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Meet the OnesToWatch class of 2026.

Absolutely 

A formless being who can’t help but hypnotize with her gravitational pull, it feels like South London songstress Absolutely is visiting us from another planet. With a full-bodied, distinct voice that commands your attention with an ethereal draw, she’s establishing herself beautifully in the alt-R&B realm far outside her older sister Raye’s magnitude. Her visuals prove her artistry extends far beyond her vocal ability, offering everything that makes her brilliant to be a download from God. Between touring with Reneé Rapp, collabing with The Jonas Brothers, and landing slots at music festivals across the globe, it’s Absolutely’s time to shine, and she’s doing so while remaining in unwavering devotion to her faith and purpose.

- Jazmin Kylene

adore 

Little is known about adore, but one thing is for certain—their music is infectious. Behind the guise of bubbly, Y2K avatars, adore is not so quietly making electronic-infused pop music that is already taking the internet by storm. Their breakout single “did i tell u that i miss u” racked up streams in the hundreds of millions, and it’s not hard to see why. While much of the sonics and aesthetics that comprise adore currently remain digital in nature, the sentiments underscoring it all remain firmly human. Their bio simply states, “welcome to nyc2,” and if this is what the future of music sounds like, we’re more than happy to take up permanent residence.  

- Maxamillion Polo

After 

Everyone tries their hand at nostalgia, but no one sticks the landing quite like After. Last year, they released two projects, aptly titled After EP and After EP 2, full of glorious trip-pop that sounds straight from an early 2000’s romcom. The duo has become an obvious “one to watch,” gaining fans from both major and indie music publications. Their visuals complete the vision, playing on old internet aesthetics that somehow feel futuristic. Their first release of 2026 is a cover of Crossfade’s 2004 hit “Cold,” which just feels so right. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for After.

- Giselle Libby

AKRIILA

It might surprise you to hear that one of the most exciting and groundbreaking artists out right now does not come from the UK, nor is she a budding pop star from the US, or a part of some fringe but culturally significant electronic scene that you’ll hear about on Twitter three years from now. One of music’s most exciting young talents takes the form of AKRIILA, a young Chilean singer and rapper whose debut studio album epistolares took the neoperreo movement beyond Latin America. Synthesizing experimental and abrasive production with pop stylistics, reggaeton production, and club-ready energy, epistolares, and its 2025 deluxe epistolares+, feels like a refreshing breath of air at a time when we need it most. Truly, there is no other artist out right now, whether inside or outside of Latin America, who is doing what Akriila is doing at the level that she is doing it. In a time in culture marked by Charli XCX clones, Opium wannabes and clout-chasers thirsting for a crumb of virality, Akriila is a trailblazer bringing new sights and sounds to the global stage. With Akriila hopefully having music slated for a 2026 release, there has never been a better time to get hip to the future of music than right now.

- Carter Fife

Audrey Hobert 

Quirky, relatable, and self-aware, Audrey Hobert is pop’s girl next door, sitting in a bedroom with memories taped to the wall, wearing mismatching socks, writing songs in her notebook about the scenarios we play out in our heads to fall asleep (don’t lie, we know you do it, too). From working in a Nickelodeon writer’s room to writing songs for best friend Gracie Abrams, Hobert decided to take her storytelling skills to the center stage in 2025 with the release of her debut, no skips album, Who’s The Clown?—a project fully-realized by the 26-year-old, from the visual world to its sonic soundscape. With a no-frills, diaristic writing style paired with a D.I.Y. bedroom pop-production, Hobert’s music feels like a journal entry read aloud, plastered in shiny stickers, scribbles, and torn pages. Honest, endearing, and perfectly imperfect, Hobert is a breath of fresh air.

- Tatum Van Dam

Elias Rønnenfelt 

Strictly speaking, Elias Rønnenfelt is not new to the music scene. Before setting off on his solo journey, the Danish musician and poet earned critical acclaim as the lead singer and lyricist of post-punk band Ice Age. It’s that same artistic dexterity that Rønnenfelt leverages to its fullest extent across his solo project. Hushed, slurred poetry floats across layers of distorted instrumentation, leaving the indie artist in a pool of his own yearnings and musings. And while Rønnenfelt is undeniably an impressive solo effort, it would be a disservice not to mention his recent collaborative work with fellow rising star Dean Blunt, which resulted in lucre, one of the best and most underrated projects of 2025.  

