Well, there we go – it’s officially a wrap on yet another rotation around the sun, and with the glimmering promise of a brand new year comes the traditional onslaught of predictions. Who will be huge this year? Which tunes are we going to have on repeat? Which stars should you see now, so that you can boast about it in years to come, when they’re selling out arenas?
Look, short of hauling out an actual functioning crystal ball and glimpsing into the future, this is as close as it’s going to get. Step this way for the 24 acts who will most likely dominate the next 12 months and beyond.
The Last Dinner Party
Appearing out of thin air in a campy puff of panto smoke, with a debut album already stuffed up their frilly velvet sleeves, this London indie band know how to cultivate a bit of good old fashioned musical mythology: for months, the only way to hear their music was to see them live.
No wonder word quickly spread; lead singer Abigail Morris has so much stage presence it’s frankly ridiculous. Without a doubt the most buzzed-about band of 2023, next year should be even bigger for the five-piece, who won the BRITS Rising Star award (previous winners: Adele, Sam Fender, Jorja Smith) earlier this month. They release their (excellent) debut album on February 2.
For fans of Florence and The Machine, Kate Bush, ABBA
Chappell Roan
Nobody is having more fun with pop right now than Chappell Roan, who views her stage persona as an exaggerated, drag queen alter-ego. Born and raised in rural Missouri, many of her songs are filled with the kinds of horny one-liners perfect for bellowing at full pelt (“I heard you like magic,” winks Red Wine Supernova, “I've got a wand and a rabbit”) and tap into a sense of yearning that heaps of LGBTQ+ listeners will identify with almost immediately: the hunger to uproot from small town life, and flock to the bright lights of the big city instead.
The majority of this year’s debut The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is co-written with Olivia Rodrigo’s go-to collaborator Dan Nigro, and she’s also set to support Rodrigo on the North American leg of her tour next year. Expect huge things.
For fans of Olivia Rodrigo, MUNA, Caroline Rose
Tyla
Tyla’s breakthrough single Water has been completely inescapable since it came out back in July. The hot n’ steamy single merges pop with the South African house subgenre amapiano, and as well as bagging the singer her first Grammy nod, it smashed countless records and went beyond-viral on TikTok with choreo inspired by the Bacardi dance movement. At the beginning of December, Tyla became the first South African musician to go platinum in the US – her debut album is out on March 1, and should take Johannesburg dance culture global.
For fans of Tems, FLO, Doechii
Peso Pluma
Drawing on corridos – epic narrative ballads which tell classic stories of romance, betrayal and heroism, and first took hold during the Mexican revolution – and incorporating the influence of both hip-hop and reggaetón, Peso Pluma is leading a larger wave of young Mexican artists making an updated spin-off genre now known as corridos tumbados (or trap corridos).
Though the production of his breakthrough third album Génesis is firmly rooted in traditional folk, the lyrical content tells another story, often laying bare the violence and brutality of Mexican cartels. Earlier this year he became the first Mexican artist to perform at the MTV VMAs; his collaboration with Eslabon Armado, Ella Baila Sola, smashed through a billion streams in early December. It’s a dizzyingly impressive ascent.
For fans of Natanael Cano, Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida
HotWax
Technically speaking, HotWax have supported the legendary New York indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs – they were the opening band on the same stage as them at All Points East this summer. After building up a formidable live rep at scrappy grassroots venues like Brighton’s Green Door Store and London’s The Lexington, the East Sussex trio were snapped up by the indie label Transgressive (Arlo Parks, Foals, Damon Albarn). Though grunge feels like the most obvious touchstone, there’s no po-faced rocking out to be found here; latest EP Invite Me, Kindly drips with new wave playfulness.
For fans of Hole, Blondie, Elastica
Picture Parlour
When Courtney Love caught one of Picture Parlour’s early shows at Brixton indie incubator The Windmill, she immediately went online to rave about it – and you can’t blame her for being bowled over. Though this four-piece are still pretty green, and only played their first gig in December 2022, their two singles Norwegian Wood and Judgement Day feel like the kind of fully-formed, cohesive releases bands can easily spend years striving for.
