20 artists to watch in 2023

Although R&B girl groups were way more popular until the early 2000s, British trio FLO shows the masses that fans still enjoy hearing three-part harmonies create some magic. FLO has gained quite the following since the release of their 2022 debut single “Cardboard Box,” which was featured on their EP The Lead. With performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and the 2022 Soul Train Awards, along with their recent win for the BRITs Rising Star Award, FLO is poised to have a promising 2023.

Natalie Jane went from being a contestant in season 18 of American Idol and her TikTok blowing up due to her song covers to being signed by Capitol Records – and she’s just getting started. With her latest singles “Mentally Cheating” and “Ava," fans are anticipating a full-length album in 2023. 

Memphis rapper GloRilla gained a massive following with her breakout single “F.N.F. (Let’s Go).” The popular song led to the viral #FNFChallenge on TikTok, and she also released a remix alongside fellow rap girls Latto and JT. She signed a record deal with fellow Memphis native Yo Gotti’s Collective Music Group. GloRilla released her debut EP Anyways, Life's Great..., which featured the Cardi B-assisted single "Tomorrow 2." With a 2023 Grammy nomination, GloRilla may just be hip-hop's newest "it girl." 

Social media has always been a great tool to help artists promote their music. Country singer Bailey Zimmerman began posting his original songs to TikTok in 2020. Since then, he released successful singles such as “Never Comin’ Home” and “Fall In Love,” which helped land him a record deal with Warner Music Nashville. With his debut project Leave the Light On landing in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart and embarking on a tour, Zimmerman is one of the brightest rising stars in country music. 

In a world where R&B constantly doesn’t get the push and recognition it deserves, emerging artist Q showcases that the genre continues to thrive. Signed under Columbia Records, Q started catching fans’ attention with his 2019 debut project Forest Green, followed up with The Shave Experiment a year later. After dropping a couple of one-off singles, a rousing performance of his single “Today” at the 2022 Soul Train Awards, and a voice that sounds well beyond his years, Q is gaining fans at every turn. 

As the newest signee to The Weeknd’s XO Records imprint, Chxrry22 is set to have quite a big year. Her smooth vocals and moody production is spread across her 7-track EP The Other Side, which features her hit song "Wasteland." With production courtesy of Sensei Bueno (Kid Cudi, DRAM, Snoh Aalegra) and LordQuest (SiR, Arin Ray), Chxrry22 is able to show off her dreamy and airy vocals that blend the worlds of pop and R&B.

Sometimes it just takes a co-sign for artists to gain more attention from the masses. Bronx rapper Ice Spice released her breakout single “Munch (Feelin' U)” in the summer of 2022, and Drake put the track in rotation on his SiriusXM radio station. The song went viral on social media from there, and Ice Spice landed a contract with Capitol Records.

R&B singer Siergio is far from a new artist; he dropped his first album, Songs for the Jeep, in 2016 and followed up two years later with his sophomore album, This Will Hurt. Siergio returned this year with his third album, Before It’s Too Late, which featured his smooth single "Leave Him." With Before It's Too Late reaching No. 2 on the iTunes R&B chart and a number of publications placing it on their end-of-year best lists, fans are now hoping that Siergio will embark on a tour in 2023.

While girl groups have dwindled over the last several years, ANGEL22 wants to show everyone that they are here to stay. The Latina group was first brought together on the 2019 season of the U.K.’s X Factor: Celebrity under their original group name V5. Since then, ANGEL22 has teamed up with Becky G and Elena Rose on their upcoming project. So far, they’ve released singles like “Free Hugs” and the breakup track “Para Ti No.”

R&B singer-songwriter LAYA put the world on notice when her 2020 single “Sailor Moon” went viral on social media. She signed a deal with Warner Music Records and released her debut EP Um, Hello in 2022. With a sound inspired by dance, ‘90s R&B, and even Missy Elliott, LAYA is ready to bring her mark on the industry. 

