The Best New Artists of 2014

Location: Atlanta, GA

These past few years, Atlanta has been yielding some of the most unorthodox hip-hop artists we’ve ever seen, but none quite like iLoveMakonnen. While songs like “I Don’t Sell Molly No More” and “Tuesday” started gaining traction locally—thanks in part to the team of high-profile producers supporting Makonnen’s movement—the rest of the world seemed pretty confused. And then Drake came along. On one glorious Tuesday in mid-August, Drake’s “Tuesday” remix put Makonnen in the spotlight.

Don’t get it twisted, though—this had nothing to do with a lucky break. Makonnen had been putting in work for years, connecting with the right people, and honing is off-kilter craft. If Drake didn’t come along with that remix, it’s hard to say what path Makonnen’s career would have taken, but it’s a safe bet that it would’ve led to the spotlight eventually.

Makonnen seemingly effortlessly pumps out catchy hooks, knows how to flip a hot beat into a hot song, and has a positive energy that makes everyone who gets to know him want to support him. And his features—like “Friends Maybe” with Rome Fortune and “Wrist” with Father—should have a lot of big-name artists on the wait list for a Makonnen feature in 2015.—Confusion

Related: iLoveMakonnen on Facing 25 Years in Prison, His Infamous Doll Head, and Mike Will Made It

Location: London, England

Shura’s only got three songs out (plus a remix she did for Jessie Ware), but all three songs are of the absolute highest quality. Shura debuted with "Touch," built around lush, retro production and absolutely timeless pop songwriting, and subsequent releases have been built from the same elements but provided enough variety to remain fresh and exciting. Shura's subtly danceable, sometimes heartbreaking (listen to the lyrics of "Just Once") pop songs were one of 2014's revelations, and we wouldn't bet against her taking over the radio waves and your heart in 2015.—Constant Gardner

Location: New York, NY

When we first got familiar with Daye Jack, it seemed like his reach was limited. He’s a teenager studying computer science, and while he’s intelligent, thoughtful, and creative, nothing about him screamed “next rap superstar.” But with each release, Daye Jack gets a little better and a little more compelling, and the idea of him blowing up doesn’t seem as far-fetched. Hearing him on a Misterwives remix was pretty convincing.

In 2014, a kid who came up on 50 Cent and now loves James Blake makes sense, and the fact that Daye is as comfortable singing as he is rapping opens up the door for possibilities far beyond the next rap hit. Plus, we witnessed his first live performance—ever—at Pigeons & Planes’ No Ceilings show in NYC, and we were blown away. Daye Jack may not seem like your typical hip-hop star, but there’s something special about this kid.—Confusion

Related: Read our interview with Daye Jack here

Location: Liverpool, England

It seems cheap to be impressed by something like young age, so let's just get this out of the way first—yes, Holly Lapsley Fletcher, better known as Låpsley, is only 17 years old. But even if you didn't know that when you first heard "Station," it wouldn't have made that goosebump-inducing song any less impressive.

Låpsley's music has an incredible sense of maturity to it. She understands what spaces to fill with what sounds, and what spaces to leave empty in her self-produced soundscapes. This carefully thought-out equation, in addition to her achingly beautiful voice that is often tweaked and layered, is quickly garnering her the attention that she deserves—first online and then by signing to XL Recordings. Her striking ability to evoke specific emotions—often a state of serene melancholia—in listeners is a quality that makes her music worth listening to again and again. Låpsley made the absolute best impression that she could in 2014, and she's got us hooked.—Joyce

Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Could Virginia be the next hotspot for new artists in 2015? It’s always been a divided state in a lot of ways, but we’ve seen more of a communal approach taking shape, and one of the Virginia artists showing the most potential is VA Beach rapper DP. While so many other rappers step in trying to replicate what’s already hot, DP is carving out his own lane with a sharp, aggressive delivery and a disregard for trendy shit. What he’s released so far is raw, and with a little polish, he should have no problem taking things to the next level.—Confusion

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

We were already excited about Kwamie Liv off the strength of her debut EP, Lost in the Girl. It was an eclectic blend of music ranging from mesmerizing and haunting to upbeat and electric. Then in October, Kwamie Liv came to New York City and we recorded a video of her performing a Tom Waits cover in a Central Park tunnel. Just as we thought we were getting to see the full picture of what Kwamie has to offer, she surprised us again. With just a guitar and her voice, she delivered a moving performance and showed a new side of herself. It’s hard to say what she’ll do next, but the possibilities are endless. With the ability to draw M.I.A. and Lana Del Rey comparisons and to also go acoustic for something more organic, Kwamie Liv is an artist without a predictable formula, and it has us looking forward to her future.—Confusion

Related: Read our interview with Kwamie Liv here

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Tobias Jesso Jr.'s releases have been few and far between. He first uploaded a lo-fi demo of a beautiful song called "Just A Dream" to YouTube in August 2013, stunning us with his heartfelt, plainspoken lyricism and powerful songwriting. It wasn't until nearly a year later, in July of 2014, that he shared a second demo, "True Love," now accompanied by the news that he was working on his debut album with Chet "JR" White, formerly of the band Girls. Fast forward to November, and Tobias released "Hollywood," the first official single from his forthcoming debut album, scheduled for 2015 release via True Panther.

