This year has been full of surprises and the music world isn’t finished yet. There are always new artists showing up and showing out. Most new artists are coming to us from SoundCloud, TikTok, Instagram, etc. Especially during the time of the pandemic, artists are spending more time on social media building a fanbase. These artists will definitely be ready once the world reopens and we can commence the concerts and music festivals.
Below are some new music artists who are about to step up and make a big name for themselves in 2020. How many do you already know?
R&B / Hip Hop / Rap
Keshi
Casey Luong, stage name Keshi, has an unusual story about how he ended up in music. Keshi has been on SoundCloud for a while now but has recently performed to sold-out audiences.
Keshi is Vietnamese but born in Texas. He feels really out of place between his American friends and the Chinese friends in his community. His dream has always been to be an artist, but his parents discouraged it so Keshi started out online. He went to college to be a registered nurse instead.
“Keshi” was born in college. Casey didn’t want anyone to know who he was or how he was spending his free time so he developed the stage name Keshi.
Keshi is a mixture of emotional highs and lows in R&B and lo-fi hip hop.
Want to become a Keshi fan? Here are some albums to get you started!
The Reaper:
- The Reaper
- Like I Need You
- 2 Soon
- I Swear I’ll Never Leave Again
Bandaids:
- Less Of You
- Alright
- Blue
- Right Here
- Bandaids
Skeletons:
- Atlas
- Skeletons
- Summer
- XOXOSOS
Alaina Castillo
Two years ago, Alaina started posting videos on YouTube. She was hoping to follow a pattern similar to Justin Bieber and Alessia Cara and become famous through social media. Spotify eventually picked her up and helped her gain millions of followers.
Followers say her music will put you in a trance with her English and Spanish roots. They also say she could very well be the next Ariana Grande. See for yourself!
- I Don’t Think I Love You Anymore
- Papacito
- Mentiras
- No Importa
- Just A Boy
- Pass You By
- Sad Girl
- Ocean Waves
- Valentine’s Day
- Back To You
- Fake Love
- Flex
- Stay
- Wait
Baby Keem
Hykeem Carter, Baby Keem, is on track to become a major hip hop star in 2020. His music and lyrics are already attracting big names like Kendrick Lamar and Drake who found out Baby Keem was putting on a show and attended. His lyrics leave something to be desired and Twitter isn’t having any of it as lyrics that fans post are quickly being banned, blocked, and deleted.
Baby Keem had planned to host a huge coming-out party with mainstream media and release an album, but then the pandemic hit and put his plans on hold. No fear! Here’s a list of tracks you might want to listen to. See if you want to buy tickets for Baby Keem’s first big performance.
Hearts and Darts:
- Baby Keem
- Locked In
- Fortnite
- Vicious
- Leverage
- Half
The Sound of Bad Habit:
- Wolves
- XMen
- Check Please
- Miss Charlotte
- Gang Activities
- So What
- Opinions
- New Day
- Monsters Dot Com
- Extra
- Register
- Baby Keem
Die For My Bitch
- Stats
- Honest
- Invented It
- France Freestyle
- Bullies
- Moshpit
- Slice Interlude
- Rockstar P
- Top Ramen
- My Ex
- Buss Her Up
- Orange Soda
- Not My Bro
- Apologize
Other Genres
Peach Tree Rascals
This new, up and coming group has been described as a psychedelic fusion of jazz, funk, pop, hip hop and R&B that will take you on a dream stroll through a field of flowers. They are part of a generation that has done away with being nailed down to a specific genre.
See for yourself!
- Mariposa
- Things Won’t Go My Way
- Deer
- Violet
- Mango
- Someday
- Plus
- I’m Sorry
- Cranberry
- Water
- Summa
- Glide
- Not Okay
- Ultra
- Rush
Gracie Abrams
Listening to Gracie Abrams has been compared to reading a confessional diary. She has a Joni MItchell vibe. She is very much the singer/songwriter. Fans say she could very well be the next Lorde. What do you think?
- I Miss You, I’m Sorry
- Friend
- 21
- Long Sleeves
- Stay
- Minor
- Over / Under
- Tehe
- Mean It
- Blue
- And She Will Miss You
- It’s Not Your Fault
- Enough
- I Kinda Miss You
- Edge
- Can’t Get Enough of You
- Seventeen
- Spark
- In Between
- Deep Red
- I Still Sleep In Your Clothes
- A Little More
- Water and the Fire
- Feel Her On Your Body
- Cold Coffee
- Barely Breathing
- If I Could Change
- Open Heart Surgery
Ashnikko
Not many TikTokers receive and maintain lasting fame, but Ashnikko is on a mission to break that stereotype. She produces in your face music and is quickly becoming an internet personality. She gained major popularity in 2019 with Baby Tate on her single “STUPID” which debuted on TikTok.
