The past year has seen a wave of fresh talent making their mark on festival main stages and radio stations alike. A number of artists have also found fame after their tracks went viral on social media platforms like TikTok, catapulting them into the charts and mainstream.
The coming year is set to bring a new generation of stars. Here are the acts to keep an eye on in the upcoming months.
Myles Smith
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The future is looking bright for singer-songwriter Myles Smith, who has already bagged the 2024 BBC Introducing artist of the year award and was named the winner of the 2025 Brit Awards Rising Star prize, previously awarded to big names like Adele, Florence + the Machine and Sam Smith.
Last year, the 26-year-old Luton native shot to fame after his feel-good breakout hit Stargazing went viral on TikTok, a route to success that’s becoming increasingly common. It climbed to number four in the UK charts, the lyric video alone has racked up 39 million views on YouTube and it even made it onto former US President Barack Obama’s summer playlist.
He’s continued to amass a loyal fanbase with his anthemic folk-pop style, which he’s showcased across two EPs with songs like Solo, Nice To Meet You and My Home. His music often tugs at the heartstrings with themes of love, heartbreak and loneliness, but his deep and passionate vocals make it a journey worth embarking on.
Smith, who hails from a British-Jamaican family, spent much of last year touring the UK, Europe, US, Australia and New Zealand, sharing his unique sound with audiences worldwide. This year promises to be another big one for the singer, with a slew of tour dates lined up across the globe, as well as working on new music projects that are likely to catapult him to even greater fame.
Doechii
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Doechii, whose real name is Jaylah Hickmon, is one of the fastest-rising hip-hop artists globally, already boasting three Grammy nominations, including best new artist. The 26-year-old shot to fame when her song ‘Yucky Blucky Fruitcake’ went viral on TikTok in 2021, and she has since released two EPs and three mixtapes.
Her album ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’, nominated for best rap album at this year’s Grammys, features a diverse range of tracks, from fiery put-downs to mellow, chilled-out beats. Her single ‘Denial Is A River’ showcases Doechii’s knack for storytelling as she discusses her issues with a high-pitched character.
She has collaborated with big names like Tyler The Creator, Katy Perry and David Guetta, and recently toured with SZA and Doja Cat. Fans can look forward to seeing her perform at Raye’s All Points East headline set in August.
Of late, Doechii has been gaining plaudits for her Denial Is A River video, which casts her in a mock 1970s sitcom alongside artists including Earl Sweatshirt.
English Teacher
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Winning the Mercury Prize in the previous year, English Teacher are the latest to adopt the sprechgesang style, popularised by London indie rock band Dry Cleaning, who blended spoken word vocals with angular post-punk.
Made up of Lily Fontaine, Lewis Whiting, Douglas Frost, and Nicholas Eden, the group met while at Leeds Conservatoire and initially started life as a dream pop band, Frank, before changing the name to English Teacher; playing their first gig under that name in 2020. The band gained wider attention with the release of their single R&B in 2021, in which singer Fontaine ponders her place as a mixed-race woman in the white, male world of indie-rock.
The EP Polyawkward followed in 2022 and the Leeds-formed group were then invited to perform The World’s Biggest Paving Slab on Later… with Jools Holland. It reached 56 in the UK’s singles chart in 2023.
Their debut album This Must Be Texas, for which they won a Mercury Prize, was released the previous year, with judges praising the album for “its originality and character” and its “fresh approach to the traditional guitar band format”. The band is set to perform in Japan, Spain and Germany this year, and will be seen headlining the Wide Awake Festival held in Brixton’s Brockwell Park.
Gracie Abrams
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The past year has seen US pop star Gracie Abrams go from strength to strength, and she doesn’t look like she will be stopping any time soon.
The LA-born singer, who is the daughter of Star Wars director JJ Abrams, released her first single, a piano-led ballad titled Mean It, in 2019. She has developed her sad-girl pop style over the years alongside Grammy-winning producers, with her sound becoming fuller and vocals more crisp.
The work has paid off for Abrams, now 25, whose 2023 debut album Good Riddance went to number three in the UK charts. She climbed even higher last summer when her sophomore record, The Secret Of Us, topped the UK charts the week after she made a surprise appearance at Taylor Swift’s Wembley Stadium gig to perform a duet on their collaborative track Us.
The folk-infused pop song which gently intertwines their vocals has since been nominated for the best pop duo/group performance at the upcoming Grammys, and Abrams went on to warm up the crowds for the final US and Canadian shows of US megastar and friend Swift’s Eras Tour. She closed out 2024 by nearly clinching the coveted Christmas number one in the UK with her heartbreak anthem That’s So True, which was placed just behind Wham!’s Last Christmas.
Abrams is set to hit the road again in the coming months, taking the spotlight as she performs her latest album – a position she’s likely to maintain for the foreseeable future.
Good Neighbours
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Meanwhile, Good Neighbours, a duo who initially began making music just for kicks, have made quite a splash. Scott Verrill and Oli Fox, who shared neighbouring studios in East London, started collaborating with the aim of creating something positive and raw.
They made a strong start last January with their debut single Home, a heartwarming track that’s sure to stir up feelings of nostalgia. The song gained traction on TikTok and soared into charts worldwide.
Their first EP, released in October, boasts five tracks with dynamic production reminiscent of the cinematic style adopted by bands like MGMT. The indie pair were also nominated for the Brit Rising Star award alongside Myles Smith and soul singer Elmiene, and they secured a spot on the BBC’s Sound of 2025 longlist.
In these challenging times, their uplifting music provides a much-needed escape. Listen to: Keep It Up, a lively tune perfect for any road trip playlist.
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