jacket + trousers. Anna Kiki
earrings. Dolly Baby
necklace. Rhys Kelly
A new year promises an unknown array of bops that will inevitably become the soundtrack to the next 12 months and beyond. Last year, our favourite rising stars like Saint Levant, Raye and Ice Spice made strides in the world of music and this year we’re keeping our eye on some fresh voices set to have a bright year ahead of them. Schön!’s music editor Shama Nasinde rounds up exciting artists that you should add to your rotation, or even better, take a listen to Schön!’s 2024 rising stars Spotify playlist.
Rachel Chinouriri
London singer-songwriter Rachel Chinouriri is a promising voice in the Indie Pop genre. Her diary-like lyricism and infectious guitar melodies have already garnered a growing fan base including the likes of singer Justine Skye and actor Florence Pugh, who after reaching out to Chinouriri to tell her how much she loved her music, ended up featuring in her latest music video for the catchy single Never Need Me.
Infinity Song
If you’ve been noticing a lack of bands on the charts these days then you’re not alone. Thankfully, Infinity Song are here to change that. Signed to Roc Nation, The New York group of siblings make soft rock reminiscent of old school artists likes Alanis Morisette and Fleetwood Mac. Their songwriting is magnetic for its observant honesty (Slow Burn is one of our favourites,) their visuals shine in their cinematic simplicity and tongue-in-cheek songs like Hater’s Anthem have become a social media favourite. To somehow sound nostalgic and fresh at the same time is a skill that Infinity Song are masters of.
Tyla
African music is receiving the attention it deserves thanks to the creative voices throughout the diaspora. You may know South Africa for Amapiano, but 22-year-old Johannesburg singer Tyla is the latest to crossover. Her viral hit Water was the sound of the summer, she’s collabed with Nigerian singer Ayra Starr and she’s just won her first Grammy for Best African Music Performance. Delve deeper into the rest of Tyla’s discography and you’ll discover that she’s one of the budding new voices in Pop music with undeniable charm and style, sweet vocals and choreography that proudly shows off the diversity of African artistry.
Brazy
Multilingual Nigerian singer Brazy is also diversifying what you think you know about the sound of the continent. Proving that there is so much more to west Africa than just Afrobeats, her style is catchy, confident and very much for the it-girl. She seamlessly switches languages, serves playful visuals and in her breakout song Attends which translates to wait in English, she perfectly captures the essence of being fabulously care-free.
Reneé Rapp
If Reneé Rapp hasn’t crossed your radar already, then you’re in for some fun. Rapp started out in musical theatre, playing Regina George in the Broadway musical version of Mean Girls, before taking on a TV role in comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls which you can read all about in Schön!’s interview with the star. Now she’s deep in her R&B-Pop bag with a powerhouse voice and collaborations with fellow it-girls Coco Jones and Megan Thee Stallion who Rapp just released the song Not My Fault. The track is on the soundtrack for the the movie remake of the Mean Girls musical with Rapp reprising her Regina George role for the big screen. The most exciting part about Rapp is that her talent seems to have no limit.
Cleo Sol
We’re sincerely hoping that you already have a Cleo Sol project or two on your playlist, but if not, thcn you are truly in for a musical treat. The British soul singer is widely regarded as the artist you go to in times when peace and healing are necessary. Not to mention that artists like Solange Knowles and Lil Simz have sung Sol’s praises. She is mysterious in the sense that she doesn’t do many interviews and securing tickets to see one of her rare live performances is battle of the fittest. She makes our list simply because following the release of stunning back-to-back albums Heaven and Gold in 2023, we’re hoping that there will be more performances and even more people discovering her art.
words. Shama Nasinde
