24 of the best new and rising artists to look out for this year, featuring jev., Vayda, Nourished by Time, Love Spells, Amindi, LIA LIA, bar italia, and many more.
January 24, 2024
BY Pigeons, Alex Gardner, Jacob Moore, Annabelle Kline-Zilles, Andrea Aguilar, Olive Soki-Kavwahirehi, rani-boyer, Lee McIntosh, Carter Fife, Jack Sperling, Patrick Ong, paradisee, Shamus Hill, Sundhya Alter, Riley Furey, Will Schube, Freddie Fine
Do people still read intros? Probably not—nobody has time for that. It makes me think of an old saying about music on the radio in the 2000s: “You’ve got seven seconds to capture the listener’s attention with a song. If you don’t do that, they’ll change the station.” In 2024, there’s probably a rule like that for TikTok, but it’s probably more like three seconds.
The sheer volume of content and the way we consume it has changed how music moves, but some of the early growing pains are already starting to work themselves out. Sure, major labels are still scooping up artists left and right off the strength of one viral moment, but we’ve seen this happening for years now, and at this point it’s obvious that most of these things don’t last, especially when they’re tied to gimmicks, desperate attention-grabbing attempts, or shock value.
When it comes to music discovery and the new artists ushering in future styles, sounds, and culture, the ones who really make a difference are almost always the ones who aren’t forever associated with one song or one moment. A lot of the artists who we’re most excited about today are the ones who have proven themselves over at least a couple of years, and the ones who are rallying support around who they are and what they represent, not just one thing they made.
We’ll probably see a lot more one-hit wonders and viral sensations in 2024, but here are some of the artists who we think have potential to make a big impact in the long run. Here are 24 artists to watch out for in 2024.
When you’re done, revisit 2023’s Artists to Watch list featuring Hemlocke Springs, Eem Triplin, Ethel Cain, Destroy Lonely, Jim Legxacy, TiaCorine, Skaiwater, d4vd, and more.
Nostalgia is at an all-time high, and even for the new music-obsessed, it’s hard not to get trapped into listening to old classics from time to time. There will always be something appealing about music that’s attached to memories from the past, and sometimes it highlights a feeling that a lot of today’s music is missing something.
But when an 18-year-old Houston artist named Love Spells popped up in 2023 with a dreamy indie rock/pop song called “Come Over And Love Me,” it hit different. It felt immediately familiar and captured this bittersweet nostalgia like a song you’ve heard thousands of times already. The sounds were new, but the mood was timeless.
“All that I’m here to do is feel and make people feel with me,” says Love Spells. “There isn’t anything greater than human beings coming together with a common emotion, finally able to put on display what they’ve been keeping inside. So it’s as simple as that, I don’t want them to hide.”
Now 19 years old, Love Spells only has a few releases under his belt since his breakthrough single, but it seems like he already has a clear vision for what Love Spells represents and how to communicate that emotion in whatever he’s making.
In 2024, Love Spells is planning to release more frequently, and he says he’s “leading up to something special.” We’ll have to see if this is the year for a debut album, but we know for sure that he’ll also appear on Pigeons & Planes’ compilation album See You Next Year 2, coming very soon.—Jacob Moore
Breaking free from hip-hop tropes, jev. emerges as a dedicated student of wordplay with an aptitude for sophisticated flows and quick-witted punchlines. Citing rap all-stars Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, André 3000, and Nas as influences, the African-born artist has roots residing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, and Canada. Living up to his mantra of embracing individuality, the self-professed loner carved out his own hyper-accelerated path in 2023.
Throughout the year, Jev. dropped the praiseworthy LONERWRLD, vol 1 EP, opened for Lil Tjay on the Beat The Odds Tour, and basked in the viral success of lyrical spectacle “where’s the confetti?” The soul-chopped track featuring a vintage Al Green sample bubbled up via TikTok and Instagram before securing the number one spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 U.S. playlist. Also featured as a Radar Canada artist with his image splashed across IRL Spotify billboards in 2023, jev. took huge strides forward and built on the foundation of the 2022 project the color grey.
On 2024, jev. says, "I feel there is a shift happening, and more and more people are looking for something new and fresh. I'm here to provide that. People could look forward to more shows, more videos, and my debut album in 2024."—Andrea Aguilar
Everyone who knows Vayda probably remembers where they were when they first heard her voice. The Atlanta native’s airy vocals float beautifully on top of her unique selection of fast-paced production—distinct and immediately recognizable. Vayda’s forward-thinking style and relentless confidence make her one of the artists poised for a big year in 2024.
Vayda is a true chameleon, exploring countless musical styles but always keeping her personality front and center. Take a deep dive into her discography, and you’ll find everything from bouncy rap songs like “mutable signs” to Jersey club bangers like “prima donna.” On her newest album FORREST GUMP we hear her singing enchanting harmonies over a sped-up sample on the self-produced “soulchild.”
