Ice Spice
As one of the most talked about and listened to artists, especially on TikTok right now, Isis Naija Gaston, better known as Ice Spice, is claiming her spot in the rap game. Bronx-born and raised, Spice is the oldest of 5 siblings and before going viral on TikTok she attended SUNY Purchase College. Her video doing the “Buss It” challenge gained online attention, inspiring her to pursue music more seriously. Her first song to blow up was “No Clarity”, a sample Spice rapped over, only the start to her viral success in putting out hits. “Munch (Feelin’ You)” was the song of summer 2022, which made Ice Spice known and also led to a co-sign from Drake. Over the past year, she has worked with huge artists like Lil Tjay, PinkPantheress, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift (whom she recently performed with at a Stadium Era’s Tour). All in all, Ice Spice has already left her mark on the music industry early in her career and we can’t wait to see what she has lined up for the future.
glaive
Now at 18, Ash Gutierrez is beginning his biggest tour yet traveling the states and parts of Europe. The start of his career began in his North Carolina bedroom at 15 during COVID, when he was making and releasing music to pass the time. As a record producer and songwriter, glaive was first recognized for his expertise in hyper-pop music, making hits that got him signed within his first year of putting out music. His earlier tracks embody very dark, punk-emo lyrics with fast-paced tempos and beats made for moshing to live. “cypress grove” his first album, and the second track “astrid” is the song many first recognized glaive for. In 2021 he released the album “all dogs go to heaven” and the first track “1984” got him a music video with director Cole Benett for Lyrical Lemonade. Since then, glaive has put out three more albums, each one showcasing his musical talent and growth, and has provided proof of him leaning away from strictly being under the “hyper-pop artist” and creating music of its own unique and creative genre.
Chlothegod
Another artist from North Carolina who is still up and coming, Chlothegod released the single “Outta My Mind” this past June. While her music is a unique mix of indie, punk, and neo-soul, it perfectly sums up and combines her two influences growing up. As her father loved alternative and punk, her mother leaned more toward neo-soul artists, which eventually struck Chlo’s passion and interest in music in her teen years. She participated in theater and wrote poetry, until a friend–turned producer–told her she had a true talent in writing. She writes honest music from deep within her soul and is produced with eclectic sounds and instrumentals. With music out since 2017, Chlothegod has not only shown her musical adroitness but has proven that with time she will continue to create and put out remarkable music demonstrating her individualism with honesty and integrity.
midwxst
Another genre-defying artist, midwxst (Edgar Nathaniel Sarratt, III) Indiana-bred rapper has been on the rise for the past three years. With his first album release, "Secrets" in 2020 (at 17 years old), his second album ("SUMMER03") in 2021 is what truly began the rise in midwxst fans. The second track “Trying” blew up, containing a hyper-pop-based production with a rap delivery, and vulnerable verses, midwxst uniquely got his name out there by having a distinctive sound infused with his creativity. Since then he has released three more albums each disparate from the other, with combinations of hip-hop, digicore, hyper-pop, and alternative– however you’d like to define his music, it challenges genre expectations every time. Featured in songs with KA$HDAMI, BabyTron, Yeat, brakence, and others, midwxst feels he has left the hyper-pop scene and is putting out tracks showing his versatility and individuality.
Peter McPoland
A trend we see with most new and upcoming artists is the help of social media and virality. Peter Mcpoland, originally from Texas, began posting videos of him singing on TikTok which eventually led to his own song “Romeo & Juliet” becoming a hit on the app. It paved the way for the rest of his music releases and got him signed with Colombia Records. His cover of “Levitating” by Dua Lipa also gained traction with his unique twist on the song, which only grew his fan base. His style began as an indie-folk genre and a unique flair within his vocals, but after his 2022 album release “Slow Down”, Peter has now left behind his expertise in folk/country music and has begun releasing more alt-pop music with more of an angsty feel. Now 22, stepping into a new music genre playing field, “Digital Silence” has blown up on TikTok for its bold, exhilarating bridge and compelling lyrics. His discography shows not only his distinctive sound but also his maturity in creation through the years. With every drop fans connect in different ways due to his exceptional and personal songwriting. His new album, completely produced himself, “Piggy” is set to drop on August 11th, leaving fans anxiously awaiting McPoland’s new era of music.
