This article is focused on artists whose debut album was released within the last 10 years (2008-2018). It is based on personal opinion and backed by actual fact.
1. Lorde
Lorde on Saturday Night Live
GiphyLet me start this by saying, LORDE IS BETTER THAN YOU! If we erase any musician who hit the scene before Lorde, she'd be standing on top. This lady emerged from New Zealand, reaching international success with her debut single "Royals". The song peaked at number one on Billboard Hot 100 and her debut album "Pure Heroine" was awarded 2 Grammys. Her following album, Melodrama, was nominated for the Grammy Album of The Year and ranked one of the best albums of 2017 by many critics.
Mind you, she only 21. Lorde is absolute brilliance. She's the perfect culmination of maturity and youth. She also has one of the most unique sounds I've ever heard. It's electronic, and psychedelic, yet modern. Her music has so much more substance than anything else you're hearing in young mainstream music. Everything about it is so right! Even her side projects. I can't be more excited about the career ahead of her. If you're awful and haven't heard Lorde yet, let me recommend: "Homemade Dynamite", "Supercut", "Team", or "Magents".
2. Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran on the 2017 Billboard Music Awards
GiphyHis first album + (pronounced "plus") debuted in 2011 and this man is already selling out stadiums. In only 7 years, Ed has shown why he's one of the best. His second and third albums x (pronounced "multiply") and ÷ (pronounced "divide") respectively both peaked at number one on Billboard Hot 200 albums. He's had a string of incredible hits. "Thinking Out Loud" in 2016 earning him 2 Grammy Awards. "Shape of You" becoming one of the top-selling songs of 2017, one of the top ten best charting songs of all time, and earning a Grammy of its own.
What makes Ed special is how genuine and straight forward his music is. He can drop an acoustic rap or hand you a sappy love song. What's known about Ed's live performances is that it's just him and his guitar. He has no band, no crazy extra anything. He really reintroduced flat out instrument playing and singing to this generation and mainstream music. This alone has makes him an irreplaceable artist. Not to mention that he's written and influenced many stars: Justin Bieber, One Direction, The Weeknd, Taylor Swift. Ed is definitely one of the most respected artists of today. If you have doubts, listen to "You Need Me, I Don't Need You", "One", "Happier", or "Let It Out".
3. Charlie Puth
Charlie Puth at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards
GiphyY'all don't understand how good Charlie Puth is. This man is a musical genius. And it's easy to see why, he graduated from Berkeley School of Music. The boy knows music. And when I say music, he knows the language, the mechanics, and the craft of music making. Puth's rise to fame was from his feature on "See You Again" with Wiz Khalifa. Not to mention he co-wrote and co-produced the song. "See You Again" became one of the longest Billboard Number One hits in history. From there Charlie only went up. His first (Nine Track Mind) and second (Voicenotes) album spawned multiple top ten hits.
What makes Charlie so special is that he's all about old-fashioned musicality. The guy writes, composes, and produces majority of his music. He plays like a billion instruments. His concert was full of piano and guitar solos. He also has a voice that makes you feel naughty things. He pays attention to all the meticulous factors that make music brilliant. All of his stuff is polished and intentional. Puth is about giving us honest to goodness music. He better stay around forever. If you're slacking, listen to "Suffer", "Attention", "LA Girls", "Done For Me" or "We Don't Talk Anymore."
4. Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars in "Finesse"
GiphyIt's hard to believe Bruno only hit the scene in 2011. I can't remember music without him. Most of us heard him first on "Billionaire" with Travie McCoy. His debut album Doo Wops and Hooligans landed him 3 international number one hits and a Grammy. If wasn't enough, his second album Unorthodox Jukebox topped the Billboard Hot 200 and won him another Grammy. His single "Uptown Funk" one of the best-selling songs of all time. And his most recent album, 24K Magic won him 5 Grammys, including Album Of The Year.
Bruno has really coined the old school sound in the modern era. He's Funk, and Jazz, and Blues. It's the best of the 50s and 70s and 90s but rolled up into what's hot today. He's so freaking cool. I don't understand how anyone can be this fly. And that's not just me fangirling, that's actual fact. Bruno is secretly feeding Millennials James Brown, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis type flavor. He's also reintroducing quality feel good music; reminding us all that art is an escape and we should enjoy every bit of it. If Bruno's managed to miss you, listen to: "It Will Rain", "That's What I Like", "Locked Out Of Heaven" or "Grenade".
5. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar in "Humble"
Kendrick is arguably the best modern rapper out right now. If not your number one, he should at least be in the top three. Though it feels like forever, Kendrick hit the scene in 2011 with his first album Section.80. Though it received favorable ratings, Kendrick didn't get mainstream success until his second 2012 album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The album had tons of timeless hits "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe", "Swimming Pools (Drank)", and showed the world Kendrick was just getting started. Since then, Kendrick gave us two more albums: To Pimp A Butterfly and DAMN. Both peaking at one on the Billboard Hot 200. Both being nominated for and winning multiple Grammys.
Both receiving A ratings from critics. Former President Obama himself called To Pimp A Butterfly one of his favorite albums. And DAMN is ranked by multiple mediums as 2017's best album. Kendrick is all the political drive of the 80s and 90s rappers with all the great sounds of the 2000s. He's intelligent, and passionate, and lit, to say the least. What separates him from others is that he puts out an even distribution of turn up songs to strap up songs. Despite some of his work being too controversial for certain people's liking, he still receives lots of mainstream radio play; especially with DAMN. If you need some education, hit up "Backseat Freestyle", "King Kunta", "Rigamortis", or "Humble".
6. Adele
Adele at the 2016 Grammy Awards
GiphyEveryone loves Adele. If you don't go away. Her debut album 19 dropped in 08 but it was her sophomore album 21 in 2011 that skyrocketed her to fame. Billboard ranks it as the best album of all time (link here). The album was ridiculously successful and is the fourth best-selling album of all time. Winning seven Grammys. Spawning two, number one, Billboard Hot 100 hits. Then she ghosted for a few years and did all slayed lives all over again with her third album 25. Adele is doing the impossible. In a world of Trap music and EDM, Adele tops the charts with love ballads.
She's the only artist to do this since the days of Whitney and Celine. This is her niche. Songs like: "Rolling In the Deep", "Hello" and "Set Fire To The Rain" are timeless. They're vulnerable and larger than life. Plus they're refreshing to hear after Post Malone and Drake. Adele monopolizes stripped down, straight up sang, ballads. Another impressive fun fact is that these albums are all her, no collabs! She tosses us into our feelings again and again and we love it. It's been serving her well for three albums. We couldn't' ask for anything more. If you haven't, save your soul and listen to: "Rumor Has It", "Remedy", "Send My Love" or "Make You Feel My Love".
7. Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino on Saturday Night Live
GiphyDonald Glover, musically known as Childish Gambino, is one of the most versatile artists of today. He's succeeded at everything he's done. He writes and acts and directs in TV shows. He's released Rap albums, R&B and Soul albums, Psychedelic albums. There's nothing this guy can do. Gambino hit the music scene with his 2011 official studio album "Camp". This was after dropped four mixtapes and having been a present face in television. What really put him on the map was his second album "Because the Internet". The album reached 7 on the Billboard Hot 200. Gambino really proved himself as not just a rapper, but as more unique than any other rapper out.
Gambino took the rap game by storm without being the rap stereotype. He's a college graduate, came from a decent background, and didn't have the hard life you expect from rappers. He was really riding on talent. Just when you thought he couldn't blow your mind anymore, "Awaken, My Love!" released in 2017. Gambino, being known as a rapper completely shifted his sound around. Earning him three Grammy nominations. Childish Gambino is incredible because you never know what's gonna come from him, you just know it's going to be good. He's intelligent, current, and flat out interesting. Don't believe me, listen to: "Sober", "Terrified", "Sweatpants", and "Feels Like Summer."
8. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande at the MTV Music Awards
GiphyY'all know I couldn't leave my girl Ari out of this list! True fans have been following Ari long before "Yours Truly" dropped in 2013. Ari had been acting for quite some time on Nickelodeon's Victorious. But that voice is what the world wanted and that voice is what we got. Yours Truly debuted at number 1 on Billboard Hot 200, with her first single "The Way" peaking at 9 on the Hot 100. From then, she's given us three more albums, My Everything(2014), Dangerous Woman(2016) and Sweetener (2018). Three out of her four albums reaching the number 1 spot (Dangerous Woman was blocked by Drake). No exaggeration, Ariana is one of the best vocalists to hit the industry in a long time.
People even called her "The next Mariah Carey" at the rise of her career. The comparisons aren't misguided. The girl has an impossibly beautiful voice. It's strong, yet agile, powerful, and rich. This applies to any genre she tries out: Pop, R&B, Jazz, Opera. Ari really gives us the vocals we've been missing in mainstream music. Ariana has the vocal chops of all the greats and she's just getting started. If you're looking for some Ariana slayage, listen to "Honeymoon Avenue", "Be My Baby", "Let Me Love You", "Breathin", or the entire "Christmas and Chill" EP.
It was so hard narrowing this down to only 8 artists. Here are some honorable mentions: Camilla Cabello, Daniel Caeser, Justin Bieber, Zedd, Ellie Goulding.
Did your fave make the list?
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