In an era of sped-up songs taking over the internet, Vayda has her finger on the pulse of the youth. Her high-pitched voice moves quickly, dropping iconic bars along the way like, “My dad feel like my uncle and my mom feel like my daughter/ I ain’t listening to nobody cause no one going harder.” Vayda’s world of sound is further expanded by her production skills; she’s not afraid to experiment with her beats and try out something weird. She’s chopping up samples, dipping into breakbeats, and always keeping her songs moving at lightning speed.
Vayda can truly go anywhere from here. With a a band kid background (she played the French horn in school) and an openness to exploring new sides of her musical identity, she recently shared that she’d love to perform with a jazz band one day. She's also making huge moves in the rap world, like ending her 2023 by opening for Veeze on his GANGER tour. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching Vayda so far, it’s that the sky is the limit, and we can’t wait to watch her continue to take over in 2024.—Annabelle Kline-Zilles
BigXthaPlug could have wrapped up his 2023 after sharing the deluxe edition of his breakthrough LP AMAR in April. But X, who hails from Dallas, decided to seize every opportunity afforded to him after being released from prison.
It’s a superhero’s origin story: working dead-end jobs in Austin, BigX purchased a gun and began robbing whoever he could to make ends meet. As it often ends up, X was nabbed for burglary and aggravated robbery, and his arrest coincided with the first birthday of his son, Amar. Unable to celebrate his baby’s big day, the MC was filled with rage and ended up being moved to solitary confinement.
On his own, accompanied by nothing but his thoughts, he began to pen raps. His career began in earnest in 2019, but really took off in 2023, when his single “Texas” became a massive, Lone Star anthem. AMAR ended up doing serious numbers on the Billboard charts, which inspired his second project in 2023, a victory lap entitled THE BIGGEST.
It’s a title that would have been aspirational in 2022, but in 2024 scans as soon-to-be-fulfilled destiny.—Will Schube
Who dominated hip-hop 2023 like Veeze? From dropping his long-awaited debut album Ganger to subsequently topping countless EOY lists, few artists had as impressive a year as the Detroit iconoclast. Best known for its hypnotic energy, meandering flows, and undeniable charisma, Ganger is a much-needed breath of originality from an artist refusing to comply with tradition.
To some, Veeze’s meteoric rise last year might have appeared to come out of nowhere—and even as a fan, I wouldn’t blame them for feeling that way. The nearly four-year gap between Ganger and the mixtape that precedes it was supplemented only by a handful of sporadic singles, but sometimes good music can find its way to fans without big budget marketing schemes and meticulous planning.
To others, Veeze’s rise to prominence was nothing if not inevitable; he’s a pioneer of a
new kind of Detroit sound, one that exists in its own lane while still being reverant to
those that came before him. Nestled between psychedelic and transcendental bangers
like "GOMD" and "Weekend" lie tracks like the Babyface Ray and Icewear Vezzo-assisted "7sixers," showcasing a distinct, dynamic take on Detroit rap.
Whether sauntering through songs with confident indifference or trading verses with LUCKI on
the ethereal "Broke phone," Veeze is an artist more than deserving of your eyes and ears in 2024. Now he's staked his place in current rap's upper echelons, it will be interesting to see how he moves. With more music hopefully slated for release soon, time is running out to claim your title as an early fan.—Carter Fife
Following the release of her EP Angst, a project that saw her turn the sour bits of life into rich retrospection, LIA LIA joined the ranks of artists who we trust to deliver emotionally poignant records. Using anxiety and personal anecdotes to frame its musical landscape, the November release served as an expansion to her musical orbit.
Music has always felt somewhat instinctual to Lia. Elaborating on her intuitive relationship with the medium she told us, “Both of my parents are painters and my mom sang while she pushed me out of her womb. Since then it’s been my favorite form of communication.”
While she can easily pinpoint some of her musical icons—Radiohead, The Prodigy, and Lana Del Rey—her relationship with the musical landscape is one of a person speaking their native tongue, virtually boundless. Turning a blind eye to categories, she prefers not to depend on genres, but rather the feelings that lie in the ether: “I care more about what feels authentic to the song, me, and the moment.”
This yearning for artistic expression has become apparent in her music as she uses her feelings and instincts as her primary compass, as opposed to traditional genres. LIA LIA’s process yields incredibly authentic and spell-binding results, and in 2023 she achieved so much: playing arenas while opening for Duran Duran, appearing on magazine covers and in fashion shoots, and getting played on the radio.