Jackson Dean is one of country music’s most talked about rising stars of the year. His debut single “Don’t Come Lookin’” was a top-three hit on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and featured on Netflix’s The Ice Road and Paramount’s Yellowstone. So far, he's opened up for some of country music's finest, including Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert, and Toby Keith. In 2023, he's set to join Blake Shelton and Carly Pearce on tour.

Nigeria’s latest rising star Asake first started getting some traction with his music in 2020, thanks to his singles like “Mr. Money” and “Lady." However, in early 2022, Asake's star seemed to skyrocket with the release of his debut EP Ololade, which featured his song hit song “Sungba.” He later released a remix to that song alongside Burna Boy, which was featured on his debut album Mr. Money with the Vibe. In addition to being featured on songs alongside DJ Spinall, Tiwa Savage, and Fireboy DML, his 2022 tour was a hot-selling ticket. 

Pop singer Kim Petras has been releasing music for several years now, but her success in 2022 seemingly pushes her to more mainstream audiences. While 2023 will mark four years since Petras released her sophomore album Turn Off the Light, she took the Billboard charts by storm with the single “Unholy,” a collaboration with Sam Smith. Petras became the first openly transgender artist with a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

For years, fans have seen professional athletes try their hand in the music industry, typically in pop and hip-hop. However, Larrenwong, the former Seattle Seahawks linebacker, is putting his heart and soul into the R&B world. Over the summer, he released his seven-track EP, Songs  That I Hate To Sing, featuring fan-favorite songs like “Mama” and “Deacon.” Larrenwong has smooth vocals and sweet melodies that showcase he's more than ready to show the world his next act. 

The world was introduced to Dora Jar in 2021 when she released her debut EP, Digital Meadow. Not long after, she was the opening act while touring with The Neighbourhood. The following year, she released her second EP, Comfortably in Pain , and opened up for Billie Eilish on her Happier Than Ever tour. With co-signs from artists like that and buzzing singles like "Bump" and "Bumblebee," Jar is ready to put her mark on the pop world.  

Sometimes an artist starts as a songwriter or a performer in different art mediums, which helps propel their career as a singer. That’s the case for Jai’Len Josey, who got her start in 2017 by starring in the Broadway play SpongeBob Musical. In 2021, she was a co-writer alongside Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Ari Lennox’s hit song “Pressure.” In 2023, Josey is set to be the opening act on Lennox’s North American tour. 

Canadian pop singer Devon Cole came onto the scene in 2020 with her single “July for the Whole Year.” Since then, she’s amassed millions of streams and a massive following on social media. When she released her EP Party for One in 2021, she caught the attention of executives at Arista Records and signed a deal. Cole’s 2022 single “W.I.T.C.H.” (an acronym meaning "Woman In Total Control of Herself") became Sony Music’s biggest pre-save campaign by a female artist to date.

Lo-fi pop singer Flowerovlove is a 16-year-old trying to balance life as a teenager and an emerging artist. In 2021, she released her debut EP Think Flower, with songs that help showcase her love for nature and sustainability with youthful optimism. One of her more recent tracks “Hannah Montana,” plays into the premise of the Disney Channel show, but also the singer’s life of splitting time between a student by day and a pop star at night. 

Dove Cameron isn’t necessarily a new artist; she’s been acting for the last 10 years, such as starring on the Disney Channel’s Liv and Maddie while simultaneously releasing soundtracks. Since then, she’s released several singles and her 2019 EP Bloodshot/Waste. However, her music career had a resurgence in a way when her 2022 single “Boyfriend” took TikTok and the Billboard charts by storm. She was recently awarded Best New Artist at the MTV Video Music Awards and named New Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards.

Rising artist Alex Vaughn has been releasing music since 2016, but it was five years later that she signed a record deal with LVRN/Interscope. In late 2022, Vaughn released her EP The Hurtbook, which featured the single "Mirage." 2023 is set to be a more significant year for Vaughn as she will join Ari Lennox on her North American tour.