Best New Artists of 2015

Every year, we talk about how eclectic the mix of new artists is, but it's impossible to avoid. The world is still flattening out, and the artists who are emerging today know fewer boundaries than any generation we've ever seen making music.

At the same time, listeners are becoming more open-minded. We've seen a drug-fueled, shadowy figure from Toronto become a superstar. We've seen a teenager from New Zealand make the biggest pop song in the world. And we've seen a group of oddballs from California develop a die-hard international following. Nothing is off limits.

In 2015, young artists were unafraid to carve out their own path and follow their instincts. There are no longer rules about where and how music can catch fire. Some went futuristic, others went retro. Some went high-tech, and others stuck to their bedrooms. Some put out albums, and others dropped free music on SoundCloud. 2015 was a time for experimentation and independence, a time of self-discovery and social commentary. The youth had a lot to say, and we listened closely. We didn't have a choice.

We can't imagine things getting much more diverse, exciting, and inspiring. That said, we'll probably be thinking the same exact thing next year. Until then, here are our favorite new artists from 2015, in no particular order.

There is more to Atlanta than trap music, turn-up professionals, and hit-makers. Demo Taped is the real deal, and he's making some beautiful music. The young singer/producer is fleshing out a sound within the confines of a few signature synths, starting with one of this year's best EPs back in February.

Since then, he's released a couple more gems, with "Not Enough" topping the list. A nostalgic ear for melodies and an ability to layer sounds without any one piece getting lost has Demo Taped near the top of our list of up-and-comers. He's also gotten into the remix game with a great rework of Wet's "It's All In Vain," and did us the honor of playing one of our No Ceilings shows last month. Big things are most assuredly coming for the young artist.

A group of young artists coming together to make R&B or hip-hop isn't exactly a novel idea in 2015, but Brockhampton isn't interested in trying to replicate success formulas.

Foregoing the collective tag in favor of self-identifying as a boy band, the group of singers, rappers, producers, and visual artists made waves this year thanks to a phenomenal debut album from Kevin Abstract, Brockhampton's figurehead. Combining their disparate talents into a cohesive whole, they've successfully made their mark this year.

Whether it's the impassioned verses of Ameer Vann and Matt Champion, or the slick production from Romil and Bear//Face, no one in Brockhampton is a weak link. Following the impressive "Bet I" with "Dirt," plus lots of solo tracks from various members, their future is incredibly bright.

"I’ve never been shy of pop music," Jones told us. "It’s definitely been an influence on my songwriting and musical ear. [My music] definitely is rooted more in a emotional and soulful place."

Pop music that is neither generic nor overproduced is much-needed right now, and Jones, a London-based singer, has delivered nothing but excellence so far—from the lush, restrained pop of her debut "Deep" right up to the huge chorus of her new single "Hoops."

Production from Rodaidh McDonald, Brunelle, Raffertie, and A. K. Paul has helped shape a sound that feels classic but has an undeniably modern edge. Look out for Jones' debut album in 2016.

An overplayed trope in the canon of comedy and drama: signify change (the deep kind) by enacting surface change (the shallow kind). Smino—who we recently profiled—is not a better artist because he no longer raps as Chris Smith Jr.; with that said, one can’t help but notice his growth since he ditched his birth name for a new moniker.

Smino’s S!CK S!CK S!CK EP, released this past fall, established a unique lane and showed impressive consistency. This month he released "Ciabatta" and followed it up with another EP, blkjptr, an even stronger collection of songs.

An important part of the equation is Monte Booker, Smino’s go-to producer. These two have a special chemistry, and 2015 was just the introduction. These guys are about to make a huge impact in 2016.

For a lot of new artists, there needs to be something uniquely new to be exciting. But when you think about it, a lot of the lasting talents have a timeless quality that doesn't depend on the trends and modern styles of the contemporary soundscape.

New York-based Norwegian artist OKAY KAYA doesn't need to sound like right now to be one of the best newcomers in music. She's already made some great first steps and surrounded herself with good people like Rodaidh McDonald (producer for King Krule, The xx, and Sampha) and Tobias Jesso Jr. (who she toured with and who was one of our favorite new artists last year).

Her dream-like arrangements and alluring vocals create an atmosphere that is at once intimate and cinematic, and while her first songs are simply gorgeous, there's plenty of room for expansion on her ageless songwriting.

