Grammy-nom season is a little less than a month away, and the powers that be are beginning to congregate — official voters and online talking heads alike. Among the many major categories that draw the most attention, “Best New Artist” never fails to generate buzz. Although only eight musicians receive the nod each year, there are plenty of budding acts that we think deserve due recognition.
We’re throwing streams, followers, and any other metric to the wind and rounding up a few of our favorites flying just under the radar…for now. From old-school soulful musings to pop music made for spiraling, these artists scratch that sonic itch just right.
Yakiyn
There’s just something classic about southern rap, and burgeoning MC Yakiyn is helping keep that spirit alive. With his latest single, “Spread Like Butta,” it’s clear that the Dallas native is primed to take the leap sooner rather than later as he effortlessly flows along the bouncy, synth-laced instrumental. Other titles like “Put Dem Boys To Sleep” and “Sad Boi” channel the artist’s braggadocious allure, reimagining bits of the Lone Star State’s chopped and screwed lineage through a contemporary lens.
While he’s not a new face, having fronted fashion campaigns and appeared in visuals for Doechii, Yakiyn is quickly coming into his own after years spent hovering just outside the spotlight. Receiving co-signs from TDE veterans like Kal Banx and Isaiah Rashad — two Southern heavyweights in their own right — this swaggering Texan is calling his shot, and we’re tuned in for what’s next.
Audrey Hobert
Audrey Hobert's words are your best friends after a 3 a.m. menty b, or an accidentally profound Notes app draft after one too many glasses of Pinot, or, quite frankly, your own embarrassingly honest late-night diary entry. Simply put, her writing style is that “C” word women love to hate to be called: “cute.” What did you think I was gonna say? Okay, a touch of that word, too.
Each track of her debut album, “Who’s the Clown?,” would perfectly slot into a Y2K romcom soundtrack, but with a 2025 filter. Think: Gracie Abrams plus a Lena Dunham-esque self-aware twist. (In fact, Hobert co-wrote childhood friend Abrams' debut album.) Hobert riffs on taking thirst traps, unabashedly calling up an ex whenever you need attention, and battling self-loathing laced with self-obsession. Couple her precise confessions with sparkling pop melodies and you’re left feeling relieved that someone else gets your unhingedness.
Sophia Stel
No, we’re not reheating Oklou’s nachos. Two baddies can coexist in the electropop sphere. Sophia Stel is serving something entirely her own, from heartfelt yearning to ethereal layered whispers. Go on: play “I’ll Take It” for the first time and circle back in six days when you’ve finally broken from its trance.
Stel glides, murmurs, and occasionally yelps her way through tales of unreliable attachment styles and passing infatuations, all over soft glitchy beats. There’s something to shake your ass to, there’s something to self-pity to. Through every autotuned vocal run, Stel reflects your feelings back to you. Somehow, it’s both horrifyingly accurate and worthy of the repeat button.
54 Ultra
54 Ultra is like sonic honey. Gentle, intimate, and sweet, the seasoned multi-instrumentalist brings some much-needed soul back into the zeitgeist. Blending old-school funk with Latin-tinged love ballads, the New Jersey-based artist may still be “emerging,” but the passion infused in his music carries emotions as old as time itself.
The 2024 record “Heaven Knows” serves as a fitting entry point into a catalog filled with meditations on romance. No matter what stage you and your lover — present or prospective — are at, 54 Ultra sees you and is here to soundtrack the experience one smoothly crooned note at a time.
Mona Yim
Mona Yim not here to soundtrack your sad-girl strolls; she’s here to make you dance through them. The musician and producer draws sonic inspiration from far ends of the spectrum, from the moody alt-pop of Joji to the slick, bass-heavy pulse of Kaytranada. Splitting her time between Berlin and London, her discography reflects the dual citizenship of her sound: a sprinkle of German techno, a touch of UK garage, and a mix entirely her own.
Yim’s dreamy vocal melodies have become her signature. Laid over high-octane production, her moody, magnetic pull shines through on tracks like “Thinking Of U,” a hypnotic slow-burn that hits best under strobe lights, and “Baby Dragon,” a track that feels ripped straight from a noughties video game in the best way possible.
ALEXSUCKS
Who doesn’t love a good, ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll band, am I right? ALEXSUCKS is everything we were told about garage rock growing up, and it still hits every time. From their rebellious heartthrob aesthetic (tattoos, ripped jeans, and slightly cropped tees) to their punchy sound, this 4-piece ensemble is a refreshing mix of 2010s post-punk and indie-alternative.
Comprised of lead singer Alex Alvarez, guitarist John Luther, drummer Ethan Demoulin, and producer/bassist Garrett Orseno, ALEXSUCKS is a reminder of what good can happen when a few LA hipster buddies coalesce to follow their dreams, leaving a trail of cigarette butts and broken groupie hearts in their wake.
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