23 MUSIC ARTISTS TO WATCH FOR 2023

We’ve got our eye on some of the new faces in the music scene this year, and we’ve got faces both fresh and familiar.

Len

Len made waves in hyper rap last year. The amalgamation of braggadocio, name-dropping designers and innovative production has put him on the map. His bars are iconic and catchy and he delivers them with smooth confidence.

Omar+

R&B vocals on liquid drum and bass fuelled production has never sounded so good. Omar+ makes music that is vibrant and colourful, guaranteed to make you want to shake a leg.

Ruti

The soft alto of Ruti’s voice cascades over the dreamy pop-funk instrumentals. Her music is soothing like honey and lemon on your throat when you’re ill, it’ll help you escape if you’re having a bad day.

Saiming

With his quick-witted bars that ride lo-fi drill production effortlessly, Saiming‘s ‘WOOF MEOW’ hit a million streams last year. He keeps his rhymes close-knit and his cadence is always in line with the beat of the kick drums.

Namugga

Storyteller and soul songstress, Namugga reaches deep within to paint vivid images within her pen. Her deep vocals help elevate the emotions she’s expressing through her songs.

bib sama.

Producer and rapper bib sama. originates elaborate worlds of sonic that could easily soundtrack anime and video games. His debut mixtape PLATINUS ✧ made waves in the hyper-rap scene.

Natanya Popoola

Jazz-tinged soul artist Natanya Popoola is making a name for herself as her well-received single Foolish continues to grow. You can hear the Amy Winehouse influence through her inflexions and her songwriting style feels tailor-made and homegrown.

Strandz

Strandz has a fresh spin on rap which is heavily influenced by 90s rap and is sure to give you nostalgia. His easygoing flow sits nicely in the pockets of the production, guaranteed to be laced with old-school rap samples and interpolations.

Frank Sativa

Frank Sativa’s music feels like daydreaming while slow, sultry guitar plays in the background. His vocals are as if indie pop met R&B and fell in love.

​​Zino Vinci

The ‘CEO of the friendship group’, Zino Vinci‘s music is suave and laid back. His love of old-school hip-hop and R&B is prevalent in his production and delivery. A smooth operator with style and flair.

Downtown Kayoto

Blurring the lines between genres, Downtown Kayoto’s sound floats through synths, indie pop rhythms and elements of dance music here and there. While he’s incredibly versatile, his smooth vocals tie each song together and make his sound consistent.

INFAMOUSIZAK

INFAMOUSIZAK bounces between rapping and melodious singing. The trap-fused beats he hops on often have a Caribbean influence that you can hear in the melody.

Raheaven

Raheaven’s take on R&B feels like getting lost in a lap of luxury. The angelic vocals compliment the trapsoul production and she’s struck the perfect balance between assertiveness and vulnerability in her lyricism.

Kasien

Kasien can go from hard-hitting, bass-boosted sonics to more bubbly dance/electronic rhythms with ease. It’s his ability to adapt and turn his brash bars into softer, ambient vocals that keep his listeners engaged.

Debbie

Debbie’s stunning, soulful vocals are to die for. She tends to evoke familiarity in her songs, like the interpolation of ‘Did You See’ by J Hus and the sample of the keys from SZA’s ‘The Weeknd’. Her pen game is exquisite and she’s even got writing credits on Stormzy’s latest album.

sbk

With a cadence that ups the ante on any menacing trap beat, sbk’s wicked flow is killer. He’s moved away from his grime roots and stepped into alternative rap sounds and is also proving his versatility by jumping on a garage track with Zefer.

dexter

Bedroom pop singer, dexter’s music evokes euphoria with her carefree grooves. If you could make music out of a summer breeze, it would sound just like dexter.

Jim Legxacy

Experimental genre-blending, sampling extraordinaire, Jim Legxacy is creating gorgeous soundscapes. Acoustic guitar is often the base as he begins to juxtapose vulnerability with drill samples and transforms classics into something new by adding an underlying Afrobeats rhythm.

brazy

Nigerian experimental artist brazy is what happens when you put trap and Afrobeats in a blender. Her voice is sweet and seductive and she can sing and rap in multiple languages. A bi-lingual, high-speed BPM baddie.

Jaydonclover

Jaydonclover’s got the voice of an angel that pours like water over the lo-fi beats that are perfect for a rainy day. She makes heartbreak and unrequited love somehow sound sweet.

Akemi Fox

Akemi Fox’s sugary and smooth vocals glide over instrumentals that are alternative R&B in essence but still dance with other genres like Bossanova on ‘So Fine’ and Afrobeats on ‘I Want It’. Her lyrics feel quite dainty and even shy at times.

Chloe Bodur

Chloe Bodur’s amalgamation of jazz, Bossanova, soul and psychedelic music pair perfectly with her sensual voice that’s often full of reverb. She’s able to craft these magnificent atmospheres full of instrumentation influenced by various genres.

BXKS

BXKS is proving to be a promising woman in rap with bars that are sure to make you start shooting gun fingers in the air. She can slide on trap-laced instrumentals with ease.