When asked why she's one to watch this year, LIA tells us, "I’m keeping it real…real cute! Music is my love language and way to communicate with the world, paired with the matching visuals, and I’m in for the long ride. 2024 is the year of the dragon and my year to shine!" Fans new and old will also be excited to learn that she's currently in LA working on a project that's slated for spring.—Olive Soki-Kavwahirehi
There is a scrappy kind of comfort in music that arises out of some form of necessity, voicing the things that we struggle to put into words. It’s this sense of both urgency and optimism that Nourished by Time captures in his mosaic of sounds, particularly so in debut full length Erotic Probiotic 2. The pendulum swings, depression and cynicism traded for resilience, angst, and ultimately hope.
Nourished by Time, alias of Baltimore-raised, London-based Marcus Brown, recorded the project in his parents' basement in Baltimore. Its touchpoints vary; new wave R&B pulled together by old school inflections, ‘80s freestyle held up in croons and chants leading you through the project into funk, trip-hop, synth, post punk, and soulful pop.
Experimental or DIY would be a lazy summary; instead, it’s a voyage led by melodic freestyle, with forays into desperation, humour, and joy. It navigates through the skin crawling kind of heartbreak to hope and resurrection, whilst dancing through late stage capitalism and probing faith and religion. On “The Fields,” Brown compares the church and consumerism (“Church on highway intersection”), whilst “Shed That Fear” is about choosing to live. It’s exploratory and unique whilst being rooted in something very human.
Erotic Probiotic 2 feels more intricate and fully formed, a compelling counterpart to their initial Erotic Probiotic two-pack. Brown has been releasing since 2019, expanding as an artist throughout 2023. Over the past year they’ve toured with Dry Cleaning, featured on Yaeji’s With A Hammer, and played across North America and Europe.
As 2024 unfolds, Nourished by Time is ready to hit the ground running with a new project on the horizon. In their own words: “I have an EP dropping in March and it’s a more updated version of Nourished by Time. The title is inspired by Rocky and Benny The Butcher. I’m a metaphorical boxer training for a fight. I’m currently working on my follow up to Erotic Probiotic 2 and the goal is to make it so good that people hate EP2."
We can't wait for all of it.—Rani Boyer
Every so often, an artist emerges with a blend of familiarity and innovation. While we've become accustomed to laid-back, nonchalant flows, Atlanta's own Karrahbooo is doing it with distinctive personality and establishing her own narrative in just over a year, hinting at a breakthrough moment on the horizon.
Part of Lil Yachty's Concrete Boys crew, Karrahbooo caught fire with her standout freestyle on their On The Radar freestyle in October 2023. Her subsequent single "Running Late" further unveiled her knack for memorable punchlines and effortless delivery. We featured Karrahbooo in our Best New Artists feature for November of 2023, and we are still tuned in, eager to see just how many tricks she has up her sleeve.
As 2023 concluded, her feature on The Concrete Family's "Mo Jams" set the stage for a major 2024. With the impending release of The Concrete Family's compilation album, It's Us Volume One, Karrahbooo will have even more chances to solidify her ascent in the rap game. With a natural confidence, low-key charisma, and seemingly very few f*cks given, she's set for a breakout year.—Lee McIntosh
In 2023 bar italia released two albums, completed a three month tour of North America and Europe and, off the back of this unrelenting pace, garnered a growing cultish following. The end of the year was marked with the release of The Twits, their fourth album and second via esteemed indie label Matador, only a few months after Tracey Denim. With a distinct familiarity in their vocal style, the record builds upon the band’s canvas, melding slacker pop with Britpop, '90s alt rock, and whatever else they feel like.
The trio, consisting of Nina Cristante, Sam Fenton, and Jezmi Tarik Fehmi, have quickly become one of London’s most talked about bands. Their early releases—ANGELICA PILLED, Quarrel, bedhead—came out via Dean Blunt’s World Music, and, mostly choosing to opt out of press and social media, a sense of anonymity led to a slew of online detectives, probing Reddit threads, and an open floor for assumptions.
Now, as their music shifts away from shady venues and internet corners into sold out dates across both the UK and States, the band have also been a little more forthcoming. Their first interviews offer some insight into the slightly off kilter world built around them. Keen to shed the label of "mysterious," they summarize that it’s far more interesting to talk when you’ve got something to say. For the most part, their music, the blend of stylings, and conceptual ambiguity has the space to speak for itself.
They tell Crack how they met as neighbours, Fenton and Fehmi living below, making music as Double Virgo, and Cristante in the flat above, at the time working on a solo project as NINA. They started playing together over the lockdowns, compiling their collective influences and styles; bar italia born out of this natural collaboration.
Seeing the band play live a few days after The Twits release, it's easy to see why they’ve become one of the most widely discussed acts around. The music has a way of creeping up on you, the collective synergy is palpable. The three bounce off each other musically in a way that feels effortless.
Whilst Tracey Denim found the trio with a more polished sound, their first studio release, The Twits meets more of a middleground, with standouts like "my little tony” and “worlds greatest emoter.” Swept up into their world, we’re excited and intrigued as to where bar italia will take things in 2024.—Rani Boyer
2023 shaped up to be an unforgettable year for Cisco Swank. Following the release of his debut solo album, a cross-country tour, and a performance alongside Noname during her recent Tiny Desk concert, Cisco is positioning himself as one of 2024’s brightest talents—and doing something fresh along the way.
