As someone who mainly listens to one genre and a handful of artists, it's hard to find a new band or artist that really impresses me. I love finding new music to listen to and I love sharing new bands and artists with other people. There are a ton of bands and singers that are killing the music industry right now and there are even more that are close to breaking that barrier from locally known to a widespread band/artist.
Twenty One Pilots
This shouldn't be too much of a shock to people, but Twenty One Pilots have been completely killing it lately. From releasing an album in 2015 to doing two tours within a year, it's obvious that they deserve all their success and even more. You can't really put their music in one genre, which is one of my favorite things about this band. Their first albums were very light and had some nice instrumentals, but they completely blindsided me with "Blurryface". Out with the ukulele and in with the heavy drums and bass line (only joking, the ukulele makes an appearance throughout a number of songs).
Vesperteen
A small band from Columbus, OH has somehow made their way into my music library and I've become obsessed with the sound they've created and given themselves. It's almost an edgy alternative, but it's not heavy. Vesperteen has a number of amazing songs that range from upbeat and jam worthy to slower beats and deeper lyrics. This band has become one of my favorites very fast, and I can't wait until they become a more well-known band.
Louis Tomlinson
Not really sure if he counts since he was in One Direction, but still. Tomlinson shocked me when he released a single with Steve Aoki, as I didn't see him going solo at all. This song has been near the top of the charts for a few weeks so he's already getting the success he's always deserved, but I'm really excited to hear what else he releases.
Jon Bellion
When Bellion's hit "All Time Low" was released, it immediately became a smash hit, but it took me a while to actually like it. I personally like Bellion's other songs like "Woke The F*ck Up" and "Overwhelming" because they have a more aesthetic sound to me. Bellion's fame has slowly increased, and being one of the opening acts for Twenty One Pilots will definitely help that.
Zella Day
Zella Day has a voice unlike anything I've ever heard. When I first heard her sing at Music Midtown, I felt like I was thrown into a completely different time. She has such an airy voice and it's very hippie sounding to me. When she covered a Fleetwood Mac song as well, I knew she had an even more unique voice than I thought. She sounded so similar to Stevie Knicks and I loved every minute. While I enjoy her being one of my more secret artists, I want her to just blow up in the music industry and become as successful as she deserves. Some of my favorite songs by Day include "1965", "Man on the Moon", and "Jameson".
While I would love to go on about my favorite bands and artists that you need to watch out for, I'm not sure when it would ever end. I'll attach a link to my Spotify account where I'll have a playlist including these artists and some more that I've been listening to and that I feel are going to become big acts soon!
https://open.spotify.com/user/madibrieana/playlist/1zHjaahFfew0j1DpUXKlXp