- Maxamillion Polo

Eli 

2025 was the Stage Girl audition, and 2026 is the year we witness Eli take center stage. The internet’s favorite niche popstar has been preparing for this her whole life, taking inspiration from every diva who came before her. With a blueprint like that, she’s bound to take over the world of pop music even more this year. Last year saw the release of her debut album, Stage Girl, as well as live debuts in Los Angeles and New York. Knowing Eli, her plans for the year will be full of theatrics, passion, and catered to fangirls everywhere. Which stage will she command next?

- Giselle Libby

EsDeeKid

Few artists rose to prominence this year in a way that felt inevitable quite like Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid. Of course, there were plenty of moments of virality that helped make this happen—a song with Fakemink here, a theory about him secretly being Timothee Chalamet there, and in between, a near-endless onslaught of high-energy singles that synthesize rage, drill, and jerk music into something perfectly unique. But artists go viral all the time, and we never hear from them again, so what makes EsDeeKid different? The answer is just as simple as it is undeniable: the man behind it all. From the opening lines of the Rico Ace-assisted "Phantom" to the almost regalia-adjacent "5am" with Fimiguererro, nearly every second of EsDeeKid’s music is instilled with a heavy dose of carefully-curated chaos. It’s no surprise that by the end of the year, it felt like every song on his debut project, Rebel, had gone viral in some way, and thankfully, it doesn’t seem like EsDeeKid will be slowing down any time soon.

- Carter Fife

Fakemink

It feels like an oxymoron to call fakemink the hottest things to come out of the UK underground, but it’s difficult to perfectly encapsulate the rapid ascent of the future UK giant. From Drake bringing him out at Wireless festival to appearing on one of the hottest tracks of 2025, EsDeeKid’s “LV Sandals,” last year proved to be a breakout year for the once underground artist. Yet, it’s more than just co-signs and features that speak to the promise of fakemink. The rate at which he turns out viral hits, coupled with a unique ear for production that leverages the nostalgic and distinct soundscapes of Imogen Heap, Moderat, Lusine, and more, paints fakemink as an artist ready to outgrow his “underground” roots. 

-Maxamillion Polo

Feng

2025 was a landmark year for the UK underground, with countless artists expanding the scene’s sonic landscape beyond its foundation of grime, drill, and trap music. Among them is Feng, a 19-year old multihyphenate whose debut project What The Feng showcased an artist unafraid of experimentation and left-of-center sensibility. Whether waxing poetic on the gritty and electronic "XY" or mixing cloud rap and jerk sounds on “YOLO,” Feng’s music bleeds personality and charisma, somehow painting a picture of a young visionary who is both painstakingly polished and effortlessly brilliant. What sets Feng apart from his peers most, however, is that his riskiness and willingness to be different don’t feel inauthentic or forced. Feng is a one-of-one artist whose music is anything but opportunistic or disingenuous; he’s a breath of fresh air helping pave the way for the future of the UK’s music scene.

- Carter Fife

Geese 

Geese has been heralded as many things—the coolest band to come out of New York in quite some time, saviors of rock ‘n’ roll, a defiant stance against commercialized, radio-ready rock music. And last year, with their avant-garde third album, Getting Killed, Geese gave credence to all those sentiments and more. At times experimental and challenging, and at times warm, inviting, and full of yearning, frontman Cameron Winters’ impassioned croon imbues every track with an otherworldly atmosphere, perfectly unstuck from time or passing trends. Geese may not end up saving rock music, but they sure as hell are making some of the best rock music out there. 

- Maxamillion Polo

Julia Wolf 

Real ones have been on the Julia Wolf train for years now, but 2025 launched her into newfound viral success. Her track “In My Room” is coming up on two years of being out in the world, but had a life of its own last year when it soundtracked every emo girl post on the internet. The great Twilight renaissance of the 2020s primed Wolf to reach the perfect fanbase of listeners who also relate to Bella Swan a little too much. She even performed at the Swan House in Washington for a select number of lucky fans. Last year, she found her people, which means the sky is the limit for this special singer-songwriter in 2026.

