Image via Complex Original
The musical landscape for female artists is increasingly competitive these days. With so many starlets constantly emerging, it gets difficult to distinguish one girl from another. Fortunately, the following women have no problem with that. From fronting hot new bands to producing solo club-bangers, this fresh crop of under-25 talent is wasting no time making themselves known with their alluring style, sound, looks. Check out The 25 Sexiest Musicians Under 25 for a look at the ladies who will be killing it in music for years to come.
25. Alice Glass, Crystal Castles
Age: 23
While producer Ethan Kath creates the beats, the hauntingly gorgeous Alice Glass croons the lyrics, completing the electro band Crystal Castles. Since forming in 2004, the Toronto natives have dropped two critically acclaimed albums, both eponymously named, and have become one of the biggest names in their genre, a status cemented by their headlining gig at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival in 2011, in addition to their other festival appearances, namely Glastonbury, Coachella and Bonnaroo.
24. Honey Cocaine
Age: 19
Tyga’s hyped-up new addition to his Last Kings label, Honey Cocaine, has already spurred a myriad of debates about her legitimacy as a rapper. While the Asian MC’s single “Feel Sh*t” earned a myriad of criticism for her use of the N-word, her featured verses on Tyga’s single “Heisman” merited her comparisons to Nicki Minaj.
23. Grimes
Age: 24
Vancouver-born Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes, is an up-and-coming indie pop artist whose name is on the lips of some of the most trusted music critics today. Both Pitchfork Media and The New Republic gave her third full-length LP, Visions, and its dreamy first single “Oblivion” glowing reviews, respectively. If her star continues to rise this summer, expect her to perform on Saturday Night Live at the top of next season.
22. Kreayshawn
Age: 22
Say what you want about our former cover girl, but the eccentric Bay Area rapper has some undeniable chutzpah. The leader of White Girl Mob (along with V-Nasty) is infamous for her frankness, cartoonish sex appeal and quotable hit, “Gucci Gucci.”
21. Alice Costelloe, Big Deal
Age: 19
As one-half of Big Deal, one of our picks for the 20 New Bands to Watch For, Alice Costelloe brings the sweet, airy vocals to the ultra-simplistic duo who recently released their debut album Lights Out. With an enlivening yet romantic sound that’s reminiscent of any track on the Juno soundtrack (just listen to their song “Chair”), we can't help but imagine Big Deal scoring our summer.
20. Yubin, Wonder Girls
Age: 23
The replacement to the group’s former main rapper Hyuna, Yubin made her Wonder Girls (yes, the band that gave us the cutesy dance to "Nobody") debut in 2007 with their single “Tell Me.” In addition to writing songs for Wonder Girls, including “Sweet Dreams” and “Me, In,” the adorable lyricist writes songs for other solo artists, such as the track “Do You Know That?” for South Korean R&B singer Kim Bum Soo.
19. Alexandra Stan
Age: 22
One of the hottest women in EDM, Alexandra Stan’s looks are as enticing as her infectious international dance hit, “Mr. Saxobeat,” which helped her take home the trophy for “Best Romanian Act” at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. The Romanian singer’s latest single “Get Back (ASAP)” is currently making its way around the club circuit.
18. Azealia Banks
Age: 20
Azealia Banks will tell gladly tell you all about herself, but for brevity’s sake, we’ll stick to the basics. She vent viral with her hit “212,” was co-signed by Karl Lagerfeld and her single “Bambi" was selected as the soundtrack to the Mugler fashion show in Paris. Currently, Banks is focusing on finish up her debut album Broke with Expensive Taste.
17. Taylor Swift
Age: 22
Hate her or love her, Taylor Swift is still one of the most decorated artists in recent history. With six Grammys, ten AMAs, seven CMAs, six ACMs and 13 BMI awards amassed for her three best-selling albums, no one in any genre of music can seem to touch Taylor Swift’s current success. It probably helps that she’s got Karlie Kloss’ supermodel looks and a young Britney Spears’ charm to boot.
16. Florrie
Age: 23
If you see any editorial spread of her, it would be understandable if you’re quick to assume she’s simply another model. After all, everything about her near-perfect appearance denotes your typical European mannequin. But in addition to being a model, Florrie, whose real name is Florence Arnold, is actually an accomplished English singer-songwriter and drummer. After drumming for Xenomania, Florrie released two solo albums, Introduction and Experiments, both of which are marked by bouncy beats and her flirty, breathy vocals.
15. Jessie J.
Age: 24
Before the English singer-songwriter took center stage with her own hit “Do It Like a Dude,” she gained notoriety for her covers on YouTube and for penning Miley Cyrus’ biggest single to date, “Party in the U.S.A.” Nowadays, Jessie J is a pop star in her own right, with her latest single “Domino” peaking at number six on on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a number one hit in the UK.
14. Taylor Momsen, The Pretty Reckless
Age: 18
It’s funny that Momsen was once in the running to portray Hannah Montana (before losing the role to Miley Cyrus), given that the frontwoman of the punk band The Pretty Reckless had a reputation being a mini Courtney Love before she even turned 18. The singer, whose band opened for Evanescence last fall, was recently the subject of a risqué FHM photoshoot, in which she posed with a half-naked adult film star, Jenna Haze, who also appeared in her sex-fueled video for “My Medicine.”
13. Miley Cyrus
Age: 19
The same girl who became Guiness Book of World Records’ “Most Charted Teenager” (with her hits “Party in the U.S.A.,” “The Climb” and “Can’t Be Tamed,” to name a few) also has her own rap sheet of wildest moments. But unlike a lot of her contemporaries, Cyrus remains unapologetic for her typical teenage behavior and continues to be one of the most prolific wunderkinds in the industry. Her latest film, LOL, is set to hit theaters this week.
