Who Could Be the Breakout Stars of SXSW 2016?

Hometown: Rotterdam, Holland

Electronic music's next frontier is being defined by artists like Sevdaliza. Her music is at turns brash, fragile, and baffling, but it's all tied down to the artist's prevailing sense of self: Sevdaliza features prominently in her jaw-dropping music videos and visual artwork.

These are high-concept songs and videos, delivered in mesmerizing fashion. "That Other Girl" is an easy favorite, but those raspy vocals and wounded, distorted delivery fit perfectly on just about any of her tracks.

After her brilliant performance at our show in London, we're delighted to welcome Sevdaliza back to the No Ceilings stage. Catch her at No Ceilings SXSW on Friday at the Main II (Powered by Wix). More details here.

Hometown: Oxnard, CA

Anderson .Paak's 2016 has been largely defined by his solo album Malibu, but the success was a long time coming. There were the multiple appearances on Dr. Dre's Compton album last year, then his album Venice before that, and his work as one half of NxWorries—suffice to say .Paak has had a fantastic run of late, but he's just now breaching that mainstream level of popularity. Look for it to continue in a big way at SXSW—.Paak's live show is incredible, especially when he hops on the drums.

Hometown: London, England

UK rap crew Section Boyz roll six-deep, and their live shows are raucous, sweaty, turnt up affairs. Coming off the back of a heavy cosign from Drake, who headed to their show in London straight from his Brits performance with Rihanna and jumped onstage with them, interest is going to be sky high at SXSW. Spitting street tales over heavy hitting beats with a humorous UK flair, Section Boyz have the kind of sound that could definitely cross over to America, and if they nail their SXSW performances, that process will only be accelerated.

Catch Section Boyz at our No Ceilings show on Friday at the Main II (Powered by Wix). More details here.

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

After a debut as strong as "Damn, Gravity," we weren't sure how OKAY-KAYA could top it. But she's been up to the task, crafting a series of skeletal love songs, notably "I'm Stupid (But I Love You)," and a velvety cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Keep On Pushin'." OKAY-KAYA has a sound that requests patience, but if you sink in, there are levels to discover.

OKAY-KAYA is playing at our No Ceilings show on Friday at the Main II (Powered by Wix).

Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark

Way back in 2013, Kill J described her sound as "born out of a poetic longing for something simple, primal, dirty and pleasurable." Nearly three years later, the description holds true: this is music that stands apart from its peers in pop, thanks in no small part to the otherworldly vocals at the center of Kill J's music.

From "You're Good But I'm Better" to her most recent "Coda," Kill J has been blazing a path for progressive pop music with alien trills and twisted "Barbie" covers.

Catch Kill J at our Hype Hotel showcase this Wednesday at SXSW.

Hometown: London, England

Just like Skepta last year, Stormzy comes into SXSW an unknown quantity for most American fans. The London MC will head out on his debut North American tour as soon as SXSW is over, but those in Austin will be treated to an energetic show from one of the UK's most charismatic performers. Stormzy is a commanding presence, and although the crowd might not know his material as well as they do in the UK, the results will probably be the same—complete and utter carnage, in the best way possible.

Hometown: Denver/Los Angeles

Dante and Drew are THEY., the Los Angeles-based duo making a whole lot of noise in the music industry. They've worked with huge names like Jeremih, Skrillex, and ZHU, but their solo career is just starting to take off. Their Nu Religion EP doesn't have a bad song on it, and with Mind of a Genius providing management, the future is looking very bright for these two.

Hometown: London, England

JONES has been able to cut through the staggering mass of great music coming out of London, a feat made all the more impressive considering the ubiquity of her instrumental tool belt.

JONES' spark comes from her unique songwriting and arrangements—she has an unmistakable ear for melody, and sounds just as comfortable up in a falsetto as in lower registers. "Hoops" is the song that got JONES the most looks, but don't sleep on "How Deep Is Your Love" or "Indulge."

See Jones at our Hype Hotel show on Wednesday. 

Hometown: Buckinghamshire, England

Now that his album Phase is in wide release, Jack Garratt will arrive in Austin in full touring mode. And if you've seen Garratt live, you know how much of a good thing that is.

And if you haven't, here's what we wrote about him at last year's SXSW. It's pretty incredible to see, and he'll undoubtedly gain some new fans with all this new material in tow.