Part of the magic of Tobias' songs came from their charming simplicity and rough edges, but any concerns that something would be lost in studio production were allayed after one listen to "Hollywood"—the personality, intimacy, and sense that you are listening to a timeless piece of music is all well and truly intact.—Constant Gardner

Location: Atlanta, GA

The music industry is changing, and so is the way artists operate. It’s not good enough to build buzz locally, sign a record deal, and make a hit song. These days, things are done differently, and there is perhaps no better example of a successful start-up artist than young Raury. With help from his innovative Love Renaissance team, Raury has not only put out an impressive debut project with Indigo Child, he’s built a movement.

Raury’s brand is strong, his fans love him, and he’s got a magnetic, youthful energy that has already won over other artists like Kid Cudi and André 3000. With a lot of young artists, it’s hard to picture them being superstars—with Raury, it’s hard to imagine him not being a superstar.—Confusion

Location: Long Beach, CA

While a lot of West Coast rappers are trying to make ratchet DJ Mustard-esque bangers or replicate past greats, Boogie has a sound all his own, and demonstrates an effortless versatility and creativity on his debut album Thirst 48. While the standout song is "Bitter Raps," the entire tape is fantastic, with Boogie's easy ear for melody, incredibly sharp eye for detail, and casually witty lyrics meaning that its full of songs that are worth listening to 10, 15, 20 times to catch everything that's going on. The production is another selling point, parts soulful, parts hazy, and the whole package introduces us to an artist of huge potential.—Constant Gardner

Location: Las Vegas, NV/New York, NY

With his latest single, "On The Regular," his first on XL Recordings, Shamir showed off a new side to his sound with irreverent rapped verses over a bouncy beat. When we first got to know him earlier this year, however, it was his uniquely androgynous vocals that captivated us on songs like "If It Wasn't True" and "I Know It's a Good Thing." Shamir's charisma, unique voice, and ear for making timeless sounding records makes his upcoming album one of our most anticipated of 2015.—Constant Gardner

Location: Oslo, Norway

2014 wasn't the year Lido started having success in music, in fact, before he was making colorful beats as Lido he was rapping as lidolido, even opening for Beyonce in Oslo in 2013.

Anyway, forget what he used to be, in 2014, Lido is one of the best and most consistent young producers, making music that is accessible and can set a crowd off, but is never too obvious or formulaic. With a sound that is sometimes as bright and bubbly as Cashmere Cat and sometimes as epic as Flume, Lido saw his stock rise incredibly quickly in 2014, remixing songs by alt-J, The Weeknd, MØ, Yung Lean, and S-Type and dropping his debut EP I Love You. The sky is the limit for this producer, and we wouldn't be surprised to see him producing for big pop artists in 2015.—Constant Gardner

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles has been a hotbed for talent for as long as anyone can remember, so it's only right that 2014 introduced an LA-bred emcee who could very well be one of the game's next greats. Cozz made his debut in stunning fashion with "Dreams," arguably one of the strongest video singles of the year, in March and hasn't looked back since.

The 20-year-old signed with J. Cole and Dreamville, released his introductory Cozz & Effect project to largely positive reception, and clearly positioned himself as one of the unmistakable faces of a new West Coast wave. Cozz has room for growth in a number of areas, but overall, he's a promising talent whose passion, lyricism and story should take him a long way.—Tim Larew

Location: Paris, France

Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz, the twins who make up Ibeyi, are daughters of the late Cuban percussion legend Anga Diaz, and mix the traditional Yoruba music of their heritage with modern styles and influences that range from electronic music to dancehall. Their three songs they've released so far, “Oya,” “River,” and "Mama Says," are at once timeless and modern. There’s a spiritual, soulful element to the music that makes it feel as if it comes straight from the heart, and the unique blend of influences make their songs stand out in today’s crowded marketplace. With memorable videos for each of their three songs, and an album on the way that they recorded with XL Recordings boss Richard Russell, we can't wait to see where the twins take things in 2015.—Constant Gardner

Related: Read our interview with Ibeyi here

Location: London, England

Grime MC Novelist had been putting in work before 2014, but this was the year that people really started paying attention, both within the grime scene and outside it. It's early days yet, but Novelist is catching the attention of all the right people, from scene OGs like Skepta and experienced DJs like Simzee to the people at XL Recordings, who are releasing his 1 Sec EP with Mumdance in January 2015. Outside the tight-knit grime community, Novelist was also in the studio with Jamie xx and appeared on the BBC's Sound of 2015 shortlist—certainly impressive for someone who has yet to turn 18.