Leon Bridges is undoubtedly sick of the Sam Cooke comparisons by now, but it bears repeating just one more time. A voice like Leon's, or Sam's, is a rarity on the mainstream stage—it feels almost too pure to be exposed to so many ears, like an orchid that can only survive off two ice cubes a week. No more, no less.

Throughout his breakout debut album Coming Home, the 25-year-old Texan eschews all of modern music's technological developments for his trusty guitar, correctly assuming it would be a crime to hide those vocals behind effects or distortion. Sing-alongs like "Coming Home" and "Lisa Sawyer" help recall a time when songwriters didn't need a drop, and with Leon's help, it might just be possible to get back to those simpler days.

No newcomer experienced the same level of success (or drew as many cries of "industry plant") as Post Malone. The Dallas talent blew up off "White Iverson," while the tastefully radio-ready "Tear$" and melancholic "Too Young" proved his sound had legs.

But it's not just the music: Post is always brimming with positivity and has already navigated some difficult questions with an impressively level-headed approach. The hip-hop-inspired singer seems ready for the next steps, and he's already carved out his own lane with just a handful of songs and some well-placed features.

In short, never question the potential of a creator who already gave us the excuse to croon "saucin' on you" and an impressive Bob Dylan acoustic cover.

2015 was an incredible year for pop music. The obvious, traditionally radio-friendly stuff still exists, but so many younger artists came with a different approach. Whether with more electronic leaning production or a darker, edgier feel, this rising class is changing what it means to be pop. Glasgow teenager KLOË was one of our favorites, and her first three singles—"Grip," "Feel," and "Touch"—proved that pop music doesn't need to be sweet and bubbly to be irresistible.

From Allan Kingdom to Drake, rappers big and small are buzzing over Boston's latest export. Cousin Stizz quickly cemented himself as a future hit maker last summer thanks to three bangers: "Life," "Fireman," and "Shoutout." The third, laced by producer Obeatz with smooth, shimmering synths, lit the final fuse. The track ignited street-side mosh pits and limb-risking turn-ups at underground venues in his home city, soundtracked Drake's Dave & Busters birthday bash last October, and kept burning through 2015 as plays accumulated.

Suffolk County, his debut tape released June 1, felt like his true announcement to the world at large. Stizz raps with a vengeance on "Bonds" and generously supplies listeners with some of the best hooks of the year ("No Bells," "Dum Dope," "Fresh Prince"). Already making a bid to run the streets, Stizz might just have what it takes to run radio too.

There are sweet spots between hip-hop and R&B, the space between feel-good party jams and sedated chill-out music, between accessible and surprising. A.CHAL’s first couple of songs live in these elusive spaces.

The Los Angeles-based singer/producer has been working in New York and L.A. for the past five years, but he's just now starting to roll out his new batch of music. He’s influenced by his Peruvian background and his bi-coastal lifestyle, and if he keeps the quality as high as "Vibe W/U" and "Round Whippin," A.CHAL should make a big impact in the coming years.

The Gazi EP is coming soon, and when artists like A$AP Rocky can't wait for your msuic to drop, you know you're in a good place.

It was love at first listen. CHINAH, the Danish three-piece of Fine, Simon, and Simon, debuted in July with "Away From Me," a gorgeous piece of electronic pop music, and they've had us bewitched ever since. As they share their debut EP piece by piece, CHINAH has given us different takes on a lushly textured sound, and "Minds" is their best song yet.

If they keep these levels up, 2016 could be a massive year for this band.

Nao absolutely slayed in 2015, bringing a blend of sensuality and aggression that set her apart from similarly electronic artists. But Nao's music stays accessible, anchored by sparse, echoing drums that keep time while she builds erratic tornadoes of sound above the beat.

Her February 15 EP is a how-to guide on the state of modern electronic funk: from the sharp, staccato danceability of "Golden" to the sneering cool of "Zillionaire," Nao is showcasing her skills as a sound collector and vocalist in a way few others can.

Nao's debut album is coming in 2016. We've only heard the one single ("Bad Blood"), but what a single. It's full of sneering cool, delivered in with an offhand intensity that sounds like she's making it up as she goes along. We'd be remiss not to mention the video for "Bad Blood," one of this year's best, and proof that Nao is killing it across the board.

Leave no stone unturned—an axiom newcomer London O’Connor personifies with his autobiographical music. The San Marcos-bred 24-year-old peeks beneath every formative pebble, but the details don’t distract from his greater vision. Life is simply something to journal; music is the medium through which he can share his dated, geographically-marked entries.

