially standing out for his vocal tone and ability to pick songs that matched his voice well, Schuster has since shown that he has what it takes to be a full-fledged country star. Schuster’s voice has elements of Chris Stapleton, but his lane is much more similar to Morgan Wallen, using a soulful and powerful country voice to sing songs that mix country and pop elements. On his best tracks like “From The Start” and “If I Was A Cowboy” he showcases an ability to write a country love song that is original in sound and of good quality lyrically. Matt Schuster has all the tools to become the next big star in the mainstream country scene in 2023.

Hope Tala

Age: 25

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,155,351

Source: @hopetala

Where to Start: Stayed At the Party, Leave It On The Dancefloor

English singer Hope Tala has carved out her own lane in music, and her infectious sound is sure to win her new fans in the coming year. Tala’s style blends a variety of genres from RnB to pop and intermingles funky and electronic elements, making for a unique sound and style. Her vocals usually softly drift over her instrumentals, and she uses layering and cadence well to get her listener to grab onto her vocal. On some of her best tracks like “Stayed At The Party” and “Leave It On The Dancefloor”, Tala shows an ability to make danceable music with depth. Also a producer, Tala pays close attention to the production sounds and how they compliment her vocals. Her style has a lot of similarities to one of our previous artists to watch in Nilüfer Yanya, and we expect her to find similar critical acclaim and fan reception as her career continues to rise.

Genevieve Stokes

Age: 21

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 3,021,175

Source: @chowdergiirl

Where to Start: Habits, Surface Tension

Genevieve Stokes is coming from a city not known nationally for its music scene in Portland, Maine, but she is poised to immediately change that. The 21-year-old is an excellent songwriter with a memorable voice and a fantastic emotional sensibility. Her songs poetically discuss growing up and falling in and out of love, and her themes and sonics are sure to appeal to other Gen-Zers in search of new music. Stokes melds RnB elements with singer-songwriter and indie vibes, creating a sound that feels souful and emotionally honest. On “Habits”, one of our Best Songs of 2022, and her most successful song yet, Stokes shows she can meld her top quality songwriting with current commercial appeal. She has already started 2023 by releasing a single entitled “17”, and she should have more fantastic music coming as the year continues.

Katie Gregson-MacLeod

Age: 21

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,408,773

Where to Start: complex, white lies

Katie Gregson-MacLeod first blew up into the mainstream when her song “Complex” exploded on TikTok. The tracks, which is featured on our Best Songs of 2022 list, vividly captures the emotional experience of giving your all to a relationship despite the other person clearly not reciprocating. Throughout her growing catalog, Gregson-MacLeod shows off high-level songwriting chops, with incredible attention-to-detail in her lyrics. “Complex” felt like a moment that captured the attention of Gen-Z people similarly to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License”, with Gregson-MacLeod expressing somewhat similar feelings to an older, maturing audience. Her style mixes ballad-singing with Gen-Z pop stardom, and finds a way to blend intense artistry with accessible emotional storytelling. Gregson-MacLeod certainly has what it takes to see significantly more success in the coming year.

Black Sherif

Age: 21

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,627,997

Source: @blacksherif_

Where to Start: Kwaku The Traveller, Black Sermon – Remix

Black Sherif has not been in the game for long, but he commands a track like a veteran. Upon hitting play on his biggest track at the moment, “Kwaku The Traveller”, listeners will hear the Ghanaian rapper and singer confidently float over the beat. His command of melody is evident, his delivery feels seasoned, and the bars he spits are memorable and evocative. Creating music that combines elements of highlife, afrobeats, hip hop, and more, the young artist has a sound that really stands out and has carved out enough space in the industry for him to become a major star. If you need more evidence that he is next-up, look no further than the cosigns he has received from industry titans Burna Boy and Stormzy, with Burna Boy appearing on the remix of his song “Black Sermon”, and Sherif featuring on Stromzy’s “This is What I Mean”. Look out for Black Sherif to become a much bigger global star this year.

Weston Estate

Group Members: Srikar Nanduri, Manas Panchavati, Tanmay Joshi, Abhi Manhass, Marco Luka

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,391,701

Source: @westonestate

Where to Start: So Good, Silence

Weston Estate describe themselves as a boy band, but they make it clear that they their value artistry more than the typical boy band. The group handles almost everything in-house with Abhi and Srikar producing and Manas, Tanmay, and Marco providing vocals. They are ]working in the lane that Brockhampton carved out as a genre-bending boyband featuring both producers and vocalists, but they have their own unique flavor and sound. The group members were friends before they started making music together, and their chemistry is evident in the music they release. Their sound is largely pop, but it leans alternative with production choices and vocals that include elements of RnB, Hip Hop, EDM, and indie music. Weston Estate have already proved they can write songs that resonate, and they are poised to earn their biggest hit yet with each new release.

Charlotte Sands

Age: 26

Spotify Monthly Listeners: 1,938,354

Source: @charlottesands

Where to Start: Dress, Want You Like That

Charlotte Sands has a huge voice and an artistic vision to match. With a catalog that bounces around from alt-rock to pop punk, Sands is a modern rock star. Originally from Massachusetts, Sands first emerged on TikTok with her song “Dress”, a track with rock and pop elements that describes her feelings about how good Harry Styles looks in a dress. From there, Sands released a seven song debut Love and Other Lies, which features one of our Best Songs of 2022 in “Want You Like That”. Sands’s commercial lane falls somewhere around the pop punk resurgence of the last few years, but her powerful voice and songwriting quality give her crossover appeal and an ability to do pop punk in a way that feels less formulaic than many modern efforts and more reminiscent of the subgenre’s roots. Watch out for Sands’s next work to push her artistic vision and yield more commercial success in 2023.

Enjoyed the post? Check out our playlist of songs to introduce you to these emerging artists!

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