During the last year 2024 had already seen its share of breakout stars, alongside established artists that continued to dominate the charts. The new year brings new excitement that builds over who will emerge as the next big name in music. In the following list is a mix of rising talents who have already begun to make waves, as well as up and coming artists poised to make their mark on the industry.
Senior Hannah Majewski discussed what it’s like to support smaller artists.
“Smaller artists, a lot of the time, like one example, I was listening to like Lizzie McAlpine when she was smaller, five years ago, and now all of a sudden she’s like selling out arenas, and it’s like that kind of like growth in an artist is so interesting to see it, when you do genuinely enjoy the music,” Majewski said. “You also can’t really search for small artists, if they pop on your feed and you like them, then you have to be like, well, I guess I’ll try it. And since you can’t really, like search for them, I mean, it’s just like it’s good for music to not just be all of these big names, and for some variety to be out there.”
The 22-year-old pop artist, based in London, began her career by posting covers and original songs on tiktok. Overtime she has gained significant traction since her debut single, “say ur mine” released in 2023. Rose continues to go live on social media often to play covers, and post clips of songs she wrote.
This method seemed to have worked for Majewski.
“I found her [Rose] through Instagram Reels if I’m being honest. Because of the nature of what I have on Instagram, which is like all of my music stuff, I get a lot of music stuff from smaller accounts, and then I end up following like all of them and I download like one to three of their songs that I like, and then all of a sudden they’re releasing new music,” Majewski said.
Since her debut, Rose has dropped a debut EP, “rumination as ritual,” and a handful of other singles. Rose was the cover for Dork magazine’s Dec. 2024/Jan. 2025 issue, a connection fans are drawing to artists like Gracie Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter, making many fans believe Rose is bound to get her big break like they did.
Rose kicked off the new year by releasing a new single “start all over” on Jan. 1. Along with her new single, Rose has a new EP titled “For Your Validation” set to release on Jan. 17, and is set embark on her UK tour kicking off in Glasgow on April 2.
Majewski discussed what she’s most looking forward following Rose and her music in the new year.
“All small artists tend to post, like, teasers of new songs, and then, don’t release them for like months. But I’ll see the teaser and I get really excited about that song,” Majewski said. “I do know that there are, like a couple of teasers or something she has posted and I’m like, ‘I would listen to that entire song.’”
With her witty lyrics and dream pop melodies, fans expect Rose to emerge as the next pop sensation to dominate the charts.
The 22-year-old artist from New Zealand began his music career in 2022 with the release of his debut single “All For You,” which reached No. 6 on the Hot 20 NZ Singles Charts.
In Dec. 2024, he released his EP “December,” a darkly tinted mix of folk, rock, and indie-pop. Throughout 2024, Swinton achieved significant milestones including supporting BabyJake on tour.
Looking into 2025, Swinton plans to continue releasing more music and posting content on social media platforms to better connect with his audience, furthering his career in the music industry.
The 23-year-old singer from California began her music career in 2019, releasing her first self produced song “That Way That I See You” in 2020. Following that, Gabriella gained significant attention with her single “a little hope never hurt” which has now been streamed over 1 million times on Spotify.
In Feb. 2024 she released her first EP titled “From the Next Room,” blending introspective lyrics with acoustic pop elements.
As of early 2025, Gabriella has been engaging with her audience through social media, sharing covers and snippets of new music. She has expressed excitement for the upcoming year, hinting at new projects and releases.
Gabriella’s music is characterized by its raw, acoustic pop sound, drawing inspiration from artists like Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams. Her authentic storytelling and emotive melodies continue to resonate with a growing fanbase and are expected to make her a known artist in the new year.
The 21-year-old singer-songwriter began his music career in 2022 releasing his debut EP “Demos Before Prom” which gained traction with tracks like “Out of Bounds.”
Throughout 2024, Todd achieved many significant milestones, including many hit songs off his mixtape “Sweet Boy” with tracks like “Art House” and “Roommates.” Todd also supported Omar Apollo on his North American headline tour and performed at major festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.
Through his music, Todd creates a dynamic blend of alternative R&B, pop and indie influences, positioning him as a rising star to watch in the coming year.
As one of the better-known artists on this list, Doechii has already started to make her mark on the music industry. The 26-year-old rapper began her music career in 2016 releasing her debut single “Girls” on Soundcloud and recently released her mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal” in Aug. 2024. The album received critical acclaim with lead single “DENIAL IS A RIVER” turning into trends on TikTok with a music video released in early January.
Doechii has already earned three nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards, making her the most nominated female rapper for the 2025 Grammys, and she doesn’t plan on stopping there.
Looking ahead she has announced plans to release her debut studio album this year. Her commitment to authenticity, edge, and artistic versatility continues to resonate with audiences, solidifying her status as a rising star in the music industry.