In absorbing the everyday entrapments of the San Diego suburbs, O’Connor architected his compelling debut. O∆ works like a mini motion picture. In its 29 minutes, his penchant for enveloping synths, falsetto, and slowly paced rhymes creates a gravitational pull. In short, London has already proven himself capable of world creation with his first project.

The sonic baby of St. Vincent’s “Digital Witness” and Earl Sweatshirt’s reserved raps, London took a mix of eclectic sounds and never looked back. Everything you hear—lyrics, singing, production—he’s wholly responsible for. More than a wayward singer with a fancy for kitchen dresses, O’Connor’s only direction is up.

Watch our video with London here and see pictures from his brilliant No Ceilings performance here.

It's been a few months since we were first introduced to French duo Her back in April, and they've managed to maintain their mysterious personas. Although they're not quite ready to share any information about themselves, thankfully they are willing to share good music.

Their first single "Quite Like" was a great introduction to their style. The single featured lyrics showing appreciation for the lovely makings of a woman while layered over simplistic but mesmerizing instrumentation. Her followed it up with another strong effort,  "Five Minutes," but have been fairly quite since. Let's just hope that the duo doesn't keep us all waiting for too long and decides to kick off the year with some new music.

Technically speaking, Tove Styrke isn't a "new" artist. She came in third on Swedish Idol back in 2009 and put out a debut album shortly after that. Yet she lands on this list because the music the singer made then compared to the music she delivered on June's Kiddo is a true rebirth.

Her current sound lands at the intersection of quirky and mainstream: some songs experiment with outside-the-box production while others rely on fantastic pop melodies. The constant throughout it all, though, is Styrke's confidence. Both on and off the stage she delivers her songs with a self-assurance that puts her at the forefront of her contemporaries. She even gave Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" a modern twist.

Out of all the newcomers in 2015, Tiggs Da Author has to be the most fun. "Georgia" has that throwback feel to it thanks to the sample, but if you're thinking Leon Bridges, think again.

Tiggs' delivery is soulful, but it's also lively, charismatic, and contagious. "Georgia" is a song with universal potential, and it's only a matter of time before the Tanzania-born, London-based artist has his big breakthrough moment.

Grime this, grime that, grime everywhere.

With Skepta providing a highly visible entry point for US listeners to approach grime in 2015, there have hopefully been a host of new fans exploring a little deeper. If you spent any time listening to radio stations like Rinse, Radar, or NTS, you will have heard the name AJ Tracey.

Dude has put in work this year, and he capped it all off by releasing the Alex Moran EP, five tracks of lightning flows, thunderous beats, and great wordplay. Like he told us earlier this year, "Grime is so vast, don’t let someone tell you one specific thing is grime, and that something else isn’t. Explore it and enjoy it."

The "child prodigy" label doesn't suit Sam Gellaitry. Sure, the teenager has plenty of eyes on him as one of 2015's most exciting producers, but those words also imply a lack of maturity. That's not the case here—Gellaitry has proved time and time again that he's leading the pack, with electronic production that sounds like it was beamed in straight from the future.

Signing to XL this year led to the Escapism EP, but once you've played that out, make sure to dig back into his SoundCloud. Gems like "shake" and "to earth and back" are just the beginning.

Everyone loves a good story about a brand new artist popping up out of nowhere and delivering a smash hit on their first try. Stop it.

Being good at anything takes practice. It takes experience, trial and error, and development. Today's approach to music is fast and sloppy, and it usually means that artists release half-baked ideas and fans consume it and forget about it just as quickly.

With Ta'East—the Los Angeles-based, Kentucky-born rapper—his introduction to many came in the form of "WithTheShit," but that song was in no way his first foray into music. By the time he released it, he had already worked with Travi$ Scott, Hit-Boy, BJ The Chicago kid, and Virgil Abloh.

Simply put: Ta'East isn't some random rapper-gone-viral. He's ready for this. "WithTheShit" is a meticulously crafted banger, not a stroke of luck, and it will be nice to see an artist on the come-up who's actually ready for the come-up.

From South London to the UK charts with their self-released Don't Panic project, Section Boyz bring a six man squad dynamic to every track. With each MC bringing a slightly different style, and Don't Panic solid from start to finish, Section Boyz are one of the UK's best 2015 newcomers.

A support slot on Rae Sremmurd's current UK tour is going on right now and the plays on "Lock Arff" are steadily rising—it looks like the rest of the world is starting to take notice of Section Boyz.

