10 Artists to Watch in 2026

Dec 27, 2025

6 min read

Another year and another 10 amazing artists to watch. Take a look at the carefully curated list of artists in pop, metalcore, rock, and every subgenre in between that you should check out in 2026 (in no particular order).

10. glimmers

With a crazy coincidental origin story and the same dream, pop-rock band glimmers has been shining bright since 2020. Vocalist Maggie Schneider and guitarist Alex Downtain lived just a mile away from each other as children in Atlanta, Georgia, but only met in 2018. In the years that followed, glimmers was noticed by NPR and Alternative Press, released two EPs, and released their debut full-length album independently, named “The Art Of Shattering,” which included the hit single “Jaded.”

9. Tom High

After alt-pop band Luna Blue sadly disbanded late last year, their former lead singer, Tom High, chose to continue making music, but this time as a solo act. Based in Brighton, UK, High is independently releasing his music and already has a few songs out. With his first single, “Issues,” he aimed to raise awareness for sexual assault victims, and even stated that he would donate any proceeds from the song to charities that help victims. High has also released the songs “Can I Call You Up Tonight” and “Lie To Me” and has played a few shows around the London area, including opening for The Valla.

8. Catie Turner

Indie-pop artist and self-proclaimed (but aptly named) “America’s sweetheart” Catie Turner may have an angelic voice, but don't let that fool you. The 25-year-old's songs are anything but surface-level fluff pieces. Rather, they are full of emotion and introspection. Turner got her start on American Idol in 2018 and took off with "God Must Hate Me" in 2021. She released the song "Shrinking Violet" this November and is playing the Innings Festival in Arizona in February and the Treefort Music Fest in March.

7. Faun Flora

A multitalented touring guitarist for rock-pop band Diva Bleach, Jay Pigott also releases their own music under the name Faun Flora. With a more laid-back synth-pop sound, Faun Flora has been releasing music since 2017, with the songs “I Wish I Was My Own Friend” and "little mystery" being the latest. In addition to guitar and vocals, Pigott is skilled on the drums and keys, as well as songwriting, and the project is currently signed with Fervor Records.

6. Melina KB

If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if you took modern-day pop and introduced it to the theatrics of Broadway songs (including the backstage antics and drama of a high school or college production), you’ll want to listen to Melina KB. Melina KB is a performer through and through, no matter which stage she’s on. Her most popular song, “I’ve Had Enough,” has almost 50 million streams on Spotify, and she even released an updated version featuring Janani K. Jha, MegaGoneFree, and Katherine Lynn-Rose, titled “We’ve Had Enough.” Melina KB recently supported Brooke Alexx on her “Big(ger) Mouth 2025 World Tour” this fall and turned her set into a memorable depiction of her auditioning to be the opener on Alexx’s tour.

5. Greywind

Irish sibling duo Greywind pride themselves on creating music for their fellow elder emos of the 2000s. Citing bands such as My Chemical Romance and blink-182 as influences, Steph and Paul O’Sullivan are getting ready to release their new album “Severed Heart City” on January 16, which features electric singles “Acid Rain,” “Waterfall,” and “Swerve.” If you’ve never heard Irish emo before, definitely start with Greywind.

4. Deadlands

Back in June, female-fronted metalcore band Deadlands released their EP “SEVEN.” The EP contained hits such as “Villain,” “House of Cards,” and “Kundalini,” featuring nu-metalcore duo The Pretty Wild. Composed of Kasey Karlson and CJ “AREY” Arey, Deadlands is an explosive act with insane vocals from Karlson and extreme production and instrumentals from Arey. The band toured with Scene Queen and Girli this summer, with a few headlining shows in between. They’ve also been announced as one of the openers for Vana’s “The Lady in Red Tour,” kicking off in April. The two also maintain their respective social media presences, where they listen to, cover, and reimagine popular songs.

3. Autumn Kings

Canada’s own Autumn Kings is at the top of their game. Their recent singles “Snake Charmer” and “HELLBOUND” (featuring Point North) are a frequent spin on Sirius XM’s Octane channel for the band that likes to call their sound “the offspring of Linkin Park and Fall Out Boy.” The trio (consisting of Jake Diab, Joe Coccimiglio, and Troy Dawdy) signed to Hopeless Records last year and is booking tour after tour with some of the biggest names right now, such as Set It Off, Hollywood Undead, and an upcoming tour with Melrose Avenue in April. Now all we need is a new album. 🤞

2. Hot Milk

Formed on a rainy day in Manchester, England, Hot Milk is responsible for hits such as “Candy Coated Lie$,” “BREATHING UNDERWATER,” “BLOODSTREAM,” and so many more songs. The emo power-pop band debuted their latest creation earlier this year, their second full-length album titled “Corporation P.O.P.,” with P.O.P. standing for “payment of pain.” The first single off that album was “90 Seconds To Midnight,” a fiery song that was #36 on my top listened-to songs of 2025 (though I feel like it should have been higher with the amount of times I played it).

1. Emei

Emei’s popularity is skyrocketing, and it’s only a matter of time before she’s supporting a major artist on tour and drawing new fans to her music, much like how Olivia Dean and Chappell Roan had their breakthroughs. The alt-pop singer’s music is known for its brutally honest lyrics and catchy, in-your-face production. From the chants in “Cynical” to the “tsk tsks” in “Irresponsible,” Emei's songs bring something different to the table, which is further exemplified in her debut album, “Scatterbrain,” released in 2023. Since that album's release, she embarked on her “RABBITHOLE Tour” earlier this year and released the song “Ginger Tea” in mid-December in honor of her late grandmother.

View our Ones To Watch playlist here including these artists, and more!

To see last year's choices for artists to watch in 2025, click here.