12. Teyana Taylor
Age: 21
Those people unfamiliar with her music remember her as simply one of the privileged kids featured on MTV’s My Super Sweet Sixteen. But those who’ve followed her career since then hold her in higher esteem as a legitimate recording artist. After being released from her contract with Interscope at the top of 2012, Taylor dropped her mixtape The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor, which contains the singles “Make Your Move,” featuring Wale, and “D.U.I.” with Jadakiss and Fabolous.
11. Paulina Gretzky
Age: 23
Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky’s daughter has been singing for years; her song “Collecting Dust” was even featured on an episode of MTV’s Laguna Beach. Ultimately, however, it wasn’t her singing career (which she is currently focused on reviving) that got her noticed, it was her tweets. If she can stir up that much fuss in 140 characters, best believe she'll score a hit pop single sooner than later.
10. Selena Gomez
Age: 19
Gomez is arguably the only pop princess Disney can be truly proud of. In addition to leading the channel’s Emmy award-winning series Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez has a forged a bustling solo career which has been maintained by her loyal young fans who’ve been holding her up as their role model since she made her Disney debut. In fact, the singer, whose behind the platinum hits “Naturally” and “Who Says,” is now undeniably teen royalty, with her boyfriend Justin Bieber as her prince.
9. Jhene Aiko
Age: 24
Years after breaking out as B2K’s featured artist and opening act in the early aughts, the Cassie look-alike finally released her solo mixtape Sailing Soul(s) in 2011 and is gearing up to release her debut album Souled Out, which features her most recent single “In Love We Trust.” Regardless of the R&B singer forging ahead with her solo career, Aiko’s most recognizable work continues to be her collaborations, namely “Sex Drive” with Schoolboy Q and “Terrorist Threats” with Ab-Soul and Danny Brown.
8. Nayer
Age: 24
Cuban singer Nayer has been working with Pitbull ever since he discovered her in 2007, but it wasn’t until her performance of “Give Me Everything” at the 2012 Grammys alongside Pitbull and Ne-Yo that people actually started questioning who the gorgeous girl singing was. Although she released her own single “Suave” in 2011, her featured songs, including Enrique Iglesias and Usher’s “Dirty Dancer,” got her on the Billboard charts.
7. Victoria Justice
Age: 19
It’s easy to knock a Nickelodeon star. Much like Disney, the other kids’ network also has a rep for factory-producing triple-threat pop stars. But Victoria Justice, the star of Victorious, is no one to scoff at. While her first hit “Freak the Freak Out” could be dismissed as your typical pop song, it was her latest single “You’re the Reason” that showcased the beauty’s raw vocal talent.
6. Kimbra
Age: 22
Since releasing her first single “Settle Down” in 2010, the quirky New Zealand-born singer has kept a relatively low profile. Her dazzling and soulful debut album Vows only charted in Australia and New Zealand. However, after being featured in Gotye’s megahit “Somebody that I Used to Know,” which is currently sitting comfortably atop the Billboard Hot 100, Kimbra’s own singles, especially the jazzy “Good Intent,” are garnering more attention worldwide.
5. Kat Graham
Age: 22
When she’s not playing Bonnie on The CW’s The Vampire Diaries, Graham’s busy putting out dance hits, including her singles “Sassy” and “Put Your Graffiti On Me.” Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has already proclaimed Graham as a favorite artist in the gay community, an honor that Graham herself is proudly living up to with a music video she dropped on National Coming Out Day. Although Graham has yet to release her debut album, she’s already been on tour with the Black Eyed Peas and has had some of her music featured in episodes of The Vampire Diaries.
4. Iggy Azalea
Age: 21
It’s difficult not to feel a bit voyeuristic when watching the subject of our current “Hot Complex,” Iggy Azalea. Not only does the Australian rapper have the figure that haunts your hottest fantasies, but she spits rhymes that’ll make even the most vulgar people flushed. Care to take the test? Listen to her singles “Pu$$y” and “D.R.U.G.S” and stream the NSFW video of her “Two Times” freestyle.
3. Sky Ferreira
Age: 19
If her face is familiar, it’s because there’s been a constant buzz about the distinctly stylish pop singer ever since she made her debut in 2009. Widely ordained as the “Next Big Thing,” Ferreira has already modeled for a Vs. magazine cover shot by Ellen Von Unwerth and most recently, posed for Mario Testino for V magazine’s “Music Issue” at the top of 2012. Ferreira, who garnered attention with her singles “One” and “Obsession,” has only released her EP As If!, but she’s planning to drop a full-length electro-pop album, entitled Wild at Heart, this summer.
2. Rita Ora
Age: 21
Rita Ora’s got everything in her arsenal that’ll make her a sure-fire success: a powerful yet poppy voice, a fresh and sexy look and the support of Roc Nation. Jay-Z’s newest UK-based protege has already been churning out chart-climbing hits, including "R.I.P," featuring Tinie Tempah, and her latest banger, “How We Do.”
1. Rihanna
Age: 24
After the transformation we’ve witnessed in Rihanna over the past few years, it’s hard to believe the Barbadian beauty is only 24. Rihanna went from being that chick who sang “Pon De Replay” to being the baddest chick in the industry not only for her panty-dropping hit “We Found Love,” but also for her incredibly tantalizing Twitter presence, unapologetic attitude towards toking up and for her highly-publicized romantic life.