With her theatrical gravel, there’s a vague hint of Alex Turner to Katherine Parlour’s crooning delivery, and there’s a warm, psychedelic undercurrent to their velvet, vaguely vintage rock.
For fans of Black Honey, Arctic Monkeys
Lambrini Girls
Lambrini Girls first formed from a place of anger. Phoebe Lunny and Lily Macieira were sick of the rampant misogyny and macho swagger that bubbled through the punk scene, so decided to call it all out by doing their own thing instead. Since forming in the middle of lockdown, that rage has remained integral to their relentless spin on riot grrrl: their sparse, bass-heavy punk takes aim at transphobia, the male gaze, and a culture that enables abusers. Oh, and they’re also Iggy Pop’s “favourite band”.
For fans of Bikini Kill, L7, Babes in Toyland
English Teacher
Having gifted us bands such as Jockstrap, Black Midi, and Squid, the classical training to absurdist post-punk pipeline is still going strong – and the latest band to spew out the other side of this well-trodden trajectory is Leeds group English Teacher. The band originally met at the city’s Conservatoire, and after a brief stint playing as the dream-pop band Frank, their second project struck gold. Delving deep into the ridiculously mundane details of life in the UK, their wonky, art-rock songs are named after everything from North Wales A roads to gigantic paving slabs. There’s a debut record on the way, set for release at some point in 2024.
For fans of Dry Cleaning, Parquet Courts, Squid
Kenya Grace
Even if the name Kenya Grace doesn’t yet ring a bell, you’ve definitely heard her song Strangers on TikTok. Atop a skittering beat inspired by both UK garage and drum n’ bass, the single taps into the jarring churn of present-day dating; “It's something that I hate, how evеryone's disposable,” she sings. Completely written and produced by Grace, Strangers landed a surprise number one in the UK; remarkably (and quite depressingly) she’s only the second solo female artist to achieve this feat, ever. Who is the other, you may well ask? Oh, only Kate Bush!
For fans of Pink Pantheress, Raye
Fat Dog
Fat Dog have spent the last year garnering a cultish following off the back of their raucous live show; an onslaught of technicoloured strobe lights, spiky rave-influenced tunes, and vocalist Joe Love bellowing out surrealist lyrics while dressed in a karate suit. Their debut single King of the Slugs, released on indie label Domino (Arctic Monkeys, Fat White Family) harnesses all of their eccentricities across a seven-minute odyssey of pure, headbanging weirdness. “Well I slide! I slide into the night!” Love rages, “covered in vaseline!”
For fans of Klaxons, Gilla Band, Late of the Pier
Moistbreezy
The word “moist” has a truly terrible reputation, but New York’s Moistbreezy is single handedly spearheading a comeback for many people’s least favourite word. So far, she seems to be onto a winner with pulsing, energetic dance pop that takes plenty of cues from the left-field pop label PC Music, the saturated production of hyperpop, and the abundance of cheese in plenty of the hookiest Noughties music. Complete with its campy sci-fi cover, 2023 Pure Imagination is one hell of a debut, and whatsmore, she seems to be gearing up for another era with her newest Y2K banger When I’m Gone.
For fans of Charli XCX, Danny L Harle
TiaCorine
This North Carolina rapper, who grew up in Winston-Salem, has a knack for a viral hit: when TikTok was still taking hold as a force in music discovery, her 2018 song Lotto became so big that DaBaby ended up hopping on a remix. And after last year’s eclectic release I Can’t Wait showed the true extent of her eclectic colours, collaging together anime sounds, breezy melodies, and Paris Hilton namechecks with a mixtape feel, Tia scored yet another gigantic collaboration this year. It’s hard to improve on her take on Memphis trap, Freaky T, but Latto did the impossible when she featured on the remix. No doubt there are even bigger link-ups to come.
