30 Canadian Artists to Watch Out For in 2022

You can say the artists we featured on this list last year did pretty well for themselves. Smiley got a Drake feature and became OVO Sound’s newest signee; Chiiild made his U.S. late-night debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!; Mustafa became a bona fide star, opening Virgil’s final Louis Vuitton show and topping year-end lists everywhere, from the New York Times’ to ours.

Hey, look at them! Who woulda thought?

In 2022, things are about as uncertain as ever. We’ve still got a fast-mutating virus running wild, a conga line of anti-vaxxers raging against the government, and an increasingly distressed population that’s very much over it right now. But one thing we can count on is Canada steadily producing new artists spitting hot fire. It’s a constant that’s certainly helped get us through these messed-up times, and will continue to do so.

So, we’re highlighting a wide scope of rising homegrown artists—from Montreal rappers with worldwide appeal to Calgary-based lo-fi soul acts starting their own movements in the prairies—who are demanding our attention this year. Who knows, by December, some of them may even become household names.

Here are 30 Canadian artists to watch out for in 2022.

Montreal rap’s hottest export has been teasing new music in the new year on socials. And when said new music arrives, one can expect Notre-Dame-de-Grace’s most famous Vincentian will likely be received by a wider audience than ever, especially in the UK. In December, Skiifall put in reps on stage opening for BADBADNOTGOOD, and following an initial run of media introductions, has never ventured far from the studio. He just made his COLORS debut with a spirited performance of his new single “bloodclarrt business.” In an interview with Crack, he said that his next project will drop in early 2022 and he’ll be more “verbal about things like police brutality and living as a Black person.” —Erik Leijon

We’re bullish on TwoTiime. Since breaking out in late 2019 with his single “Keep It Real”—a favourite among gamers making Fortnite montages—the budding Canadian rapper has been on a tear. His steady stream of carefully-crafted singles—each featuring memorable melodies and hang-on-every-word bars about his harrowing come up on Ottawa’s crime-plagued Ritchie Street—have been impossible to ignore. So much so that wildly popular Chicago rapper Polo G has flown him out to his L.A. studio on multiple occasions—and as recently as this month—to cook up some music. TwoTiime’s debut mixtape is slated to drop this spring, with its lead single coming towards the end of February. “I’m bringing the listener my own life experience, and hoping they can take away something positive to apply to their own situation,” he tells us of the project. —Alex Nino Gheciu

It doesn’t feel quite right to say Sargeant X Comrade think outside the box. For the Calgary-based lo-fi soul duo, there is no box, just as there is no spoon. This ‘nothing is true; everything is permissible’ energy courses through their 2020 sophomore album Elephant in the Room, a sonic goulash of boom-bap, jazz, house, dancehall, opera, and Cold War radio transmissions. They mix old and new, bringing together influences from opposite hemispheres of the world—Yolanda Sargeant is a smokey soul singer of Caribbean descent; Evgeniy Bykovets is a mad-genius hip-hop producer from Russia, via Ukraine. After being named breakout artists of the year at the Western Canada Music Awards, the two are readying a new album, Power, due this summer. They also plan to give fellow local artists a bigger platform via their new label Mo Gravy. —Alex Nino Gheciu

Jonah Yano’s 2020 debut LP Souvenir was subtle, but heavy. He exhumed buried trauma and drew parallels from continents away, finding healing in these distant connections. Instead of rushing out a follow-up, he spent much of 2021 crafting the perfect continuation to Souvenir’s ultra-personal narrative. Then, in 2021’s twilight, he announced that the project was finally complete. Though we haven’t heard a single yet, the LP already has a very special cosign: Virgil Abloh. When Abloh passed away last fall, Yano shared that he had previewed the album just a few weeks prior. “Somehow Virgil took the time like 3 weeks ago to listen to my new record and give me positive encouragement in a time when i really needed it most,” Yano tweeted. —Sumiko Wilson