Both on radio (check Novelist's Soundcloud here) and on record, Novelist killed it in 2014, and he's one of the most exciting young artists in grime right now.—Constant Gardner

Location: Hampton, VA

Just being a good rapper isn’t good enough anymore, which is why D.R.A.M. is going to be in very high demand soon. The VA native knows how to rap, but he also knows how to sing a catchy ass song, and he doesn’t need polished pop production to make it a hit. Just look at the numbers on “Cha Cha”—it's at over 220,000 plays on SoundCloud, and fans who get sucked in by the catchiness of “Cha Cha” won’t be disappointed by the rest of his #1EPICSUMMER mixtape.—Confusion

Location: London, England

We don't have a whole lot of material from Poter Elvinger at this point, but man has he been impressing with what little he's given us thus far. His innovative and colorful production style is as sleek as it is grimy, hinting at both glamor and foreboding tragedy. Everything about his aesthetic oozes style, even down to the accompanying artwork. He hasn't been making music for too long, but with a singular style that's remarkably defined in spite of this, Poter could easily find himself appearing on some big hip-hop releases next year.—Joe Price

Location: Detroit, MI

In 2014, hip-hop continued to get weirder and weirder, and thank god. Hip-hop is still a young genre, and for it to evolve, young artists need to be unafraid to take risks and be different. But hip-hop is also a genre which suffers from too many old heads who consider ‘90s hip-hop to be “real” hip-hop and everything that strays too far from that to be some lesser form of the art. Fuck that. Luckily, we’ve got people like Danny Brown, with both undeniable talent and an ear for the unconventional. And luckily, Danny Brown has been helping spread the word of ZelooperZ, a young rapper from Detroit with charisma, style, and out-of-this-world ideas.—Confusion

Location: Detroit, MI

What happens when Drake captions one of his Instagram pictures with your lyrics? You blow up. Quickly. Just ask Dej Loaf. The 23 year old Detroit rapper’s single “Try Me” went from moderate recognition to universal buzz after Drizzy posted a line from the song on his social media account. But while Drake may have expedited our introduction to Dej Loaf, it’s her talent that sustained our attention.

In a time when recycling styles and remixing originals has become the norm, Dej Loaf is distinctly and refreshingly unique. Her sound alternates between assertive and accessible, weaving verses together with her sing-song flow. Most captivating though is her confidence. Though a relatively new artist, Dej Loaf doesn't doubt she'll be around for the long-term. And after the year she's had, it's hard to disagree.—Katie K.

Location: Boston, MA

Barreling down from Boston with a smile on his face, Michael Christmas turned heads with the February release of Is This Art? The mixtape is a collage of laid-back regular guy rap with song titles like "Taco Truck" and "Overweight Drake"—Christmas is a natural, with an unhurried flow and razor-sharp wit.

He pokes fun at himself, the industry, and mankind with effortless punchlines, and this no-stress zone has landed him more than a few friends. Christmas has recently started collaborating with fellow up-and-comers Tunji Ige and iLoveMakonnen. Together, they're doing away with the excess that has become synonymous with hip-hop and making some incredible music in the process.—Graham Corrigan

Location: London, England

TALA effortlessly combines the musical influences of her Iranian father, her pop loving mother, and the underground UK dance music that she grew up listening to into a truly unique package. Producing the music herself, TALA often layers her vocals with various effects, giving her songs an epic, powerful, and mysterious quality. Pairing those vocals with pounding, synth-filled electronic production, TALA easily inhabits both the role of pop singer and forward-thinking producer—the perfect artist to take advantage of the intertwining worlds of mainstream music and interesting electronics.—Constant Gardner

Related: Future Star TALA on Escapism, Her Iranian Background, and Her Buzzing EPs

Location: London, England

Danny Seth states things clearly: "The British are coming." Being a rapper from the UK with ambitions overseas comes with the twin hazards of being seen as a sellout at home and being quickly dismissed by U.S. audiences. Danny Seth has avoided these pitfalls by mixing his distinctly and proudly British accent, references, and drops with the kind of hard-hitting beats we're used to hearing Future or Young Thug over.

Collaborations with Key!, G. Eazy, A$AP Ferg, and Eric Dingus are already out, and interest in Seth himself and his Last Night In Paris crew is growing all the time, both abroad and at home—2014 has treated him incredibly well and he goes into 2015 with the building blocks for success in America firmly in place.—Constant Gardner

RELATED: Get to Know Danny Seth

Location: New Orleans, LA

There have been a lot of strong singles from new hip-hop artists this year. Pell was different though—instead of releasing a few good songs, he gave us a whole album that was impressively cohesive. Floating While Dreaming is an honest coming-of-age tale, as Pell tries to make sense of the grey area between childhood and adulthood. It's not a new story to tell, but Pell delivers it with a passion and energy that makes it one worth hearing. And, more importantly, leaves us wanting the next chapter.—Katie K.