“I think I’m making something different,” he tells us. “I know everyone says that, but I feel like I’m actually, or at least trying to, make really dense and sometimes complex music (jazz) and velcro it with more digestible genres like hip-hop, R&B, and alternative."
Pioneering an inventive blend that finds balance somewhere between the discographies of John Coltrane and Earl Sweatshirt, Cisco Swank is setting himself apart from the crowd. He grew up surrounded by a tapestry of musical instruments both at home and in church, started rapping in high school, and attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music. In the years that have followed, the multi-instrumentalist has blossomed into a formidable presence at the forefront of a new wave of hip-hop.
More Better is living proof of this. The meticulously produced body of work is emboldened with airy jazz chops and effervescent stanzas. Furnished with heartfelt lyrics centered around faith, perseverance, and serving a greater purpose, Cisco imparts impressive maturity for someone who’s still in their early twenties. A journey through his catalog is a transcendent tale of human experience, with the self-reflective project’s soundscapes cementing Cisco Swank’s position as an artist to pay attention to in 2024.
As we venture into the new year, Cisco tells us that new music isn’t all that fans should be anticipating: “I think people can literally look out for more music, but even cooler videos, cool clothing, etc. I’m just trying to expand and make it more than just the music.”—Shamus Hill
Interweaving the worlds of both music and fashion, CLIP is the moment. With fashion-forward looks and music placements in NYFW shows, the Brooklyn-born rapper is commanding attention with her breathy flow, unfiltered lyrics, and confident take on sad girl rap.
Feeling like an outsider in Texas, where here family moved during high school, CLIP left home to pursue journalism in New York and found refuge in the city's energy and scenes. She connected with like-minded artists, including being affiliated with a group called Burn All Sex Dolls with midwxst and angelus.
Eventually, CLIP recorded her own music and started to cultivate a devoted fanbase when she released her debut single “Sad B!tch.” Currently boasting nearly eight million streams, the attitude-driven track served as her lifeline throughout the pandemic and ultimately propelled her into a viral phenomenon. “I’m myself and real attracts real," CLIP says, of her success so far. "I like to be a reflection for the people just like me. Also, it’s cool that I can express that through my music.”
The viral "Sad B!tch" was followed by 2022's PERCEPTION EP and 2023's APPETIZER, alongside numerous singles and collaborations. CLIP has shared stages with notable acts like Coco & Clair Clair, Rico Nasty, and early supporter Cuco. The downtown cool girl has also sauntered down runways for Mugler and modeled for Marc Jacobs’ Heaven campaign after being handpicked by the designer himself. If last year was any indication of what’s to come, 2024 will be pivotal, and she's already been teasing new music and a big name collab.—Andrea Aguilar
Billy Lemos creates without ego or limitations, driven by his love of music and passion for what's next. It's been clear since we first started covering him back in 2017 with the single "12:34 Am," hearing about a young singer called Omar Apollo for the first time in the process, as well as New Zealand artist Maxwell Young. Billy's incredible ear and hours spent deep-diving all corners of the internet for music most clearly manifest themselves in his choice of collaborators.
Billy, a producer first and foremost, constantly connects and works with artists when they're brand new. If you've been listening to his releases over the years you will have been early on indie and alternative favorites like Omar, Victor Internet, Jackie Hayes, Still Woozy, and Quiet Luke, and if you simply follow him on Instagram I guarantee that he'll post an artist on his story who you've never heard of within 3 days. As his catalog and reputation has grown, Billy's been able to bring ever more interesting combinations of artists into his world, especially on 2023's Control Freak project.
"I feel like not very many producer artists work with people who aren't already in the music industry," Billy explains. "I try to bring together smaller and larger artists on my records; highlighting sounds + textures people can't just find on a homogenous Spotify playlist." Bringing together elements of indie rock, pop, and electronic music alongside unique voices, Billy is working well beyond genre constraints and shaping the direction of music as an artist and curator.
It would be easy for Billy's singles and projects to feel disconnected and for these interesting vocalist pairings to clash, but he weaves it all together with a veteran's touch. "I feel like all the music I make ends up sounding distinctly like me. Even when I try to make stuff that references other music, it never really does. A lot of the time, it's difficult for me to make stuff that fits into other people's worlds, unless I made the whole project with them."
New enough to see so much potential on the horizon and established enough to have access to what he needs to level up, this feels like the perfect moment to celebrate Billy Lemos. Looking ahead to 2024, he says, "I'm finishing up a single series right now. It's like 90% there. I just want to make sure there's no filler." And of course he was a key part of our See You Next Year 2 album, recorded at Shangri-La and coming out in March. He's all over the record, and his work ethic plus quiet dedication to making the most thrilling music possible was a key takeaway for anyone who was there.