INJI
Inci Gurun, better known by her stage name “INJI,” got her start on TikTok, similarly to many other artists of this generation. Her first viral song, GASLIGHT, made her famous in early 2022, and she has since been releasing singles up until her recent EP, LFG. Her fame was a total surprise to her, that could have been written off as luck of the TikTok algorithm, but has been proven to be well deserved by the quality and popularity of her music. Gurun was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, but moved to the United States for college, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May of 2023, and did the majority of her writing and producing while still working as a full-time student. She found her love of music at only 8 years old and has since been making a real name for herself in the dance-pop world. Her music has been ruling over pregames everywhere, as it combines incredibly catchy and relatable lyrics with beats sure to get everyone in the mood to party. INJI recently announced her first tour, making stops in NYC and LA, and fans are so excited to finally see this artist live.
Sidney Gish
Sidney Gish is an indie singer-songwriter who got her start uploading singles to Bandcamp, before releasing her first album Ed Buys Houses on Bandcamp and Spotify in 2016. Her second album, No Dogs Allowed, was released in 2017 and was largely successful, winning Album of the Year at the 2018 Boston Music Awards. Following this album’s success, Gish toured with Mitski in 2018 and toured independently in 2019. She was born and raised in New Jersey and graduated from Northeastern University in 2020 (yes, she is on the cusp of millennialism, but is just too good to not include in this article) where she studied music industry. She wasn’t releasing new music for some time until the release of her EP Filming School in February of 2023. Gish toured with The Beths this year, playing some old favorites alongside the new pieces from her recent EP. Her music varies between bedroom pop and indie rock, and her lyrics are incredibly creative and never predictable. Fans (including this one) are so excited to see what is next for Gish, as her most recent EP has left us all wanting more.
Olivia Rodrigo
A name that everyone knows, originally from her Disney Channel days, Olivia Rodrigo has made a huge name for herself in the pop community. Rodrigo was born and raised in California, and her love of music began with vocal lessons in kindergarten. She got her start as an actor on Disney’s Bizaardvark, and then High School Musical the Musical the Series, where the world was introduced to her exceptional voice. In 2021, Rodrigo released her first album, SOUR, which was filled with a mix of teen angst and heartbreaking lyricism. At only 18 years old, Rodrigo released an album that was the fastest to reach 8 billion streams in all of Spotify’s history. She recently released a new single titled Vampire (which rapidly climbed to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100), that will be a part of her upcoming album Guts. The breakthrough from acting to a highly regarded music career has been a challenge for many ex-Disney actors, but Rodrigo did an exceptional job breaking out of child acting and being taken seriously as a musician.
Remi Wolf
Remi Wolf was born and raised in Palo Alto, California, and got her start appearing on American Idol during her senior year of high school in 2014. Though she didn’t win, she has since gained immense popularity, even having one of her songs (Hello Hello Hello) featured in an iPhone commercial. Wolf graduated from USC’s School of Music in 2018 and then started her music career with her EP, You’re A Dog! in 2019. She subsequently released her first major-label EP, I’m Allergic To Dogs! in 2020, but her first debut album was her biggest break. Juno (released in 2021) features some of her biggest hits, including Photo ID, which she later recorded with Dominic Fike and Sexy Villain. Wolf describes her music as “funky soul pop,” taking bedroom pop and making it her own. Alongside her album, Wolf has released numerous singles and EPs, including her most recent one, Prescription. Another artist on the Gen Z/Millennial cusp, but her outlook on breaking the rules of pop definitely gives her a Gen Z sort of energy.
redveil
At only 19 years old, hip hop artist Marcus Morton (best known by his stage name, “redveil”), has already self-released three albums and an EP. He has been making music since 2016 (yes, at 12 years old) and produces nearly all of the instrumentals on his album, as well as the instrumentals of some other artists. In 2022, he toured with Denzel Curry and Freddie Gibbs, and he is actively on his first tour. He was recently the only feature on JPEGMAFIA and Danny Browns’ new album, Scaring the Hoes. Morton describes his music as “triumphant, bright, and sunny,” and was heavily inspired by funk and soul music that his parents used to play. He credits the song Palace/Curse by The Internet and Tyler, The Creator with starting his desire to create music of his own, and these inspirations are all apparent in his sound, though he also brings his own voice to the table. He has over 1.7 million listeners on Spotify, and his following grows daily. Fans are excited about the fresh voice that redveil has brought to rap and are eager to see what is to come for this new artist.
Written by Amy Kapel and Lily Greenberg