By Colin Joyce, Austin Cox, Jaelani Turner-Williams, Brandon Ousley, and Leah Mandel of Third Bridge Creative

Easykid

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 199

Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Country: Chile

Crossover alert: Chilean singer-producer Easykid is going viral in the U.S. with “SHINY” (featuring Dysbit) from June’s I’M PART, his third full-length album. As a member of Los 4F, Easykid came up in Chile’s el movimiento scene: reggaeton that’s melded with industrial and DnB, a darker take on Spanish-language pop, with a gothy techno, fashion-Tumblr aesthetic—think lots of chrome and moto leather, barbed wire, black grills, all-black contact lenses. Over the past month on TikTok, “SHINY” has amassed over 2.4M posts—including one from Rosalìa—pushing the artist to the top 500 artists worldwide on Chartmetric (and not to mention over 14M monthly listeners on Spotify). Songs like “Bruce Wayne,” “MOOD,” “wtfff.,” and “Fentanyl” have the same heart-baring, chemically-addled sound. It’s metallic, melancholic music for the club: emotional music that’s sexy, glossy, and futuristic.

Olivia Dean

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 25

Genre: R&B/Soul

Country: U.K.

After being tapped as a tour opener for Sabrina Carpenter and making a splashy Good Morning America debut, it won’t come as a surprise if British R&B-pop artist Olivia Dean starts contending for awards in the new year. On September 26, the vocalist, who has 33 million Spotify monthly followers, released her sophomore album, The Art of Loving, a wondrous follow-up to her 2023 debut, Messy. Dean’s full-hearted material has been likened to one of her musical influences, Amy Winehouse, and for good reason. She captivates listeners with her impassioned musings on romance over production that melds soul, jazz, and folk-pop. Among her biggest crossover hits are the viral track “The Man I Need” (171 million Spotify streams), which riveted Dean’s GMA audience in early October, and the teasing “Nice to Each Other” (144 million Spotify streams). When Dean isn’t winning over new listeners with her impressive material, she’s covering her R&B peers, like Ravyn Lenae, who co-signed Dean’s merry rendition of “Love Me Not.” As she continues her global ascent, American listeners are getting to know her through playlists ‘Pop Rising,’ ‘big on the internet,’ and ‘Today’s Top Hits,’ but it won’t be long until she’s on everyone’s radar. 

Machine Girl

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 29,671

Genre: Dance/Electronic

Country: U.S.

In October of 2024, Brooklyn duo Machine Girl put out MG Ultra. Last month, they’re put out PsychoWarrior: MG Ultra X. Between the two projects, the digital hardcore/industrial/drum n bass/breakcore/etcetera pair have also released various remixes, and a “10+ Years Anniversary Edition” of their breakthrough cult favorite album Wlfgrl—an album that is generally credited with the resurgence of breakcore (though a hotly debated term) and the galvanizing of a freak electronic scene. Singles from the new one, “Rabbit Season” and “Come On Baby, Scrape My Data,” as well as hype for the October 30th Knockdown Center event with Candy, LSDXOXO, and Deli Girls, are doing the work in the lead-up to PsychoWarrior.

So Supa

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 5516

Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Country: U.S.

If there’s one thing Mississippi-bred rapper So Supa is guaranteed to do, it’s turning his braggadocio raps into catchy viral gold. The deep-voiced MC has forged a winning formula across a prolific string of releases, piling his monotone rap-sung flow and suggestive lyricism onto melodic trap beats. He’s buzzing on TikTok, where he constantly workshops his tracks in dozens of clips for more than 200K followers. And his bouncy 2021 banger “Dumb Crasy” marked his breakout, becoming one of his top-streamed tracks on Spotify at 17.5M plays to date. In addition to the release of his latest album, Supa vs Sligga, his momentum continues to grow and expand this year, thanks to him flexing his rugged trap trademarks on other smashes like “Baked Chicken” (15M Spotify plays) and “Don’t hide” (7M). His recent single, the amusing “BTTMFRN (CMONNN)” is currently taking off, racking up 200K Spotify plays since October 3. Clocking at 1.5M Spotify monthly listeners and appearing on several editorial playlists like ‘Most Necessary,’ ‘Signed XOXO,’ and ‘No Cap,’ So Supa is on the cusp of making his mark as a top figure in today’s viral rap boom.

Porch Light

Chartmetric Artist Rank: 4,588

Genre: Alternative/Indie

Country: U.S.

Thanks to their reverence for melodic post-punk rock styles from the ‘90s and ‘00s, alternative newcomers Porch Light are breaking out on the indie rock scene. The Minneapolis-based band began buzzing on TikTok last year when their basement jam covers of rock classics from the likes of The Cranberries, The Police, and Fleetwood Mac went viral, helping them garner a growing audience of more than 444K followers on the platform. Fronted by the lithe-voiced singer-songwriter Jackie Uhas, the band channeled the raw precision of their basement sessions and sold-out live shows across the Twin Cities with the release of their self-titled debut EP in April. The wistful emotion of its centerpiece single “Fall Back” quickly struck a chord among their cult fanbase, becoming the band’s highest-streamed track at 5.1M plays on Spotify. They’re now expanding on their sweeping, lovelorn sound with their second EP, Navy Blue, which is currently gaining traction due to its lead single, “Oxygen.” Just in time for the EP’s October 17 release, the track has generated over 3.8M streams on Spotify alone, with the band’s monthly listeners totaling 1.2M—a sign that their DIY approach to indie rock is shining bright.