My 2025 "Emerging" Artist Wrapped

This isn’t about who’s new. It’s about who stayed.

This year, I stopped caring whether someone was technically “emerging.” What mattered was whether their music followed me. On walks. On planes. In moments where I didn’t have the words, but a song did.

These are the artists who made 2025 sound the way it felt.

100 gecs

Not emerging. Not subtle. Still weird in a way that feels honest. Revisiting their catalog this year reminded me how much they broke open what pop could be. Under all the chaos is a real feeling, which is why it still works.

Standout songs: Where's My Head At _, Hollywood Baby

Arcy Drive

Arcy Drive feels like a band that belongs in rooms full of people. They’ve been building for a while, but this year their music started to feel bigger, louder, more communal. Like it was meant to be shared.

Standout songs: Louie, Roll My Stone

Ditch Days

Ditch Days sounds like uncertainty turned into music. There’s emotion here without over-explaining it. This year, that honesty hit harder than polish ever could.

Standout songs: Seth Rogen, Private Eyes

DJ_Dave

DJ_Dave makes music that moves without asking for attention. Suddenly it’s on every playlist. Suddenly you’re walking faster. It just works.

Standout tracks: Hard Refresh, World's Hardest Game

Dog Park

Dog Park feels familiar in the way a neighborhood does. Their songs carry nostalgia without leaning on it. This year, they felt like a quiet constant.

Standout songs: Washington Square Park, Breaking in Brooklyn

Domo Genesis

Revisiting Domo Genesis reminded me how well his music ages. There’s confidence here that doesn’t need to be loud. His work still feels grounded, still feels real.

Standout songs: Dapper, Coming Back

FCUKERS

FCUKERS feel like nights out that blur together in the best way. Their music is sweaty, playful, and alive. This was the year they stopped feeling niche and started feeling inevitable.

Standout tracks: Bon Bon, Homie Don’t Shake

High June

High June became comfort music for me. Warm songs that don’t demand anything from you. Just there when you need them.

Standout songs: Coming Home Soon, After Hours

Jigitz

Jigitz feels self-assured in a way that’s calm, not flashy. His music knows what it is, and that clarity made it stick with me this year. Emotional, raw, and real.

Standout songs: Dollaz n Dollaz, Tell You Straight

Leoní Biney

Leoní’s music feels patient. Like it waited until the right moment to reach me. Her writing is emotionally precise and quietly powerful.

Standout songs: Beach Song, Love You So

Malcolm Todd

This was the year Malcolm Todd’s songs started lingering. Not just playing, but staying. His writing feels conversational in a way that’s hard to shake.

Standout songs: Roommates, Sweet Boy

Party Dozen

Party Dozen doesn’t soften anything. Their music is loud, confrontational, and a little uncomfortable. In 2025, that felt necessary.

Standout songs: Risky Behaviour, Auto Loser

Pearl

Pearl’s music feels delicate but intentional. This year felt like a moment of clarity for them, where everything came into focus. She is her.

Standout songs: No Man, Fuck It Up

Piwa

Piwa’s tracks move gently but purposefully. They kept finding their way back into my rotation, which usually means something’s working.

Standout tracks: Fine Line, Be Right Back

Ra Ra Viper

Raw, loud, and unapologetic. Discovering Ra Ra Viper this year felt like uncovering a band that had always existed just outside my orbit.

Standout songs: Paddy, Car Crash

Rebounder

Rebounder’s growth is subtle but real. Their sound feels more refined now, without losing emotional weight. This was the year it all clicked.

Standout songs: Japanese Posters, Boy Friday

Shane Guerrette

Shane Guerrette writes songs that feel lived in. The kind you sit with. His music rewards slowing down, which felt rare this year.

Standout songs: Lost Without You, Ol' Miss Carolina

Sol Chyld

Sol Chyld’s music feels reflective without closing itself off. Honest, conversational, and grounded.

Standout songs: NBC, EN ROUTE

Stolen Gin

Stolen Gin refuses to settle into one sound. Their music feels exploratory, which made discovering them this year genuinely exciting.

Standout songs: If We Go Down, Analie

Swimming Paul

Swimming Paul became late-night music for me. Soft songs that feel best when everything else is quiet.

Standout songs: Driving Fast, VHS RAVE

The Boy From The South

His storytelling feels rooted in place. Music that knows where it comes from and isn’t afraid to say it.

Standout songs: Mornings, Little Room

The Man The Myth The Meatslab

Loud, chaotic, and unapologetic. Their music doesn’t ask permission. It just exists.

Standout songs: Home Run, Lake Run Drive

Winyah

A slow burn in every sense. Atmospheric and intentional. By the end of the year, their music felt essential.

Standout songs: Lot To Learn, Nothin' At All

Young Franco

Joyful without being shallow. Whenever I needed a mood shift, his music delivered exactly that.

Standout tracks: Juice, Give Thanks, Give Praise

This list isn’t about what’s next. It’s about what stayed with me. These artists didn’t just soundtrack 2025. They helped me make sense of it.