You’re an anomaly if you didn’t make at least one TikTok to RealestK’s viral track “WFM” last year. In the afterglow of the single’s success, he dropped a moody, downtempo remix and two follow-up singles. But now, all eyes are on what’s next. Is an EP on the horizon? Do the co-signs from Nav and Cash mean that he’s XO’s newest signee? Much of his persona thus far has been shrouded in mystery—as per his Instagram bio, he’s “Toronto’s secret.” But in 2022, we can anticipate the 17-year-old to further emerge from obscurity and step into stardom as one of the most exciting new voices in Canadian R&B. —Sumiko Wilson

AR Paisley has built a cult following by defiantly being himself. For the last few years, the Mississauga MC’s fended off easy trends while honing his brand of lyrics-forward, relatable hip-hop indebted to decades past. Now, he’s ready to paint with new hues. You can hear it on “Hunnids,” his first release of 2022 featuring anders—he hits more melodic notes, but in not in a way that feels informed by industry appetites. His flows are still layered and rewind-worthy, only now he’s armed with more ways of bending songs to his will. After spending the better part of last year in L.A. writing songs for others and building brand partnerships, Paisley’s ready to unleash the music he’s been sitting on. This spring he’ll drop a new album showcasing his stylistic evolution, boasting features from yet-to-be-named U.S. artists. “After years of growing, learning, and making connections in the music industry, I am humbled and excited to show my fans my next level of artistic ability,” he tells us. “I can’t wait to share this new sound and the new side of me that I’ve been working on.” —Alex Nino Gheciu

Multi-faceted Toronto artist Luna Li is known for making celestial, psychedelic mood music that has the ability to send you on a vibe-altering daydream. The Korean-Canadian caught the attention of many last year with her 88rising-cosigned single “Cherry Pit,” which captures an ethereal sense of nostalgia with visuals that bring your right back to the feeling of summertime adventures. She also happens to be responsible for creating those hazy dreamscapes herself—she plays all manner of instruments, including the violin, guitar, piano, and the harp. Her forthcoming album Duality is set to be released this February, and based off of her recent releases, it will no doubt have classic appeal with heavy-rotation potential. —Kassandra Guagliardi

Montreal indie R&B songwriter Magi Merlin who first walked us to the dep revealed some major career news as the year was winding down: she’s the newest addition to indie darling Bonsound’s eclectic lineup in her home province. Merlin captures serious topics of everyday life over a disarming, psychedelic-tinged sonic backdrop, beckoning listeners but also using her power wisely. She had a chance to showcase her live show at Osheaga and M for Montreal at home, and backed by new label might in 2022, will likely find plenty of new ears ready to dive into her expanding oeuvre. Her introspective songwriting style will easily travel the country. —Erik Leijon

Holding her own as one of Toronto’s hottest rap prospects is Golde London. If you take one look at her you’ll see her star quality is undeniable, but as soon as she opens her mouth, it’s game over. Her bars go hard. Golde’s brand of gritty, drill-inspired rap and raw, sensual R&B make her a stand-out in the city; she’s already racking up hundreds of thousands of plays off just singles alone. Last year, her defiant, charisma-laden verse on Smiley’s “Venice Beach” made it one of the highlights of the OVO Sound signee’s album, Buy or Bye 2. She’s self-described as “Toronto’s baddest.” With her debut album Blessed Be The Jawn due this summer, we’ll see if this is the year she lives up to the name. —Kassandra Guagliardi

Both a rapper and a producer, in 2021 Mike Shabb further honed his youthfully timeless, sample-driven sound on the likes of Quarantine Flow and a steady release of singles, but also set up a 2022 where those strides made will pay serious dividends. He’s got a collaborative project with mentor Nicholas Craven coming, and he was also touting on socials the 16-track Sewaside II album would be out soon. He also said in an IG Q&A that he’s mining Quebec prog rock from the ’70s, so you know whatever he’s working on, it’ll have the unique sound of his home province. Ever the industrious one, he also recently entered the NFT business, which may be a first for Montreal independent rap. —Erik Leijon

