From TikTok breakout star to artist supporting Ed Sheeran and a Brit School graduate – 11 new faces for 2025
IN 2025, the music scene is set for a seismic shift, with a fresh wave of talented artists ready to make their mark.
From unique sounds blending genres to dynamic performances, these new voices are set to shape the industry.
Whether they’ve emerged from the underground or gained attention through viral platforms such as TikTok, their music offers something that will resonate with both old fans and new, alike.
Here are our 11 new faces for 2025.
IONA LUKE
THIS London-born singer-songwriter, pictured above, has been championed by Lana Del Rey, who posted a TikTok of Iona covering one of her songs. She has been compared to Florence + The Machine, PJ Harvey and Tori Amos.
Her hero is Patti Smith and she is signed to the B-Unique record label.
Iona is in her final year at Cambridge University, where she is studying English Literature. Her love of poetry fuels her creativity.
She says: “I want to find an audience that connects to what I’m saying.”
Her debut track Seventeen is out now and her single Violence will be released on January 17.
MYLES SMITH
THE Luton singer has a big year ahead, having already won the Brit Rising Star award which he will receive at the ceremony at the O2 Arena on March 1.
Following in the footsteps of Sam Fender, James Bay and Adele, the 26-year-old triumphed over soul singer Elmiene and East London indie duo Good Neighbours.
He also won Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the TikTok Awards in December.
Smith started playing at open mic events at 12 years old, and his breakthrough came during Covid lockdowns when he shared cover songs online.
Single Stargazing hit No.4, amassed over 400million streams and appeared on Barack Obama’s summer playlist.
Smith is set to support Ed Sheeran – an opportunity he calls “insane, considering Ed was one of the biggest people I looked up to when I was starting out”.
GOOD HEALTH GOOD WEALTH
VOCALIST, songwriter and producer Bruce Breakey, and guitarist and producer Simon Kuzmickas, draw their inspiration from N.E.R.D, Daft Punk, Kanye West, The Streets and Mac Miller.
The London-based duo named themselves after losing a close friend to health issues caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, hoping their name spreads a meaningful message.
Their genre-blurring sound has garnered attention, with airplay on Radio X as well as BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and Sian Eleri, as well as new fans with festival sets at Isle of Wight, Truck, and Brockwell. They have collaborated with The Skinner Brothers, Hard-Fi, and Rarelyalways.
Recent single Full Circle reflects observations of everyday life.
Bruce explains: “This song is for everyone – from the people who spend more time down the pub than at home, to the people who spend more time at work than with their families. To those of us raised on McDonald’s, when we took the Happy Meal at face value – double cheap and an absolute treat.”
They play The Lower Third in London on February 7.
ELMIENE
SOUL singer Abdala Elam is poised for greatness. The British-Sudanese singer-songwriter draws inspiration from Prince and D’Angelo, alongside a deep love for ’90s neo-soul, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder classics.
Elmiene’s breakthrough track Golden gained recognition when it soundtracked Virgil Abloh’s final show for Louis Vuitton in Miami, just two days after the fashion designer’s passing. The track also caught the attention of Stormzy, who has reached out to collaborate.
Elam has worked with notable artists Sampha, Jamie Woon and James Vincent McMorrow, solidifying his place in the industry.
A runner-up for the Brit Rising Star Award, Elam is one to watch.
MAYA DELILAH
NORTH Londoner and Brit School graduate Maya is set to release her debut album, The Long Way Round, at the end of the month.
She began creating TikToks and livestreams during lockdown, gradually building a dedicated fanbase.
Known for her classy guitar skills, she often puts intricate riffs into her tracks, giving her a unique sound.
Maya cites John Mayer, Tyler, The Creator, and Anderson .Paak as her key musical influences.
Her talent has already caught the attention of BBC 6 Music’s Nick Grimshaw, who is a fan of her work.
GOOD NEIGHBOURS
IT’S been a whirlwind year for East London duo Scott Verrill and Oli Fox, whose song Home has now amassed 430 million global streams.
Their sound, which conjures up indie vibes from the 2010s, has attracted a rapidly growing fanbase.
Influenced by the likes of MGMT, Bleachers and Passion Pit, the pair were runners-up for the Brit Rising Star Award and earned a nomination for Best Rock Duo/Group at the Billboard Music Awards in the US.
JACOB ALON
CITING Nick Drake and Adrianne Lenker as key inspirations, the Scottish performer has also drawn comparisons to troubadours Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright.
Jacob’s debut single Fairy In A Bottle, released last year, earned widespread acclaim and led to a standout performance on Later . . . With Jools Holland.
The singer-songwriter was introduced to music at a young age, learning piano at age nine and picking up the guitar at 15.