Read more about all the artists on SYNY 2 here and listen to the lead single "Big Bank" now, produced by Billy Lemos with Kenny Mason and Paris Texas.—Alex Gardner
LA-based post-punk band Provoker quietly had their best year to date in 2023, and with the sheer quality of their music and strong visual identity, 2024 is on track to see a continual trend upwards.
Provoker was originally created by Jonathon Lopez as a vehicle to compose music for films, and it's no coincidence that this led to the band delivering cinema quality music videos. Lopez later brought Christian Petty onto the project after they met at a horror movie screening, and to elevate their sound to the next level in a live setting, Will Palacios was enlisted to support on bass.
There are countless high points from the past year for the band, and if you haven’t caught wave of them yet, “It’s In My Head,” from 2023 album Demon Compass, is a great place to start. The track itself is mesmerizing and the short film-esque music video is Cannes Film Festival standing ovation-worthy. “Freezing Alive,” their latest music video, is another stunning piece, and this level of consistency is evident across their music too.
Provoker isn’t slowing down in 2024. They told us that fans can expect a deluxe album, more music videos, and an international tour. With all of that in mind, it’s clear that Provoker is seizing their momentum with both hands and shifting into fifth gear to make this next year even more memorable than the last.—Riley Furey
While TisaKorean has been out here getting silly for many years, 2023 felt like a significant turning point for the Houston superstar. He opened up on Don Toliver’s Love Sick tour and was featured on Don’s album of the same name. He released his own album Let Me Update My Status, Kendrick Lamar was spotted pulling up to the studio in one of Tisa’s iconic “silly hoe” hoodies, and he had a different video of him dancing at a gas station going viral every week.
TisaKorean’s sound is nostalgic, taking us back to the simpler times of Soulja Boy and New Boyz. At the same time, the rapper is incredibly forward-thinking, making music that’s perfectly suited for a generation that’s chronically online. Let Me Update My Status is full of quirky and chaotic electronic sounds. TisaKorean's sonic maximalism fills every song to the brim with loudness—a chaos that’s pretty similar to what the inside of a Gen Z 20-somethings brain feels like.
Tisa’s energy is infectious. If you take a look on his Instagram, you’ll find countless videos of him dancing around in a size 3XL T-shirt, most likely at a gas station alongside his bestie and partner in crime Mighty Bay. One of my favorite Tisa moments from the year was the release of his song “FOOLIE DEE,” along with posts of him dancing around and getting low without ever dropping his cup. (Just like the songs says: “WATCH ME DO MY DANCE WITH MY CUP IN MY HAND!”) It’s moments like these where Tisa inspires his listeners to keep things fun and not take themselves too seriously.
TisaKorean is unpredictable, energetic, and creating the perfect soundtrack for an ADHD generation. He moves quick and always has a goodf time doing it. He’s spreading the silly agenda like wildfire, and once you’ve caught it, there’s no going back.—Annabelle Kline-Zilles
It wasn’t long ago that ovrkast. might have been labeled your favorite artist’s favorite artist. But after some of those favorite artists reached out to the Oakland-based rapper and producer, it became impossible to ignore him.
In 2022, the artist appeared on redveil’s learn 2 swim as an MC, and he has racked up production credits on MAVI’s Let the Sun Talk, Earl Sweatshirt’s FEET OF CLAY, and, in 2023, Drake’s For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition (alongside Lil Yachty). So far, he’s played the role of producer first and rapper second, but in 2024 he’s aiming to prove that he’s one of the best MC-beatmaker combos in the game.
Regarding his inclusion on this list, ovrkast. hinted at new music and helped explain why his voice is so singular. He tells us, “People should look out for me because I intend on bringing the world inside my head to life, and splattering the paint everywhere. Be on the lookout for new videos and another project.”
That would be a followup to 2023’s RESET! EP, a fresh start for the artist who is hellbent on showing the world his one-of-a-kind POV.—Will Schube
Aura can be one of the most significant pieces of an artist's career. Being able to pull people in from a place of obscurity, creating limitless attention on demand is a tool that few are capable of, yet Wisp accomplished just that in 2023, ascending to the forefront of a shoegaze resurgence.
When we first included the Bay Area native as one of the Best New Artists of September, she only had two official releases to her name: her debut single, “Your Face,” which arrived in April, and “Tangled Dreams” from May. With a sound influenced by the likes of Title Fight, Oeil, and Cocteau Twins, the former of the singles immediately took off on TikTok, launching her career to a new level.
While it is no secret that TikTok can be a cheat code for breaking artists as we enter the new year, very few have set themselves up for success quite as well as Wisp. Take one look through Wisp’s early social media posts, and the comment sections are filled with requests for new music, begging her to come tour their country, or expressing their dedication as fans—the kind of comments you might expect on a superstar’s page. Yet through her first two singles and an ensuing absence, Wisp has found herself on the fast track to stardom.