For fans of Tierra Whack, Princess Nokia, Tkay Maidza
Yunè Pinku
This Malaysian-Irish producer (real name Asha Yunè) has labelled her fare as “music for introverted ravers” – and even when bangers like Killing Bee or Night Light are going in as hard as possible, they still have an echoey, slightly reflective quality, like gazing out of the misted-up windows of a night bus as it crawls home from the club. This is dance music for the party-goers who let loose in a quiet corner of a packed room, with Yunè weaving UK garage, techno and even hints of emo through her warped, textural productions.
For fans of Grimes, Purity Ring, Overmono
Clavish
Stamford Hill rapper Clavish’s first big breakthrough came in late 2022 when he collaborated on Rocket Science with the Lewisham hip-hop collective D-Block Europe; the following month, his exceptional debut mixtape Rap Game Awful followed. He’s not slowed down since, teaming up with Headie One and K-Trap for the ominous (and aptly-titled) drill track Triple Threat and pairing up with Aitch for the Noughties throwback Tip Toes.
His most recent single, Top 2, is his best yet, pairing spiralling orchestral arrangements and huge, cavernous bass with some of his sharpest brags: “I hate when the cars just sit there, catchin' dust and tickets,” he raps, “when I buy them, just make sure that you're spinnin'”.
For fans of Nines, Meekz, Fredo
Odeal
Six years ago, Odeal spent almost a month in hospital with a “life-changing illness” – and since then, the south east London artist has committed to releasing new music every single November to celebrate life. While his annual OVMBR parties have steadily built up a cult following, 2023’s EP Thoughts I Never Said – which draws on Afrobeats, R&B and Lagos’ Alté movement – might just be the tipping point; next May he plays his biggest headline show yet at Kentish Town Forum.
For fans of Darkoo, Rema, Ayra Starr
Nemzzz
Manchester rapper Nemzzz also goes by the nickname Mr DnD: short for ‘Do Not Disturb’. It’s an early indicator that his spin on UK drill offers up something a little different, and his music puts an introspective twist on the harsher sounds of the genre. Though he’s been tirelessly releasing new material since he was just 14, with impressive consistency, 2023’s debut EP Nemzzz Type Beat takes things to another level.
Incorporating a hint of pop melody, along with New Jersey’s garage-heavy take on house music, he’s also effortlessly witty. “Ain't got sauce?” he quips on OMG, “invest in Heinz”. If he gets a couple of big features under his belt, 2024 could be the year he hits superstardom.
For fans of Headie One, Knucks, Jordy
Hemlocke Springs
North Carolina’s Hemlocke Springs was busy studying medicine at Ivy League university Dartmouth College when she went viral… sort of by accident with the cutesy bedroom pop song Girlfriend. Since then, Grimes, Steve Lacy and Remi Wolf have all declared their fandom, and September’s debut EP going… going… GONE! proves that she’s far more than a TikTok fluke. Heavily inspired by garish Eighties production (think: Tears For Fears and Yazoo) and channelling the bright, snappy alternative-pop of 2010s Phoenix and Passion Pit, it offers up something completely new. Becoming a doctor will probably need to take a back seat….
For fans of Passion Pit, Phoenix
Mette
This Minnesotan is a triple threat: she can sing, dance, and act. Though you may not immediately recognise her from beneath the layers upon layers of truly disturbing CGI, she appeared in Tom Hooper’s nightmarish and ill-fated film adaptation of Cats. Oh, and she also played Video Game Barbie in this year’s biggest film! Unsurprisingly – given her background – incredible choreography and various visual characters (often as a means of exploring different gender expressions) are central to her aesthetic as a pop artist; in the music video for nu-disco cut VAN GOGH, she plays a yuppie banker with a black eye, a swaggering bloke in baggy trackies, and a preening wannabe pop star.
