Best New Artists

Every month, we round up some of our favorite new music discoveries. Look back at all of our Best New Artists here and keep up with them all on the Best New Artists playlists on Spotify and Apple.

On the subject of artists who make good sounds, we just announced our Sounds Good merch collection. Designed for the ultimate music fan, you can wear The Sounds Good Merch anywhere that good sounds are had. Whether you’re going to a concert, listening to an album, or making the good sounds yourself, there’s something here for you. Shop the collection here.

Post-lockdown, Zimbabwe born, Hull, UK raised artist Downtown Kayoto is ready for a musical reset. Earlier this year he released “Hello World,” the first single off his debut EP NAVIG8, which serves as his reintroduction to the music scene. “Hello World” holds special meaning to Kayoto who shares, “It’s a phrase typed into a new computer program to initiate, before more code is written. It symbolises me placing my flag down into the ground and marking a new starting point both from an artistic and a visual standpoint.” 

The single sees Kayoto blend alternative R&B and energetic drum and bass production with serene, yet sorrowful vocals. The visuals take us on a downward spiral into chaos reflected in Kayoto’s introspective chorus: “Hello world, I’ve been feeling kinda lonely and I won’t lie.” The rest of the NAVIG8 EP follows the path set by “Hello World,” but adds in some punk and UK underground influenced songs. Despite being only six tracks, the EP manages to cover a lot of ground, giving a well-rounded look at Kayoto’s style. The starter track “Proud” is set to a ‘90s sounding guitar riff, piano, and distorted vocals. It speaks to feelings of self doubt and insecurities in an honest way with a resonating chorus of, “Did I make you proud of me?” 

“PFL” highlights a more gravelly, rock side to Kayoto. Upbeat, with a lively drum component, Kayoto showcases his ability to glide in between rap and melodies and this versatility continues across the rest of the EP. With his debut under his belt and an ear for genre blending, we’re excited to see where Downtown Kayoto’s “new starting point” leads him in the future. —Sabine Adorney

Birthed, like many great music projects, in the bedroom of a teenager with a vision and a fistful of aspirations, Pom Pom Squad began to take form in the head of a then 15-year-old Mia Berrin as she pictured a world where people like her had clear representation in a space that had provided comfort to her over the years. Inspired by a range of influences, both musical (Death Cab For Cutie to Sade) and cinematic (John Waters to David Lynch), Berrin wasted no time acting on her imagination and secured the social handles that Pom Pom Squad still rocks to this day, before even playing her first note.

Fast forward a few years and through many trial stages of Pom Pom Squad and you’ll arrive at the current iteration—a four piece powerhouse fronted by a 23-year old Berrin and supported by Shelby Keller (drums), Mari Alé Figeman (bass), and Alex Mercuri (guitar). Taking the Brooklyn living room concert world by storm, it wasn’t long before the band graduated to honest to god venues and an ever growing base of hungry fans thanks to a string of EPs across four years, beginning with 2017’s Hate It Here EP and culminating with 2021 project Death of Cheerleader. The development of their indie-rock/grunge sound reached new heights as Berrin fully began to embrace her love for film through a series of classic-movie inspired videos surrounding Death of Cheerleader, positioning Pom Pom Squad as a creative leader in this space.

Chosen to be a part of Spotify’s expanding Fresh Finds program, booked through 2022 with a full US tour and a few stops in Europe, and with a ton of excitement aimed in their direction, Pom Pom Squad absolutely demands your attention.—Jacob Blieu

When it comes to bubbling acts, up-and-coming trendsetter Yeat is as interesting as it gets. Until recently, the Los Angeles-raised artist’s identity was somewhat disguised due to his eccentric outfits consisting of a beanie and turban blocking most of his face.

If you have spent any time on the internet within the past months then this pick should be of no surprise to you. After going viral for his use of a bell, as well as lead singles “Sorry Bout That” and “Gët Busy,” Yeat continues to exceed expectations with every release. His recent project Up 2 Më was a clear representation of Yeat’s ingenuity and modern hit-making ability.

With a subject matter of illicit activities, turbans, and his Tonkas, Yeat mixes pain and pleasure within his music. Combining elements of rage, Auto-Tune, and ingenious wordplay, an undeniable creativity and energy emanates from every track. At only 21 years old, Yeat has grabbed and continues to hold the intention of the internet and music fans alike, even attaining co-signs from Lil Yachty and popping up in photos with Drake.