As a 20-year old artist coming from Kitchener, Ontario, Dom Vallie has done an impeccable job of using the tools at his disposal to market his sound to the masses. You may recognize his cascading curls from your TikTok FYP page, where he can be seen perpetually using the platform to push out his music and engage with his 400k+ fans. Dom’s single “On & On” is also a popular sound on TikTok, being used over 16k times, while more recently he’s racked up over half a million plays in 2022 on Spotify alone with his single “Been Himma.” As one TikTok fan accurately describes his sound, “this is literally city girl music but for dudes.” Currently Dom Vallie is working on more music to be released in 2022 while focusing on harnessing his talents in songwriting and video directing. If you don’t recognize this artist already, you definitely will in the coming months. —Kassandra Guagliardi

For a guy named Road Runner, the Toronto MC exercises a lot of patience. He’s spent the better part of the pandemic in jail and under house arrest, slowly but surely plotting moves in seclusion. All that scheming has paid off—last year he dropped a brooding, honest EP, Forever Alone, that hit No. 1 on Canada’s iTunes hip-hop chart. Now, finally a free man, the Pakistani-Canadian rapper is about to pick up the pace. This February, he’ll drop his first proper album, Trapistan. The project will include a multitude of features—from Toronto rappers 3M French and Yung Tory to Brooklyn’s ABG Neal—and build on a sound he’s spent the last couple years perfecting: hard-hitting, emotional street anthems inspired by pain and drenched in South Asian melodies. “Forever Alone was very mellow and this new one is very upbeat,” Runner told us last year. “I think my favorite songs are on this one. Some of the music I’ve made in the past couple months is the greatest music I’ve ever made.” —Alex Nino Gheciu

Despite what its name implies, Hunnah’s debut project, Unloved, got a lot of love last year. Her emotive, exploratory 7-track EP tapped into the Brampton-raised R&B songstress’ most personal, pressing questions about love and longing. But in an interview for CBC’s q with Tom Power, she shared that many of those are still unanswered. “I still have a lot of questions,” she told the host. “but what [the project] did do was allow people to tell me, ‘I feel the same way.’” Now that she’s found community through her music, we can expect to hear her digging deeper with songs swathed in her signature relatability. She tells us she’s currently in the studio working on new music, and is looking to release another EP this summer. —Sumiko Wilson

Last fall, LaSalle, Quebec rapper Tyleen emerged from a short hiatus to announce she was the first signee for New Regime records, the much-anticipated new music label offshoot of the popular Montreal fashion brand. She quickly followed it up with a pair of track releases: “Must Be” and “223 Freestyle.” It’ll be a steady flow of singles in 2022, with the first one up at the end of January. From there, expect more music every other month until a full release in the fall. In the meantime, watch her socials: she’s confident about being the city’s finest woman MC and isn’t shy about stating it outright. —Erik Leijon

This year, we’ll be getting acquainted with a new side of Jon Vinyl—and a new sound. His first single of the year is a departure from the breezy, pop-tinged R&B that he established as his signature on last year’s EP Lost In You. Almost following the course of an actual relationship, he’s evolving past the lush, earnest love drunk tracks from past drops and leaning into darker subject matter, like pain, indifference, and toxic masculinity. The chrysalis first begins to rupture in the new video for “Always,” a single from Lost In You, where he smokes a cig, then on his upcoming first new drop of the year “Don’t Care,” where he drops an unprecedented F-bomb. He’s grown grown, y’all. —Sumiko Wilson

Moula 1^st is nothing if not confident. The Rexdale rapper constantly puffs his chest out at his Toronto hip-hop peers—his catchphrase is “You think you can face me?”—and on his new double album, Michael, he places himself among some of the greatest Mikes of all time: Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, Michael Phelps, and Mike Myers. Fortunately, he’s got the talent to back it up. He’s been one of the 6ix’s most consistent underground MCs, dropping a single and music video every month for the last two years, each maintaining the same level of cartilage-shaking energy and deft, no-bullshit wordplay. It’s been enough to garner social media likes from Drake and 40—the latter of whom Moula cryptically says he’s entered into a “verbal” business agreement with. We’ll see how that plays out this year. Moula tells us he plans to keep his release streak alive in 2022, aiming for a “three-peat.” He’s also got a deluxe version of Michael on the way, with enough new songs on it to effectively make it “a triple album.” —Alex Nino Gheciu

