10 New Pop Artists Who We'd Like to Hear on Mainstream Radio

By Confusion & Constant Gardner

In a lot of ways, the world of pop music is very predictable. Big choruses, super producers, and pretty faces dominate, and when a new pop star comes around, you usually know it. But lately, we've seen viral hits come out of nowhere and indie artists rise to pop stardom before they drop a debut album. We've seen more openness to experimental approaches and artists who challenge expectations.

Here are 10 new pop artists who wouldn't sound out of place beside the big stars on mainstream radio.

Related: English Singers You Should Look Out For In 2015

Paris-based singer Alma Elste only has one song out, but it's a beauty. "Heart Melter" is, in a lot of ways, a pretty standard pop song. There's nothing wildly experimental or in-your-face about it, but when you've got a song written this well, subtlety can be the best tool. Alma's got some mystery to her unique voice that gives her a compelling edge, and it's easy to imagine her going in a more organic, acoustic direction or a more electronic route.

With his latest single, "On The Regular," Shamir showed off a new side to his sound with irreverent rapped verses over a bouncy beat. On the outstanding "I Know It's a Good Thing," however, he was more like an early Madonna. Either way, Shamir's charisma, unique voice, and ear for making timeless sounding records makes his upcoming album one of our most anticipated of 2015. There are sure to be more earworm songs on that album, songs that we's love to hear on mainstream radio.

LA singer Marz Leon doesn't make music that fits in with what's on pop radio—her brand of pop is more of an ethereal, entrancing style. But maybe if there was more music like that on radio, we'd all be a little more relaxed. Plus, just look through her pictures on Instagram—Marz Leon is clearly a star.

Los Angeles-based duo Made In Heights—comprised of producer Alexei Saba and singer Kelsey Bulkin—makes the kind of music that you can fall in love with on first listen. The production is clean and stripped of any unnecessary noise, and the melodies are so immediate that you'll be singing along after one listen.

Daniel Wilson has already proven adept at anything from pared back, folk-leaning songs to uptempo synth-pop, but the constant across all his music is his wonderful voice. When he cuts loose with the more powerful, soulful delivery, as on "Killed Ya," there are hints of CeeLo Green about him, and we'd love to hear Wilson blasting out of radios with the ubiquity of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy."

Don't you hate it when a pop artist makes one good song and spends the rest of their pointless career trying to replicate it? It happens all too often, which is why a band like Misun is so fun. You never know what you're going to get. From retro pop to futuristic electronic, Misun is full of surprises, and they have yet to disappointment. Check out their entire Superstitions album here.

Rooted in American pop and rock traditions and with an overall air of melancholy, Tobias Jesso Jr.'s music wouldn't sound at all out of place played after a Lana Del Rey song on mainstream radio. Tobias' music is more hushed and restrained, especially on the lo-fi demos that we first heard, but with "Hollywood," the first official single from his upcoming album, he proves that even on a more produced track, none of the magic is lost. More Tobias and less Swedish House Mafia, and we might even listen to the radio again.

Kwamie Liv's eclectic Lost In The Girl EP shows a lot of depth to Kwamie's abilities, but it doesn't show it all. We learned that when we shot this video with her in New York City. She can put together an upbeat, catchy song, but her gorgeous voice is capable of more than that, and even though she says she doesn't have any plans to be a big pop star, we wouldn't mind seeing her music spread to the masses.

The Neighbourhood have achieved a rare kind of success—they've got mainstream reach, but they still do things with an indie sensibility. Shit, they even just released an entire mixtape for free. Olivver started out with the band and recently launched his solo career, and on his Freak EP, he establishes himself as his own artist but also seems to have picked up a thing or two from his previous experience. He balances dark content with solid hooks and sharp production, and it's easy to imagine him fitting in just fine in a world where The Neighbourhood has already blown up in such a big way.

When we first talked to Los Angeles duo MVSCLES, they just got out of a deal with a record label that kept them silent for a year. They released a few excellent songs but stayed mostly quiet throughout 2014, and now they're back as WATERBED and ready to release new music. It feels like these two haven't quite found their groove yet, but 2015 could be their year.