The 20-year-old singer and actor shares parallels with pop artist Olivia Rodrigo, as both artists somewhat began their singing careers on the show “High School Musical The Musical The Series.” Lyles, similar to Rodrigo, had singing experience prior to the show but hadn’t released an original song. After creating and performing an original song on the show Lyles, like Rodrigo, released his first self-written and produced songs.
Lyles currently has two singles, “Somewhere to Go” and “Formalize Me,” both released in 2024. His style is a blend of soulful pop with touches of R&B and indie influences.
Looking ahead to the new year, Lyles is set to release his debut album and support the band Almost Monday on their “DIVE” tour beginning Jan. 24, further establishing his presence in the music industry
The 25-year-old pop artist began her writing career at 15, releasing her first EP “Starsick” in 2019. Recently, in Aug. 2024, she released her debut album “Sugar Water” which received widespread acclaim from fans for its themes of love, identity and personal growth, reflecting her experiences as a queer artist.
Senior Audrey Shaner shared how Latour’s music drew her in.
“I found her music through my friend. We were like at a sleepover, we were just going through all of our playlist and she played me a couple of her songs and she was like, I think you’ll really like this person,” Shaner said. “All her songs they’re like queer and they’re like pop, but it’s very funky and weird and her lyrics are all really fun.”
Along with releasing her debut album, Latour spent the last year supporting the artist Fletcher as an opening act on her U.S. leg of her tour.
Moving into the new year, Latour announced her own headline tour of the U.S., set to kick off on March 5 in San Francisco.
The 26-year-old British pop singer has already made his way into the minds of many with his hit song “Stargazing.” The last year brought the artists many milestones including winning the Tiktok Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award in Dec. 2024.
He began his music career in 2020 and gained initial recognition by posting acoustic covers online during the lockdown, which led to a viral rendition of The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather” in 2022.
Recently in March 2024, Smith released his debut EP “You Promised A Lifetime” which contributed to his growing popularity. “Stargazing” became the breakout single, peaking at number four on the Official UK Charts and was even included in former President Barack Obama’s summer playlist.
Looking into 2025, Smith began the year as winner of the BRIT Rising Star award, joining the ranks of Adele, Florence + the Machine and Griff, all past winners of the award. Along with that, Smith is set to support Ed Sheeran on tour later in the year.
After a very successful 2024, Smith is an artist who is sure to continue his rise through the music industry.
The 21-year-old singer-songwriter began his career in 2022 with the release of his debut single “Miss Me (Bad Vibes)” which gained some significant attention on streaming platforms. Bex’s music consists of soulful tracks that showcase his blend of acoustic melodies and dynamic rap with songs like “Uptown.”
Throughout 2024, Bex achieved several milestones, including supporting notable artists such as M Huncho and Russ Millions. Looking into 2025, Bex plans to continue releasing new music and expanding his reach within the music industry.
This indie pop trio is composed of Dawson Daugherty on vocals, Cole Clisby on guitar and Luke Fabry on bass/keys. The band formed in 2015 when the members met during high school and college, and in 2022 they released their debut single “broken people.”
Their music is characterized by upbeat rhythms, catchy melodies as a blend of indie pop, rock and funk influences, drawing inspiration from their Southern California roots.
The trio spent some of 2024 opening for AJR on their tour, as well as debuting their first studio album “DIVE” released in Sept. 2024. Following the release of “DIVE,” the band is set to continue on “The Dive Tour” in 2025, with another artist on this list supporting them throughout the tour.
The 22-year-old artist began her music career with her debut single “Keep That To Yourself,” which in the fall of 2024, gained attention due to people thinking it was an unreleased Sabrina Carpenter song because of their vocal similarities.
Tristan released her debut EP in 2024 titled “IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT,” which was well-received due to her reflections of personal experiences, authenticity and lyrical depth. She has been actively engaging with her audience through live performances and social media, using it as a tool to share insights into her creative process and personal life.
Looking ahead, Tristan has hinted plans for a deluxe version of her EP, as well as more music releases. Her dedication to storytelling through music positions her as a promising young artist to watch in the new year.
Overall
Every year new artists blow up and more small artists appear, adding to the ever-changing music industry. No matter what type of music people are into, there are always new, smaller artists waiting to be found, many of whom are on this list.
Shaner shared why she enjoys listening to smaller artists.
“It’s fun to feel like you have somebody niche to listen to. To be so honest, everyone wants to be different. Everyone wants to have somebody niche. Like, I love a good Taylor Swift [song], I always will[…],” Shaner said. “It puts you in a community, and it’s so fun when you meet somebody else, [and] you also like that artist because you’re both [in that smaller community]…it’s not every single person that you meet. It’s like fun it brings communities together and it’s fun to have somebody niche.”
Artists on this list have proved to be quickly growing smaller artists that bring a sense of a smaller community. Some are on the brink of their big break while others are continuing to grow their popularity from 2o24, setting an exciting tone for the world of music in the new year.
