Have you ever scanned your Shazam history and spotted a big star—someone you discovered months or years before they became a household name? Every day, the app gets millions of requests from users around the world who are curious about the artist behind a song. These Shazams come from all over—TikTok videos, car commercials, coffee shops, overhearing something in the wild—which make it a powerful tool for predicting tomorrow’s heavy hitters. This playlist features 50 emerging artists who, based on Shazam data reviewed by our editors, are poised to have a breakthrough year. It’s a remarkably global and diverse bunch. Hailing from all corners of the globe (Australia, Congo, Belgium, Zimbabwe, and Puerto Rico are all represented here) with fusions of currently beloved genres like K-pop, house, and R&B, these are the artists to watch out for in 2021.