With what seems like another project on the way from the young star, Yeat fans and newcomers to the artist are going to be eating from here on out.—Jack Sperling

With an ultramodern production style, artist/producer aldn is emerging from the hyperpop scene with his sophomore EP, predictable. It’s an elevation of his unique sound and a masterclass in emotionally rich music built on a foundation of programmed instrumentation. “This EP is a culmination of the past few months of my life,” he says. “Dealing with petty drama and hateful people, the only way I know how… writing songs.”

aldn embarked on his musical journey at the age of 11, starting with production software Ableton and learning to make lo-fi and rap beats. He discovered artists like The Smiths, Radiohead, Skrillex, and deadmau5 through his family, and over the years honed his skills and found his own unique sound. Initially a producer for the burgeoning hyperpop scene that he connected with through Discord, aldn started to include his own vocals too. Keeping that childlike wonder from his early forays into music alive, the now 20-year-old still captures the raw, unfiltered feelings associated with being digitally-raised through a marriage of gritty production and tenderhearted lyricism.

aldn’s predictable EP is his first with partners Simple Stupid Records and Good Luck Have Fun. Catch the rising star with glaive and midwxst on tour in America throughout February 2022.—Grant Conley

One of the best things about music is its ability to transport you, and the latest single from London trio Jacquard Looms encapsulates this escapist fantasy. Created over lockdown, it follows on from last year’s debut EP 2 Cold 2 Snow. Jacquard Looms—aka Tommy, Spike, and Joey—combine their influences in “Where I Belong” to create an intriguing sound of their own. Icreasingly refined melodies punctuate sparser instrumentation, a spectral atmosphere engulfing the listener. The music video is a must-watch too. Self-directed and featuring an array of faces around London, it reinforces the DIY ethos underpinning the band.

“We’ve often found that the nature of the DIY approach has created more interesting sounds and shots as things aren’t always done the ‘correct’ way. I guess you wouldn’t have the opportunity to discover those things if you’re not working DIY,” the trio tells us about this process. “We actually saw it as a privilege that we shot the video ourselves, as it meant that we got to meet every single person in the video and learn about their characteristics and lives, which made it a very personal experience from start to finish.”

Whilst Jacquard Looms is a relatively recent venture (their first single “scared to block ur sight” was released in 2020) the three-piece has been working together on various projects throughout their lives. Spike and Joey are brothers, and Tommy a close childhood friend. The new music feels like a cohesive next step for the trio, weaving between hip-hop, electronica, and alternative influences as their sound develops. “When we started working on this material it was the most open and truthful creative process we’d ever experienced together. This meant that it quite quickly became the most innovative and mature work we’d ever created together.”

“None of us really know how our sound will evolve from here, all we know is that we want to remain unchained when it comes to genre-merging, and free to explore any avenue of sound that we’d like to,” Jacquard Looms tells us when asked about the future. “We definitely see ourselves continuing to refine our sound and fill out the spectrum on which all our tracks sit. One day all the puzzle pieces will fit together and create one unified sound that is Jacquard Looms!”—Rani Boyer

Florida artist Flozigg has taken versatility to new heights with his unique ability to weave warm, melodic production with innate vocal talent. Flaunting a unique tone of voice and earworm hooks, Flozigg dabbles in a vast array of styles, with neo-soul auras inspired by Erykah Badu, juicy baselines a la Thundercat, and punchy guitars reminiscent of indie rock mastermind Tame Impala. The result is the vibrant concoction of vintage and fresh flavors. 

“I would classify myself as alternative,” he explains. “I don’t create with a genre in mind. To me, that’s what being progressive in music is all about.”

Flozigg released his six-song EP Beige in August 2021, but the 21-year-old artist/producer says he’s been consistently creating and gearing up for a powerful 2022. While the Flozigg catalog is only 22 minutes long throughout two EP releases—Beige and Burgundy—every song captures such a distinct style and vivid feeling, with high levels of replayability. 

