10 Ryn Weaver
This summer, 21-year old Ryn Weaver seemed to emerge out of nowhere with “OctaHate,” a catchy single crafted by an all-star team of talent including Charli XCX, Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos, and producers Cashmere Cat and Benny Blanco, the latter of whom has take a particular interest in her career. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Emerging Artist Chart before the mysterious Weaver had even played an official show. She’s now working on her debut album, as well as some top-secret project with Charli XCX. If the new tracks are half as infectious as “OctaHate,” expect to see Weaver dominating the charts.
9 Raury
This Atlanta songwriter counts Kanye West and SBTRKT among his fans. He dropped his debut project, the 10-song Indigo Child, at the end of August and has already topped year-end lists, signed to Columbia Records, opened for OutKast and been the subject of aNew York Times profile. Not too shabby for an 18-year-old. Raury is still trying to figure out his particular sound — drawing from influences ranging from Cody ChesnuTT to Janelle Monae to psychedelic folk, an unlikely pastiche — but still, he has the world’s attention.
8 The Districts
This band of Pennsylvania upstarts — all the members are 20 years old or younger — play imaginative indie rock: high-energy songs that meander through folk, blues and classic rock. It’s a potent sound that has earned the group plenty of hype and plum spots at ACL and Lollapalooza. The buzz should hit fever pitch when The Districts’ forthcoming full-length, A Flourish and A Spoil, produced by St. Vincent collaborator John Congleton, drops via Fat Possum on February 10th.
7 Alvvays
Alvvays make sun-streaked California rock songs that belie their Canadian roots. Their debut self-titled album included breezy tunes undercut by a sharp wit and a gimlet eye. (Think early REM meets Best Coast and Dum Dum Girls.) The five-piece earned many fans in 2014 with their jangly pop songs and driving backbeats; 2015 should bring more acolytes to worship at their altar.
6 Dej Loaf
Deja Trimble had just quit her job as a janitor at a Chrysler Plant in her hometown of Detroit when she posted her song “Try Me” on SoundCloud on a whim under the name Dej Loaf. A few months later, Drake posted lyrics from the song on his Instagram account; a sleeper hit was born. Wiz Khalifa and T.I. soon jumped on the “Try Me” remix; suddenly, everyone was talking about Dej Loaf. Soon after, she signed to Columbia Records and began work on her debut, which drops next year.
5 Blood Diamonds
Michael Tucker, a.k.a. Blood Diamonds, has been working as a cooler-than-cool producer since he signed with 4AD back in 2012. He released an album of lush electronica akin to Caribou, worked with Charli XCX and Tinashe, and completed several successful collaborations with Grimes. Now, he’s working with Madonna on her upcoming album Rebel Heart.
4 Daniel Wilson
The tracks on Daniel Wilson’s impressive debut EPYoung Rubbish sail on the strength of his androgynous voice — a minimalist set that swerves from synth-driven space jams to deconstructed indie tunes that thrive under his Bon Iver-esque falsetto. Whatever the tempo, the intimate and ethereal songs reveal a deep talent.
3 Ella Henderson
There’s little doubt that 18-year old Ella Henderson had a great 2014: Simon Cowell signed the British songstress after she was kicked off of The X Factor in 2012. Her debut single “Ghost” — which she co-wrote with Ryan Tedder — went to the top of the charts in her native U.K. and cracked the charts in the U.S. Chapter One, her first LP, is out stateside Jan. 13.
2 Girlpool
Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad are teenage friends from Los Angeles who make fuzzy punk songs — but instead of pouring their hearts into a diary like teens of yore, they write catchy critiques of society and cultural ills. Kids these days, right? Their lo-fi sound and conscientious song writing is proven to great effect on their debut EP, which would fit in well with the Pacific Northwest sound of the ‘90s, and should earn them fans twice their age.
1 iLoveMakonnen
Makonnen Sheran, better known as the hip-hop auteur iLoveMakonnen, has been a prolific musician for a long time — but it was only this year, thanks to a collaboration with Drake, that he became the industry’s hottest new voice. That massive hit, which cracked the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, all but guarantees a big upcoming year for iLoveMakonnen.
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