Hometown: Toronto, ON

If you haven't listened to Jazz Cartier's surprise release Hotel Paranoia, do so immediately. He's long been crowned as Toronto's rap prince, but it's starting to feel like the title doesn't do him justice. It's been clear since last year's Marauding in Paradise that Jazz is an rapper with fully-formed notions of artistry and intent, and his songs reflect the fact: no word is wasted, no beat a throwaway. He's one of our favorite rising artists for a reason, and soon all of SXSW will know why.

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

When an artist is having fun, you can feel it as a listener. You can feel it listening to HINDS—the Spanish quartet having been basking in the well-deserved praise for their debut album Leave Me Alone, and they run a loose, goofy stage that makes for a perfect beer soundtrack.

HINDS are playing all over SXSW this year, and for good reason—Leave Me Alone is full of jangly guitar rock that sticks, and the band's collective charisma doesn't hurt either. They're a must-see at SXSW 2016.

Catch HINDS at our No Ceilings show on Friday at the Main II (Powered by Wix).

Hometown: London, England

SXSW 2016 may be the beginning of something big for London duo HONNE. They've built up an impressive discography of downtempo love songs, picking up speed the last six months with a Jones collaboration ("No Place Like Home") and last month's stunning "Woman." They're stopping in Austin in the midst of a tour, and have a deservedly stacked schedule for their four days in town.

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

If rapid-fire raps and hiccuping production are your thing, get familiar with Smino. The St. Louis rapper (and his producer Monte Booker) had a consistently impressive 2015, driven the success of his last two EPs (blkjptr and S!CK S!CK S!CK).

He's felt plenty of pull from the music industry, but didn't seem concerned during our interview back in December: "A lot of these industry people think I’m stupid," Smino said. "I’m a young black male; you can’t finesse me. We’ve been getting finessed our whole lives. We get that shit!"

Catch Smino at our No Ceilings show on Friday at the Main II (Powered by Wix).

Hometown: Hampton, VA

D.R.A.M. didn't go for the cash grab following the viral success of "Cha Cha." He's spent the last year growing a loyal fanbase, touring with similarly open-hearted artists like The Social Experiment and Towkio, and the positive results are showing up in his work.

His GahDamn! EP is still in rotation four months later, and D.R.A.M. is still touring—he has six shows lined up for SXSW, including a headlining stint at our No Ceilings showcase.

Read our most recent interview with D.R.A.M. here.

Hometown: Dublin, Ireland

The Irish rapper with a penchant for jazzy samples is coming to the States—Rejjie Snow's slippery flow and clear-eyed romanticism has been building momentum for a minute now, but this could be the moment he makes a leap to the next level. It's been two years since the Rejovich EP, but his debut full-length, Dear Annie, is around the corner.

Catch Rejjie Snow at our No Ceilings show on Friday at the Main II (Powered by Wix).

Hometown: Columbia, Maryland

After a breakout collaboration with ZHU on "Testarossa Music," Gallant started striking out on his own this past year. The Mind of a Genius signee hasn't made a wrong turn since, putting his considerable vocals on full display with songs like "Weight in Gold" and "Bourbon." His Ology album is fast approaching its April release date, and SXSW should serve as further proof that Gallant is ready for the big time.

Hometown: Boston, MA

Suffolk County was one of our favorite albums of 2015, and now Cousin Stizz is getting ready to make his next move. Since releasing "Super Bowl" in January, the Boston rapper has hinted at his next project, rumored to arrive in mid-2016. With a slate of shows set up for SXSW, don't be surprised if you hear a sampling of Stizz's new work in Austin.

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Tunji Ige is unafraid to take chances. Whether it's left-field collaborations or solo work, Tunji always turns in creative, thoughtful verses. The singles he's released since The Love Project have been spectacular more often than not, with the most recent ("War," a collaboration with fellow Philly native Noah Breakfast) serving as the first single off his new album.

It's titled Missed Calls, and is due to drop on April 1. Something tells us he won't forget to celebrate while in Austin.

Catch Tunji Ige at our Hype Hotel showcase this Wednesday at SXSW.

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

Now that we're all familiar with "Panda," the question becomes: where does Desiigner go from here? SXSW may hold the answer to that question—the G.O.O.D. Music signee has multiple shows lined up, and he'll undoubtedly be delving deeper into his discography than "Panda," right?

Catch Desiigner at our No Ceilings show on Friday at the Main II (Powered by Wix).