- Giselle Libby

Khamari 

One of the most promising names in the rising generation of R&B, Boston-raised songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Khamari is exactly who he thinks he is. Humbly aware of his mission, he is bringing a genre that has strayed far from its roots back home to itself through telling tales of heartbreak, purpose, and the self-actualization that could only be found through raw unbecoming. Bleeding on paper and bottling a feeling that felt archived in the ‘90s and early 2000s, Khamari has had one of the most successful debuts in recent history because he’s right on time. With a devout following ready to bet on his takeover, Khamari’s voice is as striking as lightning yet as sweet as honey, paired with immersive storytelling that drowns you in the spillage of his emotions.

- Jazmin Kylene

Ledbyher 

The first time I heard Ledbyher’s music, the young UK artist was being described on Twitter as the “Bjork of bedroom drill.” It was an admittedly hilarious tweet, and even though it felt like an impossibly high standard to set for an artist as young as Ledbyher is, a year later, it almost feels reductive to describe her music that way. Sonically, it is clear that she is a true student of her craft, synthesizing soul sounds with R&B, drill, jerk, electronic, and even ambient music. Her writing is sharp and clever, and everything from her personal style to her personality feels so decidedly authentic and impossible to replicate. It is because of this that the London-via-Germany artist has spent the past year acting as a magnet for culture, releasing one banger after another, collaborating with her peers SINN6R and Sainté, and receiving co-signs from seemingly every artist under the sun in the process. While some artists with a broad range of talents often suffer from feeling unfocused, there is a clear intentionality embedded in Ledbyher’s work, even her artist name is a reference to the embodiment of nature in Wordsworth’s romantic epic The Prelude. It’s a fitting name, as Ledbyher is a clear harbinger of the future of UK music, and we’re excited to see what she has in store for us in the year to come.  

- Carter Fife

nate sib

Historians will reflect on 2025 as the year of nate sib—nothing more, nothing less. A frequent collaborator of kimj and 2hollis, nate sib might appear to some as another name in the ever-growing list of electronic acts trying to emulate styles made popular by those who came before him, but they would be sadly mistaken. sib, instead, is a pop star in the making; think Justin Bieber in an alternate reality where his mother was Grimes and his father was OPN. While his vocal talent is frankly unparalleled in the modern electroclash/dance scene, sib is also a producer whose production style is nuanced and impressively varied. Some songs of his sound like Skrillex or Knife Party deep cuts, others sound like songs Autechre might make if enlisted to make a sleep therapy album. On his debut EP for us, tracks like “only1” and “secret” showcase this dichotomy in order to show that sib does not just dominate the “scene,” he transcends it. There’s never been an artist quite like sib before, and that’s incredibly exciting. It’s no wonder his fans are locked in waiting to see what’s next, and we’re among them.

- Carter Fife

Ninajirachi

With each passing day, Ninajirachi’s debut album I Love My Computer finds new ears, continuing to resonate with a generation raised on the internet. Each track has the potential to soundtrack our lives, especially the most ordinary moments, just as she describes in beloved track “iPod Touch.” The Australian EDM artist is going back on tour this month, gearing up for huge festival slots at Coachella, Primavera Sound, and more. We have no doubt she will turn every crowd lucky enough to see her into devoted fans thanks to her infectious energy and danceable discography, expanding the world of I Love My Computer and maximizing its listeners tenfold.

- Giselle Libby 

Oklou 

To deem Oklou “One To Watch” in 2026 might feel like we’re late to a party that’s been going on for over a decade, but after last year’s incredible choke enough, it feels justified to put the French singer and producer back on your radar. We loved her mixtape Galore when it dropped back in 2020, but frankly, Oklou is on a whole new plane after choke enough. From the eerie ambience of “endless” to the blissful melancholy of “ict,” choke enough proves that the Oklou we have today is not the same one that we had back then, as her production, writing, lyricism, and overall artistry have all been carefully honed to a razor's edge. Among our favorite releases last year, choke enough was a powerful meditation on love, existentialism, and everything in between. As if that wasn’t enough, last year, fans were also fed via Oklou’s collaborations with FKA twigs, Danny L Harle, and PinkPantheress. Hopefully, this all serves to show that her next album won’t take another five years to arrive, but honestly, if that’s the case, then so be it. No other artist feels as important right now as Oklou. 