Born Ashton Nicole Casey in North Carolina, but spent a lot of her life moving around because of her father’s job. She lived in Estonia and Latvia as a teen and finally settled in London at age 18. She grew up on country music but quickly decided that wasn’t the path she wanted to take. She finds inspiration from Cardi B and Paramore.
Ashnikko released an EP titled “Hi, it’s me” in July 2019. Give a listen and see if she’s someone you’ll still be bumping by the end of 2020.
- Hi, It’s Me
- Special
- STUPID
- Working Bitch
- Manners
Binki
Another artist hailing from North Carolina, Binki only has a few singles to his name so far, but he’s destined to go far. His music style is mixes of indie pop, indie rock, funk, and hip hop. Binki is basically a colorful word of unexpected guitar solos, rap dance breaks, and lighthearted song writing.
Does he make you wanna move?
- Heybb!
- Wiggle
- Marco
- Sea Sick
Winona Oak
Born Johanna Ekmark, Winona Oak spent more time with animals than people in the Nordic forests of Sweden. Her singing was encouraged by her family, who is also big in music. Her grandmother performed in the Swedish Royal Opera.
Winona moved from her hometown to Stockholm to pursue her music career. Once there, she was invited to go on a writing retreat with Neon Gold Records and they later signed her on. You can witness some of her work on The Chainsmokers hit song “Hope”.
Other works by Winona Oak:
- Let Me Know
- Break My Broken Heart
- Oxygen
- Lonely Hearts Club
- Another Story
- Control
- With Myself
- Piano in the Sky
Other artists to watch for in 2020:
- Park Hye Jin (Dance / Electronica)
-
- I Don’t Care
- Like This
- ABC
- Call Me
- How Can I
- Close Eyes
- No
- Can You
- Be A Star
- Beautiful
- Compress My Love
- Dayglow (Indie Pop)
-
- Can I Call You Tonight
- Hot Rod
- False Direction
- Listerine
- Run The World
- Nicknames
- Fair Game
- Junior Varsity
- Dear Friend
- Fuzzybrain
- Rei Ami (Pop)
-
- Snowcone
- Dictator
- Make It Mine
- Mac & Cheese
- Runaway
- Trippin’ Toddlers
- Freak
- Meaniehead
- Bye
- Channel Tres (Dance / Electronica)
-
- Lavender
- Topdown
- Impact
- Sexy Blake Timberlake
- Weedman
- Controller
- Gimme Love
- Jet Black
- Raw Power
- Black Moses
- Glide
- Hit The Back
- Skate Depot
- Tate McRae (Canadian Singer / Songwriter)
-
- You Broke Me First
- All My Friends Are Fake
- Stupid
- Vicious
- Tear Myself Apart
- Don’t Be Sad
- That Way
- One Day
- Teenage Mind
- Happy Face
- I Wrote A Song
- Kinda Numb
- Don’t Fall In Love
- Shoulder to Shoulder
- Drown
- 3 am
- Jean Dawson (Alternative / Indie)
-
- Power Freaks
- 90’s Green Screen
- Napster
- Bruiseboy
- Sick Girl Online
- Clear Bones
- Bull Fighter
- Blame By Me
- Starface
- Mala Mariposa
- Antiwarp
- Pity Party
- Flirting
- Memory Is Software
- Junior Varsity (Emo / Alternative Rock)
-
- Mad for Medusa
- I’m Home, Hooray!
- Get Comfortable
- Saltwater Fountain
- I Went Blind
- I Said I Try
- What It Meant To Be Clean
- If It Hurts You
- Park Your Car
- Under The Radar
- Demo Car City
- Aries (Hip Hop / Rap)
-
- Racecar
- Bad News
- Santa Monica
- Home
- Deity
- Pony
- UR Not Precious
- Stephanie Poetri
-
- I Love You 3000
- Do You Love Me
- Touch
- Straight To You
- Appreciate
- Miquela
-
- Money
- Automatic
- Speak Up
- Not Mine
- Machine
- Right Back
- Hate Me
- You Should Be Alone
- Call Me When You’re Not High
- Wasted
- Celeste (British Soul)
-
- Stop This Flame
- Little Runaway
- Strange
- Both Sides of the Moon
- I Can See The Change
- Lately
- Father’s Son
- She’s My Sunshine
- Ugly Thoughts
- Milk & Honey
Let’s recap. We’ve got great dance vibes coming from Peach Tree Rascals and Binki. We’ve got some soulful tunes coming from Winona Oak and Gracie Adams. Catch up with TikTok star Ashnikko and keep an eye out for the amazing things she has coming. In conclusion, there will be some good things coming out of 2020 after all. We just have to wait for it!
Sources:
https://www.onestowatch.com/blog/best-new-artists-2020
https://www.vice.com/en/article/ne8qdw/keshi-lo-fi-hip-hop-music
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin/alaina-castillo-spotify-radar-963127/
https://www.complex.com/music/2020/09/baby-keem-season-two-new-songs-review
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