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Fifty Lab Festival held their 5th annual event in Brussels Belgium this past weekend on Saturday, November 16th. The festival aims to spotlight upcoming talent and emerging artists, something we always love to see here at OnesToWatch. Scattered across multiple cultural hotspot venues in the city center, the three-day festival scouted some amazing, fresh talent in collaboration with 20 different European festivals; with each act bringing its own flair that we hope to see shine across various stages this upcoming year. The festival is committed to more female representation in the music industry, and we’ve highlighted some of them here. They are truly OnesToWatch.

1. Stella Rose

Photo Credit: Lena Ramzani

New York-based artist Stella Rose grew up surrounded by music, as the daughter of Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan. Inspired by the city she grew up in, she radiates an artistic, grungy and sometimes masculine style. For her debut album “Eyes Of Glass”, which came out in 2023, she created a sound of her own, mixing classic rock and roll with soft and moving beats. What makes her music even more captivating is her voice, which has a certain timeless quality to it and is capable of becoming a characteristic sound of rock and roll. Her latest song “MS.45” verges more into a world of synth, but still retains a feeling of darkness and delves further into Stella ́s aesthetic. We can't wait to see what she does in her upcoming EP “Hollybaby” out December 13th.

2. Amie Blu

Photographer: Lena Ramzani

London ́s Amie Blu is going to be your new sad girl best friend. Her newest album “how we lose” is a testament to taking your overthinking and turning it into art. Every song is soft-spoken, but perfectly combines indie sounds and rhythmic melodies with a very classic R&B feel. The project has a solid mix of tracks to cry to and songs that make you feel like staying indoors and getting philosophical. In “how we could end up” she asks an age-old question, but crafts a song that blends her voice with a jazzy melody and a catchy outro. This album is timeless and Amie herself is an icon, as audiences were already singing her lyrics back to her at the festival.

3. twst

Photo credit: Linde Stevens

A self-described classic Welsh legend, twst is a singer and producer who has created a soft and glowy dreamworld of her own, where she often plays the hero. Her music plays around with both soft, synthy melodies or full-on drum and bass. She makes songs that are fun to listen to; full of metaphors and humor; and fun to dance or twist to. She brought a lot of energy to her Brussel ́s set and the audience ate it up, with some of them calling her a “pop fairy”. Her newest project “TWST0002” is out now and full of amazing collaborations.

4. Mui Zyu

Photo credit: Tone Verswijvel

Meet Irish artist Mui Zyu, which means “little sister pig” in Cantonese. Her newest album “nothing or something to die for” can only be described as perfectly funky. From the very imaginative cover art, to the incredible instrumental tracks; everything adds up to make a beautiful and creative project. Her beats are perfect for dancing, while her delicate voice and metaphorical lyrics add an incredible depth to the project. In her song “the mould” she spends her time trying to figure out how to cross a portal, to end up finding out that the only way out is through. In addition, she serves an extra course on her musical menu by making a small EP version of the album with Cantonese language translations to some of her songs, as a way to celebrate her Hong Kong heritage.

5. Uwase

Photo credit: Tone Verswijvel

Indie pop fairy Uwase is on her way to becoming a Belgian star, having already opened for artists like Hannah Jadagu. In November she is chosen to feature as the BXLLOVESMUSIC artist of the month; the Belgian project that helps artists that are at a decisive moment in their careers and we can see why they chose her. Uwase mixes her soft vocals with funky and synthy rhythms that she composes on her guitar, inviting you into a world of very personal, tell-it-like-it-is lyrics. Her bubbly personality is great to witness, but her latest single “Fine” also shows how the artist can get deep and personal; going from a slow and sad start to a much more confident outro, where she tells herself she is fine.

6. Maleigh Zan

Photo credit: CHICA MORADA

Fashion model Maleigh Zan can now add amazing music to her list of accolades. The Atlanta-born artist lets us know that you can have everything, that style and music can coexist perfectly. Although she has only released a handful of singles, she has already established her signature style which is a mix of hip hop and dance electronic-beats. Her songs make you feel powerful just by listening to them and could without a doubt become club anthems. Her latest song “Studio54” is a sexy and confident track, where Maleigh has a lot of fun and “puts the s in the savage”.

7. Sylvie Kreusch

Photo credit: CHICA MORADA

Although Sylvie Kreusch has been a household name in Belgium for many years, her secret set at Fifty Lab was a mind-blowing surprise and we couldn't help but add it to our list. Her second album “Comic Trip” makes a switch from her previous work, in order to include more upbeat songs, tinged with the slight shade of country style rhythms and lyrics full of onomatopoeias. Her voice is as strong, deep and iconic as ever and she still keeps a lot of her classic sultry and alternative style. In “Hocus Pocus” she sings, “Oh whenever you're feeling blue, I'll be the potion of love”, departing from the heartbroken theme of her previous work. This Sylvie is ready for a renaissance. If her upcoming European tour is as incredible as her Fifty Lab performance was, we are in for a real treat.