There has been a lot of great music coming out lately. It is an exciting time for new artists with a variety of different styles coming into the mainstream, and becoming more and more popular each day. Here is a list of some newer artists to watch.
1. The Weeknd
After releasing 4 mixtapes independently and then his debut studio album two years ago, The Weeknd’s recent release of “Beauty Behind Madness" charted extremely well. His loyal fanbase grew even larger after one of his songs was placed in the Fifty Shades of Grey film, which led to three Top 5 Billboard Hot 100 Singles (Earned It, The Hills, and Can’t Feel My Face). His music experiments in the Contemporary/Indie R&B category and he mixes in other different sub-genres of R&B as well.
2. Fetty Wap
2015 has been a huge year for the NJ rapper. At just 24 years old, he has already three top 10 hits (Trap Queen, 679, and My Way) without even releasing his album. His music is catchy and his self-titled album out on the 25th is sure to be enormous within the Rap community.
3. BJ The Chicago Kid3
The name might be familiar, and it should be. He’s been working in the industry for years and has been featured on or helped co-write for some big names, including Schoolboy Q, Chance the Rapper, B.O.B, Busta Rhymes, Joey Bada$$, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West. He has released most of his soulful music as free mixtapes, and will be releasing his 2nd full-length album on Motown’s label.
4. Tori Kelly
She tried out for American Idol during Season 9 and made just small strides in the competition. Since then, she has been building up her YouTube fanbase and caught the attention of super agent Scooter Braun. Now, Kelly is a powerhouse who showcases a really powerful voice and strong vocal control. Her first album “Unbreakable Smile” came out in the Summer, and she is really building up her mainstream fan base. Look for her to make big strides and maybe be nominated for the Grammy for Best New Artist come next year.
5. Logic
He has been building up his fan base since signing to Def Jam. Logic is considered one of the best lyricists in the game, and his songs have great production value. His work consistently has received positive critical acclaim. His second album “The Incredible True Story,” looks to be a big follow up to his last release, "Under Pressure," which went to number 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 list.
6. Shawn Mendes
He was found on YouTube at an extremely young age. His soulful covers of popular songs propelled him to a record deal and his first album “Handwritten” was released this past April. Besides his mature voice and a good mix of pop styles throughout the album, he just turned 17 years old! Mendes may be the biggest teenage pop act to come out of Canada since Justin Bieber.
