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Ones To Watch: The Most Exciting Musicians You Need To Know In 2022

There’s no denying that 2021 was a stellar year for new music. In and amongst some more renowned names were a plethora of newcomers that raised the bar and imparted something enigmatic onto the industry. Encompassing genres such as garage, indie rock, soul and rap, we’ve rounded up just some of the most exciting up-and-coming artists that you should know going into 2022.

PINKPANTHERESS

PinkPantheress was catapulted into the limelight after her short song snippets became somewhat of an obsession amongst Gen-Z and TikTok users. The 20-year-old producer taps into a place of nostalgia with her lyrics, layering her sweet vocals over lo-fi, garage beats. The result? A new-age sound that is soundtracking the Y2K-obsessed digital world. As you patiently await PinkPantheress’ next moves, listen to her debut album To Hell With It – our favourite tracks are ‘I must apologise’ and ‘All my friends know’.

JOHN GLACIER

John Glacier is one of the most favoured artists of London’s underground music scene, and now she’s gaining traction. Her debut project, SHILOH: Lost For Words, features some of the most mesmerising raps we’ve heard in a long time and was one of the most exciting albums to come from London in 2021.

GABRIELS

Hailing from Los Angeles, Gabriels is a trio formed of gospel singer Jacob Lusk and producers Ryan Hope and Ari Balouzian. Hopscotching between gospel, soul, jazz and house, their music blurs the lines between the decades with glossy, warming tracks. If you don’t take our word for it, then take Elton John’s. The music legend described the trio’s debut EP, Love and Hate in a Different Time, “is one of the most seminal records I’ve heard in the past ten years.”

DORA JAR

As you listen to Dora Jar’s music, you can’t help but feel as though you’ve entered a world that’s sonically sublime and ethereal. The artist’s enigmatic essence is addictive, and her oscillating vocal range utterly captivating. Her album Digital Meadow, released in 2021, is accented with her whimsical, playful singing style that we can’t get enough of – watching her perform live is mesmerising. Tracks like ‘Multiply’ amalgamate indie, folk and grunge qualities, demonstrating the fluid creativity that Dora Jar is capable of.

ALEWYA

Drawing upon Ethiopian and Arabic musical influences, Alewya’s sound crosses borders and is so distinctively hers. On her latest EP, Panther In Mode, she places melodic dance music alongside reggaeton-style trap, the result of which just makes you want to move. We first discovered Alewya after she featured on Little Simz’s EP Drop 6; and now, we’re impatiently waiting for her debut album.

WET LEG

Indie duo Wet Leg were quick to become one of our favourite bands in 2021. With a refreshingly laid-back attitude towards making music and a fun, off-beat sensibility to their lyrics, it’s no wonder the pair amassed so many fans across the globe. Their debut single ‘Chaise Longue’, with its hilarious references to Mean Girls and silly puns, just shows the duo don’t take themselves too seriously, and it’s making them all the more likeable.

TUNE INTO THIS

Spanning genres such as garage, indie rock, soul and rap, this playlist collates some of our favourite tracks from the artists to watch.

Dora Jar – Opening
John Glacier – Trelawny Waters
Remi Wolf – Liquor Store
PinkPantheress – Pain
Dora Jar – Multiply
ENNY – Same Old
Wet Leg – Chaise Longue
WizKid – Essence (feat. Tems)
Anz – Unravel in the Designated Zone
PinkPantheress – Passion
Cecile Believe – Times
BIA – MOTIONLESS
Remi Wolf – Photo ID
Alewya – Play
Gabriels – Blame
Lava La Rue – Magpie
Dora Jar – Polly
Deb Never – Sweet & Spice
Alemeda – Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows
Wet Leg – Wet Dream
Gabriels – Love and Hate in a Different Time
Lynda Dawn – Roses – XL Middleton Version
Lucinda Chua – Until I Fall
Alewya – Spirit_X
Lynda Dawn – Move
Gabriels – Loyalty (feat. Ashley Sade)
BEKA – More Than Friends (with HONNE)
Anz – You Could Be
PinkPantheress – Just for me
Claire Rosinkranz – don’t miss me
Montell Fish – Destroy Myself Just For You
Holly Humberstone – Scarlett
Priya Ragu – Good Love 2.0
Pip Millett – Make Me Cry
Montell Fish – Talk 2 Me
Jex Nwalor – Time Goes “Bye”
Lucinda Chua – Torch Song
Cecile Believe – Stay Open
Ralph Castelli – Mystery
ENNY – I Want
Miso Extra – 1013

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