15 Artists You’re Going To Love In 2018
5 January 2018, 12:46
Need some new music? We got you covered.
A new year means a new crop of musical talent to go fan-girl crazy for. The PopBuzz team have picked 15 of their favourite up-and-comers who they think you'll love in 2018 and, honestly, it's the most god damn beautiful list we've ever seen. Check 'em out!
1. Pale Waves
Pale Waves - Television Romance
The 1975 fans will be already familiar with Heather Baron-Gracie's goth pop crew, having worked extensively with Matty Healy on recent singles. With their debut album expected to drop later this year, expect this Manchester four-piece to hit similarly successful heights to their friends and labelmates very soon. - James Wilson-Taylor
2. Jaira Burns
Jaira Burns - Ugly
"A little crazy from the start, fires like this can tear the world apart", Jaira Burns threatens on the opening lines of the opening lines in the music video for 'Ugly', her reggaeton-pop breakout track. She signed to Interscope and released a string of ruthlessly catch singles last year and now Jaira is poised to set the word ablaze in 2018. - Woodrow Whyte
3. Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish - Bellyache
15-year-old Californian native Billie Eilish has it all: attitude, a killer sense of style and a ton of off-kilter-pop bops. Literally what else do you need in life? Expect a debut album and a global breakout of Eilish fever this summer. - WW
4. Aminé
Aminé - Spice Girl
If you’re sleeping on Aminé’s 2017 debut studio release Good For You literally where have you been!? 4 days into 2018 and he’s already secured his first Coachella slot, proving it will be an even bigger year for the creative powerhouse who you can thank for bringing back yellow. - Emily Beard
5. GIRLI
GIRLI - Hot Mess
We've been watching GIRLI for a while now (quite literally when she visited us last year) and her music has gone from strength to strength in that time, culminating in the boisterous and addictive Hot Mess EP in October. This year is looking likely for her debut album and if we can have more bangers like 'Hot Mess' and 'Can I Say Baby' then we'll be very happy. - WW
6. Dean Lewis
Dean Lewis - Waves (Official Video)
Chances are if you watched Riverdale season one, you've already had a massive fucking cry to the above song, as 'Waves' soundtracked the scene when viewers discovered Jughead was homeless (sad times). The feature has catapulted Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis to a new global audience and 39 million streams on Spotify. Except a full length debut on Universal later this year. - WW
7. Rex Orange County
Rex Orange County - Loving is Easy (feat. Benny Sings) [Official Video]
Rex Orange County is like if all your favourite exes melted into one person, learned to sing, and wrote lyrics like, “I’ll be your biggest fan and you’ll be mine, but I still want to break your heart and make you cry.” The music of 19-year-old Alex O’Conner is packed with a unique style of dreamy teenage charm that feels both intimate and authentic. Something tells us that you'll be hearing about Rex Orange County all throughout 2018. Check out his brilliant debut album Apricot Princess now and expect more music later this year. - Nicky Idika
8. CupcaKke
CupcakKe - Cartoons
Not technically a newcomer but certainly an artist (or should we say a life philosophy?) that will shape 2018 in one way or another. Having snatched our attention with her love letter to the LGBT community on 'Lgbt' back in 2016, rapper CupcakKe followed that up last year with a powerful record in Queen Elizabitch and two features on Charli XCX's Number 1 Angel & Pop 2 mixtapes. Having grown her audience and honed her craft, Ephorize, her new album (out Jan 5), is one of this year's most mouth-watering prospects. - WW
9. No Rome
no rome - Blue Jeans (Official Music Video)
"Love child no rome made an ep in my kitchen and it's one of the most beautiful things to happen to pop music in quite a long time" wrote Matty Healy back in October. Coming from the man who wrote 'Somebody Else', that's quite something. Teenager Romeo Gomez describes his luscious brand of electronica as "a personification of teen love, melancholy & everything in between" and it's every bit as beautiful as you'd hope it to be. His first EP, loverboy must die, is expected early 2018. - WW
10. E^ST
E^ST - Life Goes On (Official Video)
E^ST might only have a handful of (exceptionally brilliant and haunting) pop songs to her name so far but she's already stolen our hearts. We literally can't wait for the Australian singer-songwriter to release a full length and fly over to London so we can see her in the flesh. We're 100% ready. - WW
11. Fickle Friends
Fickle Friends - Hard To Be Myself (Official Video)
Synthy pop goodness that will get every beer garden and beach barbecue dancing over summer, this Brighton-based quintet drop their debut record You Are Someone Else this March. Given the huge bops they have already put out as singles, you can expect this to be one of the pop albums to beat in 2018. - JWT
12. Jessie Reyez
Jessie Reyez - Phone Calls (Audio)
When Billboard recently asked Colombian-Canadian artist Jessie Reyez to describe her music, she referenced film director Quentin Tarantino and said, “I love his idea of juxtaposition and contrast, like how there can be a bloody scene with like guts flying everywhere, and like red all over the walls, meanwhile there’s like classical music playing.” And if that isn't a vivid enough description of her music for you then I honestly don't know what else to write. Jessie Reyez is going to kick 2018's ass like Kill Bill and you better be ready. - WW
13. Rina Sawayama
Rina Sawayama - Cyber Stockholm Syndrome (Official Video)
If you haven’t heard Rina Sawayama, you’ve definitely seen her signature tangerine hair and enviable pics plastered all over Instagram. But look little deeper and Rina’s music also packs a punch, merging pop productions harking back to the glory days of the ’90s with lyrics discussing depression, anxiety and identity politics. - EB
14. Courage My Love
Courage My Love - Need Someone - Official Music Video
Like a cross between PVRIS and The 1975, the Canadian trio, made up of twin sisters Mercedes Arn-Horn and Phoenix Arn-Horn and bassist Brandon Lockwood, dropped their excellent second album Synesthesia last year. With their energetic live shows and earwormy melodies, the band look set to dominate festival circuits this summer. - JWT
15. Yaeji
Yaeji - Drink I'm Sippin On (Official Music Video)
We’re calling it. Yaeji is about to have a massive year. The 24-year-old multilingual Brooklynite makes ambient music that even your faves are obsessed with. Yaeji is so good, she’s already nabbed herself a spot at Coachella for later this year. 2017’s EP2 was a complete vibe and if you sleep on Yaeji you’re already off to a bad 2018. - NI