Mabel's brand of no-bullshit pop is working out beautifully thus far. True, she's only put out two songs, but they've been enough to garner a Shura remix and put the 19-year-old on track for a huge 2016.

We first fell in love with "Know Me Better," a too-cool anthem with big piano chords that keeps Mabel's acrobatic vocals front and center. Then she hit back with a second banger, "My Boy My Town," complete with a stark, elegant video in black and white.

The sounds of A$AP Rocky and Travis Scott have reached far and wide, from Harlem alleys to the suburban streets of Indiana. Both artists are heavy influences for dev09, a new voice quickly amassing the following her music deserves.

Devin Murphy has two original songs to her name. Both "Lethal" and "You Made Me" are produced by A$AP affiliate Stelios Phili, but each fills its own void in spite of some common ground. The former is darker, isolated by cynical lyrics and a deliberately clouded mix, but not without moments of attitude-fueled flair. The latter, her latest release, sees dev09 doubling down on the natural pop elements of her vocals and exploiting them for the better.

She's the byproduct of her own choices and tastes and, as such, a powerful symbol for youth. Aggregate what's great, internalize all you learn, and then return the favor by offering something unique.

We were initially a little hesitant to include sjowgren on this list. "Seventeen" is a great song—an epically, addictively great song—but it didn't feel like enough—until we pulled our heads out of the sand and listened to their demos from the first half of 2015.

There's a raw, honest quality to early cuts like "drifty" that immediately recall prolific songwriters like Lianne La Havas or the country-flecked vocal stylings of Jack White's folkier work. We can't wait to see what they have coming up.

British label Black Acre was awesome in 2015, releasing music from new artists with wildly different styles. From raw grime and dance music to the melancholy, poignant pop of Connie Constance, they proved that good music has a home, whatever genre it is.

London-based Constance teamed up with Blue Daisy who produced her entire In The Grass EP, and the two formed a perfect partnership. Sit back, and let these modern lullabies wash over you.

There are plenty of rappers making dark and menacing hip-hop, but few do it with as much finesse as Night Lovell. Counting Soundcloud cult-favorites Blank Body and Dylan Brady as producers in his arsenal, it's an understatement to say that Lovell is in good company.

With a commanding voice and impeccable knack for riding a beat, he's turned in track after track of heat. "Fraud" is an easy recent favorite, but his entire Concept Vague debut is required listening for any nascent fan. From the ear-worm hooks to the monolithic beats and slick flows, Night Lovell has the entire package down, making the promise of future output all the more exciting.

Stormzy didn't start making music this year, not at all. In fact in 2014 he was one of the only unsigned artists to perform on the long running BBC music show Late Night With Jools Holland. But 2015 has most definitely been Stormzy's year. It's been the year of his introduction to new audiences, both at home and in the U.S., with "Know Me From" bubbling up and Stormzy's hard work paying off when he won the BET Award for Best International Act.

Stormzy just does not drop weak tunes, and his YouTube freestyles prove he's got bars for days. With a clear, direct style, and the kind of personality that helps makes fans out of doubters, he even broke into the UK Top 20 with his "WICKEDSKENGMAN Part 4" freestyle. When the album drops in 2016, it's really going to be game over.

The smooth and funky sound of New Zealand's Leisure had us hooked from the opening bass riff and airy vocals of "Got It Bad." Where that song took us on a psychedelia-tinged journey through a red hot desert, "Hot Love" was more like sauntering along the beach with a girl on your arm. Subsequent tracks didn't disappoint, and their debut live show in New York was a lot of fun too.

Leisure approached their rollout in 2015 like Jungle, expertly blending a timeless sound and a touch of mystery—now they've revealed their faces and toured a little, they're in a great position heading into the new year.

With Marauding in Paradise, Jazz Cartier cemented Toronto's rap legacy post-Drake. It's that good—a fully-realized concept album with the highest ambitions. Since then, Cartier has been touring relentlessly and, in November, peeled off a string of fresh singles that were premiered on OVO Sound Radio.

Cartier's passion is his strongest suit, and he's as convincing discussing questions of fate and mortality as he is tackling Toronto's microcosmic inequalities. This is a rapper you'll recognize from his opening bars, and it's not just his content, it's how he delivers the message. Because there's one thing that separates him from the pack: Jazz Cartier takes this music very, very seriously, and if you're picking up what he's putting down, there's a lot of gold to explore in his discography.

2015 had more than its fair share of turn-up anthems and Drake imitators, but that clutter made it so much more enjoyable to hear a newcomer like Innanet James pop up.

