At Spotify, we listen to a lot of music. And every year, our global editors and artist partnerships teams come together to spotlight the emerging voices we believe are about to make a serious impact. Enter our Artists to Watch list.
These are the artists turning heads on our playlists, gaining momentum around the world, and pushing their genres into new territory. Whether they're rewriting the rules of pop, bringing raw energy to hip-hop, or blending global sounds into something entirely new, they're all redefining what's next in music.
To celebrate this year's stars, our team has handpicked one standout track from each artist and then compiled them into the Artists to Watch 2026 playlist, a genre-spanning, culture-driven collection of what's around the corner.
Ready to find your next favorite artist? Dive into the list below, organized by genre, and start exploring the sounds of 2026.
Afrobeats MOLIY
Essential track: Shake It To the Max (FLY) (Remix)
Christian Jamie MacDonald
Essential track: Desperate
Country Vincent Mason
Essential track: Damned If I Do
Zach John King
Essential track: Happy For You
Laci Kaye Booth
Essential track: Luck Of The Draw
Max McNown
Essential track: Better Me For You (Brown Eyes)
Dance KETTAMA
Essential track: Man With a Second Face
Prospa
Essential track: Love Songs (feat. Kosmo Kint)
Jackie Hollander
Essential track: You Go I Go
Hip-hop Hurricane Wisdom
Essential track: Drugs Callin
PLUTO
Essential track: WHIM WHAMIEE
sosocamo
Essential track: soulless
Ovrkast.
Essential track: Small Talk
Indie/folk Hudson Freeman
Essential track: If You Know Me
Dove Ellis
Essential track: Pale Song
Folk Bitch Trio
Essential track: The Actor
Fcukers
Essential track: Bon Bon
After
Essential track: 300 dreams
fakemink
Essential track: MAKKA
Latin Young Cister
Essential track: QLOO*
Mar a Isabel
Essential track: Bien Bien
rusowsky
Essential track: malibU
Hermanos Espinoza
Essential track: DIOS POR DELANTE
Pop Haute & Freddy
Essential track: Freaks
Baby Nova
Essential track: Too Pretty For Buffalo
Noah Rinker
Essential track: The Pines
AD LA
Essential track: Superscar
Mikayla Geier
Essential track: piano in the sky
R&B Isaia Huron
Essential track: I CHOSE YOU
Jai'Len Josey
Essential track: Won't Force You
Mack Keane
Essential track: Candycrush
JayDon
Essential track: Lullaby
Rock/alternative Ecca Vandal
Essential track: CRUISING TO SELF SOOTHE
Speed
Essential track: PEACE
Die Spitz
Essential track: Throw Yourself to the Sword
Check out the full playlist on Spotify and get to know the voices shaping the soundtrack of the year.
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At Spotify, we listen to a lot of music. And every year, our global editors and artist partnerships teams come together to spotlight the emerging voices we believe are about to make a serious impact. Enter our Artists to Watch list.
