10 Risings Songs Catchy Enough to be Mainstream Hits

There are more ways than ever to break big in 2018. A well-timed viral video, the right commercial placement, or a celebrity endorsement can do more for a new artist than radio ever could. Or you could just write a really good song, upload it to SoundCloud, and let your listeners do the rest. 

This list has all of the above, and a whole lot more. These are the songs you might hear on radio months from now, after they've built up enough momentum or got the right push to take them to the next level. And even if that never happens, you'll definitely have at least one of them stuck in your head by the end of the day. Don't say we didn't warn you. 

One scratchy, VHS-style video and a wild drum solo might be enough to propel Australia's G Flip into the mainstream. "About You" is a great track, brimming with youthful energy and heartbreak over a simple, irresistible synth line. She's singing about a pain we've all felt at one time or another, and when those drums get going in the final third, the song is hard to deny.

"'About You' was one of the very first songs I created," G Flip told us. "I wrote it in a couple hours. I heard that first 'BAWWW' synth and the song came together very quickly. It was strange and exciting." Although it had humble beginnings, "About You" is the kind of song that launches a career. This won't be the last time you hear about G Flip.   

Read our interview with G Flip here.

Juice WRLD's ability to deliver addictive melodies, emo-leaning lyrics, and a genre-blending approach, is the perfect fit for 2018. He's a young artist from Calumet Park, IL​​ who names Chief Keef as a big influence, but his biggest songs—"All Girls Are The Same" and "Lucid Dreams"—are more in line with Lil Uzi Vert's most pop-leaning moments. 

In March he signed a reported $3 million deal with Interscope, and "All Girls Are The Same" is now on all streaming services rather than just SoundCloud and YouTube. Juice Wrld was already popping, but with the label getting behind him, "All Girls Are The Same" is only going to keep going up.

"Troop" is the gentlest hit of 2018. Tobi Lou has spent years crafting his music's positive aura, and he showed real sonic growth with a string of singles leading up to 2018's tobi lou and the moon EP. "Troop" is the followup. Sparse production and airy ad-libs stretch like molasses under infinitely quotable melodies, a sweet, sad departure from the Chicago artist's uptempo history. 

Glassface directed the video, and Smino delivers this list's second show-stopping feature. It's about to break 400,000 views in under a month, complete with a comment from Tobi: "Get this to a million views and I'll drop 'Numbers.'"

It's a huge moment born out of loneliness. As Tobi told us earlier this month, "I made it because when I moved out to LA, I was by myself almost every night. I had to kind of turn up by myself, smoking or drinking or whatever. I was my own troop." 

Read our interview with Tobi Lou here.

Have you seen what "Mo Bamba" by Sheck Wes does to a room full of people? We saw it at SXSW and you can see on Twitter just how much this song goes off when it's turned up loud at the function. The beat by 16 yr old and Take a Daytrip hits hard but it's Sheck's energy and the slow build of the song to "YEAHITSSHECKWESANDIMGETTINGREALLYRICH!" around halfway through that makes this strange song so effective.

With G.O.O.D. Music and Travis Scott's Cactus Jack label behind him as well as a smart approach to building his brand, "Mo Bamba" could be a slow-building hit that really takes off and reaches the next level this summer.

Superorganism's "Everybody Want's To Be Famous" is already a popular song, with over five million streams on Spotify and over two million plays on the highly internet-y music video, but it's just so damn catchy that it feels as if the sky is the limit. Superorganism are an eight member collective fronted by teen Japanese vocalist Orono, with members from New Zealand, Australia and other countries. They're currently living together in London, and after the success of 2017's “Something For Your M.I.N.D.,” the band released their self-titled debut album this year.

The whole project is a lot of fun, packed with quirky, colorful indie pop songs, but "Everybody Wants To Be Famous" is the standout, and just the kind of left-field song that a big ad placement would make inescapable this summer.

After years of making music, Florida artist Yuno recently signed with Sub Pop and released "No Going Back," his first single with the label and an incredible, dreamy track that will act as his introduction to many. Yuno was brought to Sub Pop by Shabazz Palaces’ Ishmael Butler, who explains, “First time I heard Yuno, I peeped, of course, that he possessed all the trappings of a great musician, impeccable taste on his riffs, songs catchy but not corny, familiar but dopely strange. There was seductive magic that I couldn’t, and still can’t put my finger on, which is the essence of his uniqueness."

"No Going Back" is a masterfully written song, but instead of being overly polished it feels handmade, with a fuzzy guitar solo, meaty bass, and a euphoric bounce. It also hits that sweet spot between nostalgia and feeling fresh, the perfect combination for an indie earworm that ends up being a huge smash.

MorMor was born and raised in Toronto and he writes, records, and produces most of his own work. While we're used to hearing about rappers and R&B singers from Toronto, he's taking a different approach in the way he represents his city. "A lot of my inspiration stems from wanting to share a perspective of Toronto that I feel hasn’t been represented," he says. "I’m glad Toronto is getting a lot of attention right now, but my experience of the city that has shaped me isn’t really part of the story yet."

Bands like The Beatles and Nirvana informed MorMor's early tastes, but he's gone through phases that include Feist, Wu-Tang, and Motown. His array of musical interests doesn't help to pinpoint MorMor's style on the gorgeous "Heaven's Only Wishful," but it does perhaps offer some explanation for such a unique blend of intimately raw delivery, delicate melodies, sophisticated songwriting, and gripping pop sensibility.

Read our interview with MorMor here.

After years spent decimating Monte Booker's jittery percussion, Smino incorporated some new production voices for his 2017 epic blkswn. One of those voices was Sango​, who nabbed credits for the title track. Smi returned the favor on "Khlorine," and even flew out to Sango​'s native Rio de Janeiro for a vivid, verdant video. 

It's one of his mellower beats, leaving Smino plenty of room to go wild—the St. Louis rapper/singer's melodies swoop and soar, and the hook's delivery is a moment of pure euphoria. "Khlorine" is off Sango's just-released In The Comfort Of, and Smino just finished a long tour opening for SZA. In each other, these artists have found someone similarly poised to break out.

Watch our Who Is? video profile with Smino here.

Reo Cragun's Craig dropped just last week. He made waves with his debut mixtape Growing Pains last year, and this three-song EP is the first we've heard from the L.A.-based artist since "On My Way" took off. Craig doesn't disappoint—his voice is still amazing, especially on "In Too Deep." It sounds like Reo is realizing the full capabilities of his voice, and working to extend its outer limits.  

​Read our interview with Reo Cragun around his debut mixtape last year here.​

Kevin George is not shy of sharing his influences or his ambitions. "I still can't get enough of House Of Balloons by The Weeknd," he told us. "The Trilogy album is in my top five of all time. That album inspired me to sing and write my own melodies. I don't think an artist like me would even exist if that album hadn't been a backbone to inspiration for me." 

The 20-year-old producer turned singer is out to become one of the world's biggest pop stars, and "High Like This" was the perfect introduction. It's a sharply written song with a dark edge and a huge hook, and the rest of his LOVELAND EP (out April 6) suggests we'll be hearing a lot more from Kevin George in the coming years.