For Idman, 2021 was a warm-up. Her debut single “Down For It” reached nearly 2 million streams and her follow-up “Polytics” became an unofficial polyamory anthem. Not too shabby. Though the latest wave of the pandemic interrupted her plans to open for Audrey Nuna at her now-cancelled Brooklyn show, that’s not slowing the Toronto-born, Los Angeles-based singer’s momentum. Next month, she’ll be dropping one more single before unveiling her debut EP Risk. To executive produce her first project, she tapped fellow Remix Project alum Rich Kidd. We’ll also be hearing additional production from Grammy nominee Khris Riddick-Tynes. —Sumiko Wilson

Versatility is at the core of BOYFRN’s kaleidoscopic sound. He’s unafraid to sample a variety of vibes—sometimes on the same track, like when he drifts between gritty distortion and airy falsetto on his 2021 single “Last Night.” But as he experiments, the common thread is that each track is highly ambitious and deeply expressive. With his debut EP, Kissing Mirrors, on the horizon this spring, it’s hard to anticipate what the Scarborough-bred singer and rapper has in store, given his sonic wingspan. But he did reveal to CBC that the project will feature meditations on love and self-acceptance, with guest appearances from fellow Torontonians Young Clancy and Bobby Love. —Sumiko Wilson

Off-island suburb Laval lives in the shadow of big brother Montreal, although it’s a massive place with its own character and burgeoning scenes. R&B singer Myles Lloyd is the latest to emerge from the 450, and his moody, enveloping style fits the expanding concrete jungle quite nicely. On Feb. 4, he’s dropping the partially made-in-LA Forever, Yours, an ode to the King of Pop’s timeless craftsmanship with an eye on issues of love in the present. He picked up a few recording techniques in isolation and pushed them to the limits on his upcoming project. Some shows were also cancelled during the pandemic, so expect Lloyd to return to the road as soon as possible. —Erik Leijon

Somali-Canadian Afrofuturist singer-songwriter Amaal was listed as one of Amazon Canada’s Artists to Watch in 2022, and it’s not difficult to hear why. On 2021’s Milly EP, the artist adopted a personal sobriquet from her past as a way to confidently break out of her shell. After the seven-song EP’s success, the creative floodgates opened and the Toronto act is nearly ready to bring us new music either this spring or later this summer. Keep your eyes peeled for what’s to come. —Erik Leijon

Vancouver’s Rude Nala has earned herself a reputation as one of the most promising R&B artists on the West Coast. She has already performed in front of thousands of festivalgoers in both 2019 and 2020, and dropped a few heavily rotated singles in the past year proving that a pandemic is not about to stop her bag. Nala’s satiny style of R&B stands out in last year’s releases “ZaZa” and “Try Again,” while her lyrical storytelling has the ability to get you right into your feelings. With plans to drop a number of singles in 2022, Rude Nala is a must-watch artist who will surely be making waves this year. —Kassandra Guagliardi

Saint-Leonard native Rowjay upgraded his resume from Twitch gamer to refined young entrepreneur with the release of Carnaval de Finesse 2 : Les Chroniques d’un Jeune Entrepreneur last November, but it’s the outcome—a noticeable uptick in interest in France—that may dictate the year to come. It’s no surprise he’s a hit there, since he’s got an easygoing rapport with artists from their scene like Alpha Wann and 8ruki, and a flow that’s hard to geographically pin down. He shot the video for “Savoir Faire” in Paris and it’s easy to assume repeat flights between YUL and CDG as his star rises in francophone Europe are in his immediate future. The mini mogul is fast becoming the choice of rap connoisseurs looking for “sale rap” (dirty rap) and something off the beaten path. —Erik Leijon

One of the most unique sounds in Canada comes from Vancouver-based Nigerian artist ILLYMINIACHI. His 2021 singles “Tha Great” and “So Much” showcase his melodic diversity and rare flow while the rest of his recently dropped album Campaign is dripping with luxury lyrics and hidden gems. Spending a good portion of the pandemic working on the project and shooting videos in lavish spaces (like Lagos) ILLY has laced his new release with opulent vibes and classic appeal. This is a must-listen album from a man who has the full potential to take his music to a global audience in 2022.  —Kassandra Guagliardi