October brought her third and final release of the year, “Once then we’ll be free,” proving any one-hit-wonder doubters wrong. The single brings you through the highs and lows of falling in love with deeply entrancing verses, a high octane hook underlined by reflective lyricism, and a swift ending as the guitar echoes out. Before the year closed out Wisp had one more surprise up her sleeve: a sold out, debut headlining show at Los Angeles’s El Cid, with another performance at Genghis Cohen the next night.
As we approach 2024, only Wisp knows exactly what will arrive. “While I have a lot to explore artistically, I have a very vivid image in my head of what I want my music to sound and feel like,” she tells us. “I want to modernize my favorite music genres and bring light to bands I love. People should look out for my music expanding beyond the shoegaze genre and becoming more versatile.” With a new song "See you soon" out now, upcoming opening appearances on Panchiko’s North America tour, and a young, enthralled fanbase behind her, Wisp is here, and here to stay.—Freddie Fine
“New sounds, new meaning, new language. New album.”
That’s Monte Booker on his 2024 plans, and that’s all we need to include him on this list. Unlike a lot of the other acts on here, Monte isn’t new. His production has been a key ingredient to some of our favorite music since Smino’s S!Ck S!Ck S!Ck EP a decade ago.
He’s been a staple in Smi’s catalog, but he’s also lent his production wizardry to acts like Noname, Mick Jenkins, Saba, Vince Staples, Sango, ICECOLDBISHOP, Pink Siifu, JID, and so many others. Here’s a playlist if you need a refresher.
A lot of producers remain consistent by following a formula, but there’s something different about the way Monte Booker creates—whether it’s an off kilter swing, a hypnotizing bassline, or the combination of primitive thumps and futuristic synths, his production is always one step ahead of wherever you think he might take things next.
With the announcement of a Monte Booker album comes a lot of questions but one certainty: this is one of our most anticipated projects of the year. During the recording camp for Pigeons & Planes’ second compilation album See You Next Year 2, we got to witness the magic of Monte Booker in person, and he’s in a zone right now. Along with being one of the most forward-thinking producers making music, he’s also got a unique talent for bringing the best and most interesting ideas out of other artists.
While we wait to see who he’s tapping for his project and in what direction he’s taking things, we’ll listen back to a decade of Monte Booker hits and keep a close eye out, because this could be one of 2024's best albums in the making.—Jacob Moore
Devin Malik may not be a name that you’re familiar with, but there’s a strong likelihood that you’ve already heard the California native’s music. Following years of working behind the scenes for artists like Isaiah Rashad and Doechii as a producer, he’s stepping into the limelight with music of his own—and 2024 looks to be the year he breaks through as a force in contemporary hip-hop.
“I’m an artist to look out for because my sound is a breath of fresh air,” says Devin. “I’m not trying to be no one but me.”
After securing five production credits across Isaiah Rashad’s 2021 album, The House Is Burning, Devin Malik took a step back and decided to realign his focus towards assembling his solo discography. 2023 was the year we met him as solo artist, with his first two official single releases. “LINK DUCKER” debuted in August, and the song’s thunderous, borderline otherworldly soundscape immediately caught our attention. The collision between his formidable, yet tempered vocal performance and supersonic production talents made for a track that gave listeners a meteoric introduction to Devin Malik.
After “LINK DUCKER,” Devin followed up with “Wallflower,” which takes on a vastly different temperament. Based around a much more laid-back sonic structure, “Wallflower” is a case in point of the dichotomy existing at the core of Devin Malik’s artistry. He alchemizes elements of rap with indie-pop to create an ethereal song that sounds almost like a new rendition of Frank Ocean’s “Crack Rock.” In just two releases, he manages to convey an all-encompassing creative range, building immense excitement around the music that’s next to come.
With his entirely self-produced debut album just around the corner, Devin Malik’s star power is just about ready to be released upon the world. “I have a full project coming at the top of this year that I produced,” he says. “It's just exciting times man."—Shamus Hill
Up until this year, Benjamin Earl Turner remained a musical enigma. Aside from brief public stunts in a spontaneous boiler room set at Miami Art Basel, collaborating alongside artists like Saba and Noname, and appearing onscreen on shows like Snowfall, personal details that revealed anything about Turner as the person behind the craft were hard to come by. Listeners were left with four experimental projects and a series of lyric-heavy tracks framed by the satirical coding of casual rumination.
After a two-year hiatus, the Bay Area artist decided to turn a new leaf in 2023, leaning into the growing popularity of his enigmatic sound by trading mystique for visual expression. “It’s hard to be seen for me, sometimes,” Turner says in a self-released video. “It’s really hard to be perceived so sometimes I think the magic trick is just showing everything.”