- Carter Fife

PARTYOF2 

Prone to a pivot and in full surrender to an uncontrollable existence, PARTYOF2 have remolded themselves with the debris of everything they once were. Formerly known as grouptherapy., it’s as if every time Jadagrace and SWIM are forced to shed skin, they come one step closer to themselves. Now, the most defined they’re ever been, PARTYOF2 are unequivocally at the height of their powers. Old fans feel validated in always knowing the potency of their potential, while new fans are flocking in awe of the complexity and synergy of their performance art. With visuals exploding across the internet, this new musical era has skyrocketed them into the stratosphere, promising to be only the beginning of an everlasting legacy.

-Jazmin Kylene

Rose Gray 

It’s been a year since Rose Gray’s debut album Louder, Please dropped, and it still sounds like the future of pop. Last year, fans around the world fell in love with the “Party People” singing star, us included. She toured nonstop, making her live debut in multiple countries, opening for legends like Kesha, and connecting with fans who live for her infectious melodies and witty songwriting. In October, she released A Little Louder, Please, a deluxe with bonus tracks, features from fellow pop stars like JADE and Shygirl, and reimagined versions of the standard tracks. It’s only a matter of time until Gray is a household name in pop music. 

- Giselle Libby

Saam Sultan 

They say 2026 is the new 2016, and nowhere does that sentiment ring truer than in the nostalgia-inducing music of Saam Sultan. Any track from the UK underground rapper and artist could perfectly slipstream into the Skins soundtrack or a hyper aesthetic early Coachella vlog. Yet, while inspired by, Sultan is not merely leveraging the halcyon days of indie meets rap; he is creating a sound in his own image, built around experimental, ethereal production and a hazy, laidback flow. With only a handful of tracks to his name, including early fan-favorites “locked in love” and “ydoifeel?,” Sultan is only getting started.      

-Maxamillion Polo

Samara Cyn 

Tennessee-born songstress Samara Cyn is a genre-warping iconoclast who can rap, sing, and write with equal parts brilliance. Feeling uninhibited by the confines of what a female artist is told to be, she is all of herself and the fullest expression of her potential, rightfully earning cosigns from Erykah Badu, Tyler, the Creator, Lauryn Hill, and more. Having garnered much acclaim with yet a debut album to her name, she’s one of the most intriguing artists to make a space for herself in the neo-soul realm, and this is only the beginning of her reign.

- Jazmin Kylene

SAILORR 

SAILORR’s debut album From Florida’s Finest made waves in 2025 with tracks like “Pookie’s Requiem” and “Down Bad,” blending smooth alt-R&B with sharp, personal lyricism. The album’s deluxe edition, From Florida’s Finest DELU/XXX, dropped later that year, adding fresh textures to her already impressive sound. Touring with Doja Cat in 2025 exposed her genre-fluid style to a massive audience. As 2026 approaches, SAILORR will bless our ears with more music that continues her blend of emotive songwriting and sleek, alt-R&B vibes. With her strong, distinct voice, SAILORR is on track to become one of R&B’s most exciting fresh voices in the year ahead.

- Alessandra Rincon

Sofia Camara 

Sofia Camara has gained some major steam with her emotional brand of pop, and 2025 was the year she deservedly broke through. After the release of her EP Hard to Love, featuring hit tracks like “Girls Like You,” she tore up large festival stages and sold-out crowds throughout the UK and Europe. Gearing up for 2026, Camara will support Lauren Spencer Smith’s North America winter tour, bringing her introspective pop to new audiences from Denver to Vancouver. With more music hopefully on the horizon, Camara’s ability to blend vulnerability with an undeniable pop sensibility is about to put her on even bigger stages.

- Alessandra Rincon

Sofia Isella 

Though Taylor Swift’s 'Eras Tour' had quite the impressive roster of opening acts, Sofia Isella stood out as one of the most critical. In front of a sea of impressionable tweens, her dark indie venom spread like wildfire, telling poetic tales of sexual reclamation. Harnessing feminine rage and awakening dormant souls with her prowess, Isella is not interested in diluting the potency of her ability. Instead, she remains in allegiance to her duty, dismantling the antiquated system of male domination and doing so drenched in her raw humanity. At just 20 years old, she’s written some of the most important pieces of the last five years, and she’s just getting started. 