Beige offers a window into the potential for Flozigg to take his music in any direction he pleases, and nothing’s holding him back from continuing to explore. A true self-starter in every sense of the word, Flozigg writes, produces, sings, creative directs, and even manages himself. We can’t wait to hear what comes next.—Grant Conley

London-based Somali artist FACESOUL shares his music as medicine, both for himself and others. He has a soothing but richly textured voice and sings affirmations and reflections throughout YSRA, his new project. FACESOUL doesn’t only sing his lyrics, he creates entire songs without any instruments, building layers and loops of vocals into fully formed sonic worlds. The resulting songs are as fragile and beautiful as life itself, which, as FACESOUL explains, is why he made them.   

“This project has been a process of seeking and striving to ease in the face of hardship,” he says. “For me, I see it as a manuscript of love carved through pain. YSRA came from a deep desire to heal trauma within myself and document that process in as authentic a way possible in the hopes it can be of benefit to others. Last year I went through one of my greatest challenges and, within it, realised the beautifully painful fragility of life within the human experience. The ups and downs, the peaks and troughs, are all part of what makes it beautiful yet still difficult at times to endure. So instead of running from my pain, I decided to honour and beautify it, turning it into an offering.”

Watch FACESOUL’s COLORS performance of “Through The Dark” here and a live performance of “Close to You” here. The full YSRA project is out now. —Alex Gardner

Sweet, poppy, and very much addictive, piri’s “soft spot” has been in rotation since its release back in June. The D&B-style track began to soar across viral charts, taking off on TikTok with over 120k videos now made using the song. Hailing from Manchester, UK, and currently based in London, 22-year-old piri and production partner Tommy Villiers are at the forefront of the hyper-online revival of UK rave and dance music. Citing PinkPantheress as a “big influence,” piri and Villiers combine hooky pop toplines with catchy dance beats in their two singles released so far. “soft spot” is infectious, which comes as little surprise considering its origin; the single was born out of piri’s infatuation for Villiers, her now-boyfriend, and the vulnerability which accompanies falling for someone. Over a year down the line, piri and Villiers have been creating an array of music together, weaving between D&B, garage, house, and breakbeat. 

Meeting Villiers, who was, at the time, a self-confessed “soundcloud drum and bass producer head,” was in some ways a catalyst for piri, who had previously experimented with creating music but never taken it too seriously. “Since I can remember I’ve been writing little songs to myself on my guitar, but since I’m so very mediocre at guitar my songwriting was limited by that, and I never thought I could get something recorded and make Actual Music until meeting Tommy,” she tells us over email. Villiers, already a member of Manchester bands Porij and See Thru Hands, soon became her close collaborator, both drawn to dance music of all kinds.

Gearing up to release her third single in the new year, preparing for her first live shows, and, of course, continuing to write together, piri and Villiers are quickly cementing themselves as a duo to watch out for. “We have a lot to come,” she tells us. “We have so much music in the backlog that we had been writing through lockdown, we’re really hoping to start looking at an album soon.”—Rani Boyer

With a lot of new acts, influences can be obvious—sometimes a little too obvious—as an artist takes time to figure out their own distinct sound. That’s not the case with poolfire.

The Boston-raised artist cites Green Day, Roberto Carlos, Elvis Presley, and bootleg reggaeton mixtapes as references that shape the music he makes, but you probably wouldn’t be able to tell from listening. Growing up, he was exposed to the Latin culture of his father’s family in Guatemala, but also popular rock music in the U.S. 

 Now that he’s releasing his own music, it all comes together in a way that sounds totally new to outsiders, but it makes perfect sense to him. “I draw inspiration from so much music, there’s some serious crossover,” he explains. “In ‘Radio Man,’ I can hear a lot of different stuff that shaped me, like Roberto Carlos’s ‘Amigo.’ My dad used to play that song all the time when I was a kid, and I think there’s probably some elements of it sprinkled in here.”

 “Radio Man” is the fourth single from poolfire, and throughout those first four songs he’s already establishing a unique foundation. Sprawling alternative rock (“Ugly Friends,” “Got A New Guitar”) and driving pop (“Raspberry Lips”) fuse together in a way that sounds rich with layering and sophisticated attention to detail, but he confesses that he made it all on a used bass guitar, a $100 Stratocaster knockoff, and his brother’s old gaming computer. 

 Coming up, poolfire will be performing live on Twitch for School Night on December 15, and he’s planning to get even more active in 2022. Stay tuned. —Jacob Moore