After a steady build of singles and short projects the past couple of years that show off different sides of her personality, pensive Montreal R&B singer Kallitechnis is ready to drop a project that reveals even more colours in March. She’s known for exploring sonic palettes and hues with every new release, and It’s Not Personal delves into the figurative blacks and blues she’s received while traversing the music business, but also the bruises that come from personal discovery in the process. While always methodical in approach, Kalli’s relaxed in terms of capturing the right vibes in the moment. The EP will be preceded by two single releases beforehand. —Erik Leijon

With a piercingly dark sound and cinematic visuals that watch like mini action films, JUGGER is relentless about making a lasting impression. He’s been relatively quiet since the release of his 2020 singles “BAD GUY” and “GUN PLAY” but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working. JUGGER is the first artist to sign to Wonderchild Records, the WondaGurl imprint under Red Bull Records, and his forthcoming album will be entirely produced by him and the iconic producer herself. With the rollout for his next album beginning this spring and an already cult-like following behind him, the esoteric Toronto artist has all of the potential to move his madness to the next level. —Kassandra Guagliardi

Dylan Sinclair is on the brink of a new chapter. After his soulful summer EP 3511, he took to Instagram to share that he’s “currently in the studio stacking up on bangers.” Weeks later on Twitter, he hinted that he’s “sitting on something very special.” Cryptic! On the heels of his first Juno nomination, Sinclair closed last year by dropping “Regrets,” a breakup ballad wrapped in remorse. Though he’s tight-lipped on when we can anticipate another drop, if the 20-year-old R&B singer’s latest track is any indication, his follow-up will take his discography to broodier depths. —Sumiko Wilson

Last year, LOONY was one of the artists leading Canada’s new class of R&B singers. Her debut album soft thing earned the Scarborough native a co-sign from Elton John, a prominent placement on the final season of Insecure, and nearly 15 million streams. After taking her show on the road last year with a six-stop U.S. tour, she is gearing up for her homecoming show this spring, where she will make her debut at The Danforth alongside Adria Kain and Amaka Queenette. —Sumiko Wilson

It’s rare to hear of an artist coming from a small town in B.C who makes music that piques the interest of A&Rs and major record labels. Vancouver’s self-proclaimed “hip-hop experimenter” Boslen is on the cusp of stardom after signing to Capitol Records/Universal Music Canada for his 2021 debut album DUSK to DAWN and grabbing impressive features from the likes of Vory and Tyler Yaweh. His latest single “Quartz,” featuring Toronto’s Charmaine, has gained over a million plays on Spotify and you may already recognize his track “NIGHTFALL,” which was a popular sound on TikTok (hello, K.J Apa) that racked up over 160k videos. Boslen has recently been seen teasing a brand new single titled “LEVELS,” coming this February, and an EP titled Gonzo that’s well on the way. Keep your eyes open for those. —Kassandra Guagliardi

After closing 2021 with a surprise three-song EP, Wishlist, the next phase in Toronto R&B singer 11:11’s sonic metamorphosis is taking shape on his forthcoming album, which is set to debut this summer. Though his feet are firmly planted in the sounds and subject matter that we typically associate with R&B, there’s a pop-leaning playfulness that’s woven into his upcoming chapter (at least from what we’ve heard so far). And though Wishlist dropped the week before Christmas, tracks like “Good Vibe” had a sun-soaked sound instead of yuletide vibes. So evidently, he’s well prepped to be the soundtrack to summer 2022. —Sumiko Wilson

If you’re not familiar with Bunlo, I encourage you to cease your somnambulance. The Miami-born, Toronto-bred artist is one of the most distinctive voices of Canada’s Latin trap wave, displaying a weighty-yet-nimble flow and mastery for penning hooks en español on last year’s smashes “Volar” and “Pilas.” He has every intention of expanding his musical arsenal this year—he’ll drop a sun-kissed kush cloud of a reggaeton duet with Toronto singer Esco this February, and a filthy, bilingual drill bop with OVO affiliate TV Gucci in April. All this leading up to a new EP, titled Los Files 2, this summer. Big things on the way for Big Bun. —Alex Nino Gheciu