Innanet's first few songs are rough around the edges, but the Maryland artist makes up for the lack of polish with pure energy. He's got a nimble delivery with a flow that's always evolving, and he's not spitting the same clichés. If you're a fan of artists like GoldLink and Chance The Rapper, Innanet James is your guy to watch in 2016.

Around two years ago, half of the internet was discussing whether Yung Lean’s music was genuine or not. Millions of plays later, it seems that people have either given up trying to decipher the young Swede’s bizarre aesthetic, or they've come to terms with the fact that it doesn't really matter. Yung Lean is proof that confusing your audience just as much as entertaining them can elevate what was otherwise an innocuous subversion of norms into a feverish cult of grand proportions.

While Missouri-based musician Dylan Brady doesn't pile on the is-it-irony aesthetic as heavily as Yung Lean, there are some interesting parallels to be made in his music and how he presents it. The flashes of peculiarity are shared across the music by both artists, and their sounds aren't all that far removed from one another, but it’s how the internet is obviously important for both of the young artists that really ties them together.

That’s where the similarities between Yung Lean and Dylan Brady end. While Lean chose to rap about being sad, the emotions he was portraying alongside his Arizona endorsements never exactly felt sincere. Lean's music isn't a joke, but a lot of its content is. There’s a weird smile-inducer or two on Dylan’s debut, All I Ever Wanted, but everything about the album is very real despite it possessing so many fantastical qualities. It might not be the most polished debut of the year, but it's definitely one of the most unique and striking.

Kodak Black's music resonates. And not just with a disparate network of web users, who have rewarded the 18 year old with millions of streams and views this year, but in club venues across Florida and beyond. In a time filled with viral online sensations, Kodak is building national buzz from a local following, and by the time he takes off, he'll already have a real built-in fanbase.

His most popular work is territorial and aggressive, but also undeniably catchy. He's playful at times, and capable of making street singles, radio-friendly hits, and left-field oddball cuts. It will be interesting to see where his music goes once he gets plugged in with industry heavy-hitters.

Rationale is a London-based singer and producer who once told us, "I rarely write about fictional subjects or stories, so everything you need to know about who I am is in my songs and more importantly, in the lyrics."

He was a mystery for a long time, first introducing himself to the world with "Fast Lane," a reflection on modern life in the rat race, and a song that rides lush, timeless production that would fit right at home on a Blood Orange album. He kept the levels high with his second track "Re.Up," and has closed out 2015 with "Mire" and his Fuel to the Fire EP.

Chicago rap is wonderfully varied right now, and new talent seems to pop up almost weekly. One of the latest artists to catch our eye is Max Wonders, an teenage rapper who told us that he's as influenced by Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Lou Reed as he is by Outkast and Lil Wayne.

This eclectic taste manifests itself in his rapping style and in the beats he chooses, with "88 Changes" serving as a great example of a warm, multi-layered beat pairing perfectly with Wonders' easy ear for memorable melodies. He followed it up with the You Will Never Find EP and some great collaborations with another one of our favorite young artists, Trapo.

When we asked 20-year-old London singer/songwriter/producer Leks Rivers who his influences are, he listed off an eclectic range including Jimi Hendrix, The Supremes, and Michael Jackson.

He also likes Azealia Banks, Jai Paul, and Skepta, yet Leks admits that he doesn't listen to a lot of current artists. But there's a youthful spirit to his music, a product of the fact that he's a self-taught producer who's been figuring out music on his own.

Leks' songs are raw and wildly ambitious—huge choruses and unforgettable melodies feel almost too big for the backdrop, but as Leks keeps learning how to bring everything together, he's going to become a force to be reckoned with. The second half of 2015 yielded more wins, most notably on a "Soho Knights" remix collaboration with Innanet James.

Back in April, Bonkaz opened up the flood gates with the release of his anthem "We Run The Block." The London rapper followed up his huge single by making a sharp (and unexpected) transition from hard-hitting rhymes to smoother, almost romantic deliveries on "Pretty Brown Eyes" and "L.A. Interlude." His EP Forgive Me When Im Famous served as a proper example of his musical range.

Whether he chooses to rap or sing, Bonkaz has proved so far that he's got quite a few tricks up his sleeves. He closed out the year in a big way by connecting with Chase & Status on "Wha Gwarn?," hinting at collaborations with Sango, and convincing Craig David to make an appearance on his debut album—so it's safe to say 2016 is going to be bonkers.

