I’m super excited about some of the breakthrough artists I’ve discovered over the course of 2019. I’ll do a normal Top 10 for another post, but for now, this is about the Artists to Watch for 2020.
Leyla Blue… This girl can sing. She blends R&B/pop with Top 40 potential. Her track “Silence” is autobiographical about a failed relationship from beginning to end. The 20-year-old New York singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist sees everything as it is and filters chaos into her music, empowered pop laced with R&B energy.
Listen to her track “Silence” below!
Banoffee… a Melbourne-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and producer. She a deeply transgressive and deeply vulnerable approach to her music. She has an upcoming debut album due out in March 2020 on Cascine Record features collabs with SOPHIE, Empress Of, Cupakke and Umru; and deals with some hard-hitting personal topics like addiction and abuse. She toured with Taylor Swift on a worldwide stadium tour as well with Charli XCX’s troupe. Banoffee represents the new wave of mutant pop that is spreading through the music scene. Look At Us Now Dad is the debut album from Banoffee and it touches upon subject matters like abuse, sadness, and loss – all things we all go through.
mxmtoon… The debut album from the 19-year-old mxmtoon is a collection of what she calls “rhyming diary
photo credit: Nicole Busch
entries” Her refusal to hide from the truth the Oakland-based artist, otherwise known as Maia, acquires quiet bravery. She just had a breakthrough year and is only getting started; New music around the corner and will be touring extensively; averaging more than 1 million streams across DSPs.
Vistas… This band sounds straight off Radio 104.5 or at performing at one the block parties. Scottish indie-pop band who makes songs that made to be seen live. New album out this Spring. Big year of touring and festivals.
photo credit: Joey Visser
Boniface… Debut album out in February on Trangressive; The musician/producer otherwise known as Micah Visser reflects on falling in love and facing heartbreak whilst struggling with identity; Huge sounding with lavish arrangements.
The self-titled debut from Canadian solo artist, Boniface, is a combination of coming-of-age stories, each told with diary-like detail. The musician/producer, otherwise known as Micah Visser, reflects upon falling in love, dealing with heartbreak, and struggling with identity. Take a look his music video for “Keeping Up” below!
Dayglow… Austin-based artist, Dayglow, shares his debut, Fuzzybrain.
On his first full-length, he shares his gift for illuminating emotional pain in how it resonates and helps to make the pain feel light. Exciting fanbase at shows and on DSPs.
“For as long as I’ve made music, it’s been my goal to use it to help people feel better, and hopefully treat each other better,” says the singer/songwriter otherwise known as Sloan Struble. “I believe that all art can do something good for the world, as long as artists can recognize its potential and embrace that responsibility.”
The music of DRAMA is only matched by the band’s work ethic. Since 2014, the Chicago-based duo has created a name for themselves. 
Debut album out in February on Ghostly; Blurring the lines between R&B and dance-pop, heartbreak and bliss; Multicultural collaboration made up of producer Na’el Shehade and vocalist Via Rosa.
Emotional Oranges… definitely one of my favorite discoveries of 2019. These guys are going are be big in 2020. The R&B/indie hip-hop super duo, Emotional Oranges, have established themselves as one of the most exciting new acts in music by the likes of Complex, Fader, Paper, VIBE, and more. Not much is known about the duo, but that’s part of what makes it exciting. It focuses on their music.