Jacob’s standout live shows include the Pitchfork Music Festival in London and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow.
NIA SMITH
THE South Londoner is another Brit School graduate who was discovered on TikTok.
As a child, she says she would steal her father’s iPod to sing along to “all the great voices” such as Aretha Franklin and James Brown.
Growing up with a love for reggae and influenced by artists such as Michael Jackson, Nina Simone, Tina Turner and Amy Winehouse, Nia has already supported British singer Mahalia and New Zealand’s Jordan Rakei.
She also collaborated with dancehall icon Popcaan on a remix of her song Personal.
TANNER ADELL
COUNTRY singer from Lexington, Kentucky, best known for collaborating with Beyonce on Cowboy Carter, who has quickly become one of the most exciting new voices in country music.
Her debut album Buckle Bunny, a unique fusion of country and pop, was a big hit with fans.
She explains: “I have tried to make my sound as palatable in a global sense, that anyone who listens to it can put on a cowboy hat and cowboy boots and be country for the night with me.”
FIAA HAMILTON
TIKTOK Live’s Breakthrough Star award winner is gearing up for a massive 2025.
Fiaa was a carer for her mum from the age of eight, and at 11, she went into foster care.
Her first two singles, Love War and Rivers in the Night, have captivated fans with their compelling storytelling.
She also gained recognition on the BBC show Little Mix The Search, where she impressed the girl band and advanced to bootcamp.
Fiaa has also collaborated with Rag’n’Bone Man on the charity single One Day.
ASHAINE WHITE
HAILED by the Ivor Novello Academy and Apple Music as a rising star, Ashaine has been carving out her own niche with a unique “grunge-soul” style.
The singer-songwriter’s varied inspirations include D’Angelo, Ella Fitzgerald Nirvana and Radiohead.
6 Music’s Tom Robinson has spotlighted her tracks.
Last year she supported Corinne Bailey Rae at Somerset House in London and recently released her single I Sing To Myself.
10 big acts back in 2025…part 2
1. LADY GAGA: At the end of her Chromatica Ball concert film, screened last May, a new song played over the words, “LG7. Gaga returns”. First single Disease, a synth-pop banger, dropped later in the year. She refers to her seventh studio album as “true chaos”.
2. PAUL McCARTNEY: Work on the follow-up to 2020’s SFTW Album Of The Year, McCartney III, went on hold during the triumphant Got Back tour. Now Macca’s New Year resolution is to finish his 19th solo record. He’d been working with producer Andrew Watt (Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne).
3. CENTRAL CEE: All eyes on the British rapper making waves in the US. His debut album finally arrives on January 24, eight years after his first EP, and is suitably titled Can’t Rush Greatness. Already scored big success with singles Doja, Sprinter, Obsessed With You and Band4Band.
4. FKA TWIGS: She invented a new word, EUSEXUA, for the title of her first album in five years. It describes the “sensation of being so euphoric” that one can “transcend human form”. There’s a dance-floor-primed vibe to singles Perfect Stranger, Drums Of Death and the title track.
5. STEVEN WILSON: For a while now, Porcupine Tree frontman Wilson has carried the torch for British prog rock, following in the grand tradition of King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull and the rest. His eighth solo album The Overview arrives in March, comprising two 20-minute set pieces. As you do.
6. THE DELINES: The country-soul band fronted by Willy Vlautin (ex-Richmond Fontaine) and Amy Boone release Mr Luck & Ms Doom in February. The title track is a deliciously skewed love song, described as “the story of two ragged misfits: A failed criminal and a depressive house cleaner”.
7. SHARON VAN ETTEN & THE ATTACHMENT THEORY: After six albums under her own name, Van Etten has, er, attached the name of her band to her latest release, reflecting its strong collaborative quality. On dramatic lead single Afterlife, her beguiling voice takes full flight.
8. A$AP ROCKY: The rapper and partner of Rihanna is back with his fourth studio album Don’t Be Dumb. Confirmed songs include Highjack (ft. Jessica Pratt), Tailor Swif and Ruby Rosary (ft. J.Cole). Rocky revealed that Morrissey is among the artists to appear on another track, Hood Happy.
9. BLONDIE: Guitarist Chris Stein took to social media to tease a black and white photo of singer Debbie Harry, who turns 80 this year. She’s pictured relaxing in the studio with the caption, “New Blondie album next year (2025).” No further details of the follow-up to 2017’s Pollinator.
10. NEIL YOUNG & THE CHROME HEARTS: He may have just pulled out of Glastonbury but ever-prolific Young has been working on a new album with producer Lou Adler and his latest backing band. “I think it’s called Talking To The Trees,” he said recently. “It’s blown my mind.”
- Compiled by Simon Cosyns