For fans of Christine and the Queens, FKA twigs
Charlotte Plank
The day after Charlotte Plank appeared on stage with Rudimental at Brixton Academy, she was back on the night shift at M&S; up until recently, she juggled shelf-stacking with sneaking into the studio to make her punchy, pop-friendly take on Nineties liquid drum’n’bass. The British-Australian singer has jokingly compared her double life to a “Hannah Montana-type situation” – but in 2023 she traded in flogging Percy Pigs for crafting some of the year’s biggest dance tunes.
Her Hybrid Minds collab Lights softens up the harsher edges of rave music and refashions it into a radio-friendly dancefloor pounder, while L.S.D. (Love So Damaged) fuses super smooth dn’b together with spiky indie-rock.
For fans of Chase and Status, Origin Unknown, Skepsis
Wednesday
A refreshing change from the usual buzzband trajectory, Wednesday are breaking through as a ‘new band’ with album number five; this year’s exceptional Rat Saw God. From North Carolina’s hippy city of Asheville, Wednesday’s super functional band name is a tribute to the English alt-rock band The Sundays, and as well as foot-scuffing indie-rock, their music contains liberal dollops of country and shoegaze influence. Now signed to indie label Dead Oceans, it’ll be fascinating watching where they go next.
For fans of Slint, Sonic Youth, Carseat Headrest
Lola Brooke
Brooklyn rapper Lola Brooke has a solid set of influences: Lil Wayne, Lil Kim, and DMX, to name three; and last month’s debut album Dennis Daughter ticks a lot of boxes in terms of classic hallmarks. Big co-signs? Check, in the shape of Latto, Coi Leray, and French Montana. Personal moments with a touch of vulnerability? On the title-track, she lays bare her grief after the death of her dad.
Best of all are the moments where Brooke shoots straight for the charts. Sampling Eugene Wilde’s electro-funk song Gotta Get You Home Tonight, her Bryson Tiller collaboration You breathes new life into a mid-Eighties classic; with a playful smirk, Brooke reels off line after whip-smart line about her man’s “immaculate ass”. In the best line of all, she boasts about “walkin' all crooked in my Crocs and shit” after a particularly high-quality night of passion. Move over, WAP.
For fans of Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Kim
Militarie Gun
Hardcore is having a real moment right now; Baltimore punks Turnstile and Pittsburgh metal-heads Code Orange both smashed through into the mainstream and scooped multiple Grammy nods each, paving the way for a whole wave of bands who would sound happily at home on the classic soundtrack for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. Blazing a similar trail, Militarie Gun are worth keeping an eye on; debut Life Under The Gun has an addictive chug constantly propelling it forward, and though vocalist Ian Shelton largely sticks to a shouty gravel, the more relentless side of proceedings is offset by a softer touch; a shimmering melody here, or a sudden lick of glam guitar there.
For fans of Show Me The Body, Turnstile
Elmiene
Raised in Oxford, British-Sudanese artist Elmiene counts D’Angelo and Prince as two of his biggest heroes, and his smooth, soul-filled music draws heavily on the lure of nostalgia. “The Elmiene sound is the sound of pleading,” is how he’s put it in the past. “It’s a sound that lets you look into yourself and go, ‘What am I missing?’ or ‘What do I need?’” First catching attention when his song Golden played during Virgil Abloh’s final Louis Vuitton show (which took place just two days after the fashion designer’s passing) he’s since released a pair of flawless EPs: EL MEAN and Marking My Time.
For fans of Sampha, Frank Ocean
Hotline TNT
Like all of the best shoegazers, New York’s Hotline TNT manage to keep a hint of pop in proceedings, even when they’re shooting for gigantic, looming walls of sound. Though they’ve been kicking around for a couple of years, they’re currently in the midst of their big breakthrough, signing to Jack White’s record label Third Man Records, and releasing one of 2023’s best rock albums, Cartwheel. Next year, they’re hitting the road for a big North American tour; fingers crossed for a UK jaunt.