In the middle of this year, Turner released “Headspace,” a single that feels like a visible precursor to a dramatic personal breakthrough. As his only track released in 2023, its tumbling flow and examination into cultural controversies gives insight into Turners’ mind. Bars like “I think O.J. did it but then I think about what they did to Emmett/ I think the worst abuse is from the tongue and not the hand,” aim for a personal catharsis relieved by hypnotic horns and siren harmonies.
The video for “Headspace” presents a similar transparency into Turner’s idiosyncracies, inviting listeners into a world where animatronics are sidekicks and colors and scenic vignettes warp into alternate dimensions. In carving out the imaginative cues behind “Headspace,” the single cemented the artist's potential with a balancing act between straightforward rap thrills and a creative vision that Turner affirms is the first chapter of many to come. He tells us, “We finna build out the visual world we presented in the video. The musical world too, so people can expect a body of work this year as well. Basically, we going for it.”
With new collaborations and new bodies of work promised in the new year, it feels like Turner’s moment has finally arrived. “One thing about surfers is they always find the newest, best, biggest, most lush waves. I think listeners are surfers. Eventually, one surfer finds a new spot where the waves are perfect. But you know what? Them waves prolly been waving for a long long time. Eventually, the wave is found. I’ve been working on being the wave for a long long time.” Turner says. “I guess I’m one to keep watch for cause some folks finally peep the wave. And the other thing I peeped about surfers is they can only keep the new shit secret for so long.”—Sundhya Alter
In the heart of Atlanta's pulsating rap scene, a new hero emerges. Hardrock’s music is a kaleidoscope of genres, seamlessly combining trap influences with innovative production and a love for early 2000s rock, resulting in a sound that is at once raw and refined.
One cannot help but be drawn to the mysterious persona that surrounds Hardrock. His social media presence is sparse, with cryptic posts and glimpses into his world. In an age where oversharing is the norm, Hardrock's ability to maintain a mysterious aura fuels more intrigue, making every release an event for fans.
Last year marked a pivotal moment in Hardrock's career as he released his highly anticipated album 1of1, with which he stakes his claim as a leader in a new wave of Atlanta rap. Tracks like "eye to eye" evoke the raw energy of his early SoundCloud releases, and in a nod to classic Hardrock style, "complicated" features a sample of Avril Lavigne's 2002 hit, infusing a fresh twist into the familiar. “WA\VE” showcases production from BNYX and F1LTHY, two of rap's biggest rising producers right now.
From walking in the Alyx Spring Summer 2024 runway show in Paris to having two tracks on their compilation album released in September, Hardrock’s influence and cultural relevance span further than just his music.
What truly makes Hardrock a standout artist to watch in 2024 is his commitment to pushing the boundaries of conventional hip-hop. He doesn't conform to the established norms; instead, he carves out his own lane in a new sonic territory that challenges preconceptions.—Jack Sperling
The 23-year-old Jamaican-American from Inglewood has been making music for a decade, starting off sharing songs on SoundCloud. Amindi had a moment with 2017’s “Pine & Ginger,” which may have put her on the map, but subsequent releases nice (2021) and Take What You Need (2023) previewed rising ambitions. After touring with Saba, Dreamer Isioma, and headlining her own tour, she has had lots of time to spend with her music.
“I love listening to TWYN on shuffle in the airport. Very few projects are a perfect airport project, and mine is one of them,” Amindi says.
Shuffling albums is something I’ve come to think of as sacrilegious, a method only embraced by madmen and my barber, but TWYN may be an exception to the rule. Each song, however carefully arranged during the initial mixtape’s sequencing, transitions smoothly without interruptions.
It’s intentional, as Amindi compares TWYN to her “[burning] a CD of songs… that’s still enjoyable on shuffle” and expansive, as each track prudently personifies an individual emotion like the characters from Pixar’s Inside Out getting their own set time onstage. “lady” explores the rhapsodic element of “pastel rap,” her self-described sound, while “bake” embodies the pink hue of strawberry frosting. Her range lends her the musical malleability to co-star with Isaiah Rashad, MAVI, Kenny Mason, and Frex, among others.
Even with her natural talent for translating “lived experiences” into “really good and relatable songs,” Amindi plays coy about the looming potential of the future. “I’m honestly not quite sure yet what 2024 holds; all I can promise right now is—at the very least—three new songs.” Whatever material sees the light of day satiates me because I’ll run it into the ground—shuffled or otherwise.—Patrick Ong
Asha Imuno’s music is an abstractionist stream of consciousness, where tracks are structured though self-inspired narratives and colorful visual components, leaving an emotional weight that lingers long after the song is done. It’s a world where tradition comes second to experimentation and where sounds of retro soul are woven into futuristic raps. Somewhat disorienting but strangely familiar, it defined the promising momentum the young artist carried on throughout 2023. With only one mixtape and a stream of singles, the multi-hyphenate cemented his reputation based on an affinity for self-reflection and an impulse towards risk-taking.