- Jazmin Kylene

SNOW WIFE 

Snow Wife sailed to new heights in 2025. Kicking off the year with a slew of memorable singles like “Sweat” and “What Do Girls Do,” she truly delivered with her EP Bodyology and the short and sweet follow-up Bodyology II. The hyperpop artist’s fearless, maximalist energy shone bright on the six-track body of work. In celebration of the release, she brought her unapologetic sound and vibrant presence to stages across the U.S. Looking into 2026, we hope that this rising queen of the pop scene blesses fans' ears with even more music that blends her high-energy dance beats and self-assured, genre-bending pop.

- Alessandra Rincon

Smerz 

Smerz are kind of indescribable, but we’ll try our best to. Comprised of best friends Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt, who, according to a 2021 interview with The Guardian, are so close they possess the ability to write from each other’s perspectives, the Norwegian duo exists somewhere between Oslo and Copenhagen and the backrooms and our collective hallucinations, crafting their avant-garde sound with a blend of art-pop, trip-hop, and electronic influences. The name “Smerz” comes from the German word for heartache, “herzschmerz,” and it can certainly be found within the tension between Stoltenberg and Montzfeldt’s vocals swirling through sounds of delirium fit for an afters. 2025 saw the release of their album Big city life via XL Recordings, featuring standout tracks “Feisty” and “You got time and I got money.” The artwork depicts two silhouettes on a checkered floor, inviting the listener to insert themselves into the uncanny, asymmetrical, dreamworld of Smerz.

- Tatum Van Dam

Tiffany Day 

Tiffany Day is a Chinese-American electronic-pop girl who makes music you want to dance to. At only 18 years of age, the singer and multi-instrumentalist made a deal with her parents: she could move from Wichita, Kansas to Los Angeles if she attended university. Adjusting to a new life in the city—as a transplant balancing studies and pursuing music as an independent artist—inspired Day’s first two EPs: The Recovery Project and The Dependency Project. Day has since released her full-length album, LOVER TOFU FRUIT, featuring standout single “HELLA BOY CRAZY.” Day’s soundscape combines her stunning vocals with a caps lock, no-filter electro-pop production. It’s the kind of sound perfect for getting ready for a night out with the girls, and one that follows you from the pregame to the dance floor.

- Tatum Van Dam

Waylon Wyatt 

In 2025, Waylon Wyatt showcased his unique ability for blending country storytelling with emotional depth on his latest EP Out Of The Blue. Having earned his stripes on the road with tours across North America and Australia, he’s cemented his status as a breakout star, garnering festival spots at Bourbon & Beyond and RedWest Fest. Heading into 2026, he’s poised for a major leap, with plans to join Sam Barber’s 'Across The Pond Tour' across the UK and Europe. His grounded yet expansive sound has resonated globally, positioning him as an artist who’s not only redefining country music but also making his mark on the international stage.

- Alessandra Rincon

Whatmore

When it comes to chemistry, there is no act quite as effective as WHATMORE. Tastemakers who are equal parts friends, fans, and musicians, they feel like home while eliciting a wondrous sense of awe. From Chinese restaurants to city street corners, WHATMORE has kept New York City at the center of their core and set every setting ablaze with a captivating stage presence and hunger to explode. With their origin story dating back to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, Cisco Swank, Yoshi T., Jackson August, Sebastiano, and Elijah Judah are the engraved names who make up WHATMORE, and they’re most certainly getting comfortable in the spotlight. Meeting genuine friendship with musical authenticity and sonic rebellion, their hypnotic blend of jazz, hip-hop, and alternative concocts results in an organic sound that is impossible to put down. 

- Jazmin Kylene

Yel

Auspiciously melodic and soulful, Yel is an artist who fits all the bedroom moods, from excitable prologue to romantic exposition to heartfelt rapture. Breaking out with her album Perfect Blue, her love spell R&B is a form fit for a return to analogue love, a real-life soundtrack that feels like holding hands as your heart maps out its next orbit. Dim the lights, let the candles flicker, and dig into one of the most sticky, sultry sonic offerings R&B has to offer; Yel is dessert for your ears.

- DJ Connor