Location: Ypsilanti, MI

Daniel Wilson has a pristine voice. It's uniquely powerful and fluctuates between rich warmth and airy delicacy, with the overarching ability to command your full attention. Growing up with gospel music, Wilson never limits himself to any one genre, with his releases ranging from synth-pop to grandiose, dramatic piano-backed songs. And the beauty of it is that it always works.

With two flawless EPs under his belt—Young Rubbish and the recently released Boy Who Cried Thunder, 2014 has been a great year for Wilson. But at the pace that he's going, and (hopefully) an album on the horizon, Daniel Wilson could be a real force in 2015.—Joyce

Location: Philadelphia, PA

There are times when a big guest appearance can work as a crutch, but that’s far from the truth in Tunji Ige’s case. In fact, his debut album, The Love Project, barely has any features at all. When you’re able to rap, sing, write, produce, and mix all of your own music, there’s really no need for any outside assistance. Though many people may only know of him because iLoveMakonnen appeared on the remix of his single “Day2Day,” his new fans now know that there's a lot more to him than that one song.

At only 19, Tunji Ige is already showing that he can do it all. He’s able to effortlessly switch between rhyming and harmonizing all while blending different genres with his production. His music takes in everything from radio friendly R&B jams like “S.O.T.N.” to grittier, head-nod worthy tracks like “For Us.” Regardless of your preference in music, Tunji Ige more than likely has a song for you to enjoy and has proved that he’s definitely one to watch.—Adrienne Black

RELATED: Tunji Ige, How The Youth Moves

Location: St. Paul, MI

When Spooky Black arrived on the scene earlier this year, it was kind of hard to determine what exactly he was about. He made his mark at the age of fifteen with a video of him forlornly moving through a snowy landscape in all black, equipped with an angelic voice and a seemingly out of place du-rag. Millions of plays later, and it's clear: Spooky Black is a one of a kind. Clearly having a whole lot of fun with how he presents himself, his ghostly brand of R&B is the real deal.

Despite being more emotionally mature than most of his peers, he's only just getting started. He's had a landmark year, and he seems set to achieve further success in 2015, especially considering his very recent name change to his real name, Corbin, and collaboration with Shlohmo's WEDIDIT collective. However, his solo output is only part of what makes him so much of a compelling artist, as his stellar work with TheStand4rd showcases his true breadth of his talents and versatility.—Joe Price

Location: Woodlands, Texas

Kevin Abstract defies expectations by rarely even taking them into account. With his music he throws the notion of guidelines to the side in favor of delivering a product that only he is capable of, and MTV1987 was proof of this. He speaks to the technology-dependent generation without ever letting it define him, instead using his inventive online presence to further the qualities of his often personal music. He's not an "internet rapper," but it's clear that he's very much an artist that only the internet could give us.—Joe Price

Related: Kevin Abstract on "MTV 1987" and Remaining Authentic in the Internet Age
Related: How Childish Gambino Made Things Easier For Kids Like Me, by Kevin Abstract

Location: Tupelo, MS

Whether you can actually pronounce Rae Sremmurd or not, "No Flex Zone" became one of the biggest anthems of the summer of 2014. Part of that was due to MCs like Pusha T and Nicki Minaj hopping on the track, and of course folks wondered if these two were just a one-hit wonder. The answer was unequivocally "no," considering that their second single, "No Type" was even better.

Add to that their surprising turn on Baauer's "One Touch" and you have a trifecta that the duo can ride into their forthcoming album, Sremm Life. Sure, they aren't out there making the most thought-provoking music, but if you want a pair to help you turn all the way up, it'd make sense to get some Sremm in your Life.—khal

Related: Rae Sremmurd, Riding in the Front Seat (Interview) 

Location: Los Angeles, CA/New York, NY

18+ are a US boy/girl duo who have been making music together since 2011, releasing a trilogy of mixtapes (check them out on the duo's Soundcloud here) that led, according to the press release, "to commissions by Prada and the Venice Biennale." But it wasn't until signing to Houndstooth and releasing the fantastic "Crow" that they got the attention that their twisted, 21st century pop experiments deserve.

While "Crow" was the mutated offspring of DJ Mustard's ratchet R&B and rap beats, their debut album Trust is a melting pot of glitchy, spare production, in your face sexuality, and mysterious hushed vocals. 18+ have come out of the shadows a little bit around their album release, but they shouldn't feel obliged to say too much. There's enough depth in their music to last through hundreds of listens, if you just take the time to enter their distorted world.—Constant Gardner