In 2020, the Moreno Valley native moved to LA and released his first mixtape, Good News, almost entirely self-produced and showing hints of the artist he would become. In the three years since that release, Imuno has grown. He's experienced heartbreak, grappled with sobriety, and opened up to collaboration, channeling the revelations he picked up along the way.
Imuno built momentum and anticipation around his name in 2023, releasing a series of tracks including “DID I CALL AT A BAD TIME” and “PUSHING BUTTONS,” earning co-signs from Jordan Ward and Hit-Boy, and collaborating with fellow artists Aaron May and AG Club. On “FLORIDA WATER” he relays the story of complicated familial dynamics, but the narrative quickly becomes buried under jazz horns and laid-back vocal inflections. Most of Imuno's records tend to center around similar patterns, a palette of weighted subjects complicated by an opposing lighthearted temper. In various interviews Imuno has revealed that he makes music for people that exist at such intersections, oscillating between emotive worlds from one song to the next.
Despite gearing up to release his debut album PINS & NEEDLES, Imuno’s take on traditional genres feels time-tested and well developed. He’s a new artist in some respects, but the flexibility of his vocals that casually flip from West Coast rap to neo-soul is a sign of an artist who’s skipping towards the spotlight.
Speaking about the album, Asha says, “There's really no way of telling which way I'm gonna go with my sound. The R&B, the raps, the indie, and alternative are all honest and uniquely me. I grew up on everything from the Isley Brothers to Erykah Badu to Kendrick Lamar. I make music to explore and find new sounds that further the worlds these creators built before me. PINS & NEEDLES is a culmination of those influences and the most personal body of work I’ve ever shared.”
Wherever his sound goes next, it’s clear that 2023 was the precursor to his breakout. His debut album reaches the world on March 1, 2024.—Sundhya Alter
At just 25 years old, MIKE, a first-generation Nigerian artist and producer from New York and London, stands as a developing legend in the underground scene. Likened to being "your favorite artist's favorite artist's favorite artist," MIKE has quietly amassed a reputation as a key figure shaping the musical landscape and influencing a new generation of artists, including his own favorite rapper, Earl Sweatshirt.
For four consecutive years, MIKE consistently released an album on the first day of every summer, strategically positioning himself for an explosive 2023. However, in the waning days of 2022, he quietly dropped his most expansive and cohesive project yet, Beware of the Monkey, giving himself a significant head start for the impending year. Yet, he didn't stop there; MIKE indulged fans with two full-length albums, Faith is a Rock, a collaboration with frequent partners The Alchemist and Wiki, and the enigmatic Burning Desire, released mysteriously on Friday the 13th with minimal promotion—only two billboards in London and New York City.
His features on albums by Earl Sweatshirt and Danny Brown showcased MIKE's poetic prowess, stealing the spotlight with his distinct, hazy style. Despite his prolific musical output and multiple headline tours, MIKE still found time to uplift friends on his own record label, 10k Global, with front runners Sideshow and Niontay taking center stage. In his hometown Brooklyn, MIKE also hosted his third rendition of Young World, a festival that felt more like a community gathering full of reunions amongst old friends than a typical dreadful and uninspired corporate affair.
MIKE's approach to his craft is unassuming. His acute awareness reflects his confidence that people will consistently take note of his efforts, irrespective of whether he chooses to ostentatiously showcase them. Instead of seeking mainstream appeal or major label bankrolling, MIKE's consistent growth and grassroots mindset are indicators that he is bound to take his innovative ideas that much further in 2024.
MIKE is set for an extensive American and European tour titled Somebody Fine Me Trouble this year. Beyond that, audiences will anxiously await the avant-garde, soft spoken rapper’s next move.—paradisee
Lola Young first gained a significant amount of attention on social media last February while promoting the lead single from her latest project My Mind Wanders and Sometimes Leaves Completely, titled “Don’t Hate Me.” Walking around the city, confidently and emotively singing along to the single, she oozed the so-called irresistible character Joan Didion once illustrated in her famed essay, “On Self-Respect.”
Having invested quite a bit of her life in the pursuit of connecting with her listeners through universal experiences and music, it comes as no surprise that Young’s latest project and the subsequent singles “Conceited” (2023) and "Wish You Were Dead" (2024) struck a chord. Memorable and unsparingly frank, Lola Young always finds the best way to be honest to her own experiences, while roping her listeners in to an exhilarating musical affair.
As for the new year, 2024 is looking bright for the young songstress. Committed to continuing, “[breaking] boundaries” both in her songwriting, soundscape, and performance, Young is most looking forward to further exploring her undying love for music stating, “I adore music, I live and breathe it… and I guess that’s what I hope makes peoples see me as an artist to watch out for in 2024 and far beyond.”—Olive Soki-Kavwahirehi