In these past years, we've seen plenty of acts come out of nowhere with great music and no other details—no faces, no names, and no backstory. For this to work, the music has to be good, but it's more than that. Through music videos, imagery, lyrics, and every other little detail, an artist can communicate what they're all about, even without revealing any personal information.

Chicago artist/group Goodbye Tomorrow has done this masterfully so far. They've got a modern approach and a message, always delivered with intensity and a clear sense of purpose. This all came together on their debut project A Journey Through the Mind of a Non Believer and we can't wait to see how it translates on stage.

Goodbye Tomorrow's very special debut live show is going down on December 22. 

There's a considerable crunch to the work of Chicago-based producer Glocque. His debut album, Gloveless Brain Transplant, growls, hisses, and spits back. It's hard and fuzzy, looming like an omnipresent form of some kind. Employing what are essentially producer no-nos, his debut album sounds like it was compressed down to fit on a Megadrive cartridge. Everything about his music comes across as if it was blasted through a broken amp, toying with melodies as strong as they come, but textures as broken as possible.

Gloveless Brain Transplant is like Boards of Canada reinterpreted for the internet with the assistance of a drum machine and the spirit of John Carpenter. It's vicious, but it's also cushioning with a sense of surreal security. Like beats trying to communicate from the afterlife, Glocque's output is chilling and absolutely enthralling.

It's hard to believe that Madison, Wisconsin rapper Trapo isn't even 18 yet. His incredibly introspective, personal rapping and soulful but gruff singing says a lot about how ready he is to break through.

Trapo's debut EP, The Black Beverly Hills, is unflinchingly honest. The weight of every word he says can be felt, and the amount of emotional depth he displays on all of his tracks, "Cards & Conversation" in particular, paints him as a world-weary documentarian worthy of close attention. Trapo's introduction is without a doubt one of the most captivating we've heard all year.

While we've been aware of a number of Brockhampton's key members since 2014, their formation as an outfit ushered in the talents a little more on the outskirts. Among them, Merlyn Wood is the member to make the most striking debut, and considering their output thus far, that's saying a lot. He had a lot to say when he showed up on Brockhampton's tracks, but he's absolutely explosive on his own thanks to a borderline insane delivery.

His violent approach to hip-hop might be a little too much for some, but there's no denying how infectious Merlyn's off-the-wall energy can really be. "Lazy Wood" and "Fye" prove that Merlyn is looking to disrupt in the best way possible.

At the end of last year, Fetty Wap's single "Trap Queen" started to make its rounds on various social media platforms. Although the video has technically been out since August 2014, it wasn't until several months later that "Trap Queen" slowly started to gain serious momentum that would eventually shoot the single all the way up to the No. 3 spot on Billboard's Hot 100.

Since then, the New Jersey native has provided us with too many other infectious songs for anyone to even dare consider him a one-hit-wonder. Fetty Wap's other tracks like "My Way,"—which Drake later jumped on—"Promises" with Baauer and Dubbel Dutch, "679," and "Again" can all received quality airtime on 2015's radio stations. Oh, and he released his debut album.

2015 was very good to Fetty Wap (aside from a scary motorcycle crash), and with his humble approach and hit-making ability, continued success in 2016 feels like a lock.

We've been keeping an eye on blank body (who formerly went by the name bine) since last year, but in 2015 he has really flourished. His uniquely colorful yet powerful production style sees him crafting memorable melodies from wind chimes, distorted guitar, or crisp keys, and then pairing them with unexpected breakdowns and thunderous bass. He really hasn't put a foot wrong this year, and collaborations with vocalists Night Lovell and kaya only hint at the exciting potential future moves.

blank body is a really unique talent whose music has seemingly limitless potential—don't sleep on his singular, brilliant EXPLICIT DELUXE album.

For more check out our exclusive mix and interview with blank body from earlier this year.

KAMAU's decision to reinvent Outkast's "Hey Ya" was savvy on a couple of levels. In doing so, he acknowledges the comparisons to André 3000 (inevitable, once you get a couple tracks into his discography), but he also shows how different he can be: KAMAU's "Hey Ya" is an a cappella slow burner with big emotional swells, containing none of the original's party vibes.

It's also a departure from his earlier work—which is still based around KAMAU's incredible vocal stylings and beatboxing, but is decidedly more playful than his "Hey Ya." KAMAU has had a great 2015, and has even bigger plans for 2016—with friends like No Wyld at his back, there's assuredly more great music incoming.