2025 Music: FAULT’s Artists to Watch

2025 music

2024 emerged as a pivotal year in the music industry, defined by innovative genre fusions and a vibrant revival of live performances that made the lockdown feel like a distant memory. Between the exhilarating Brat Summer, intense rap feuds, and the monumental Eras Tour, there was no shortage of unforgettable moments and groundbreaking releases.

Yet, amidst these established acts, the spotlight also shone brightly on emerging talent. This year introduced a host of artists and bands that kept blurring genre lines and coming up with amazing new perspectives. The beauty of music today lies in its boundless ability to evolve; fresh voices and perspectives continually craft sounds that hit deep. 

2025 Music: FAULT’s Artists to Watch

As we step into the new year, we invite you to explore FAULT’s Artists to Watch list for 2025. These rising stars are poised to make waves, ensuring that the gift of music keeps on giving…

NoMBe

What do we look for in an artist? Well, in 2025 music should be looking for new heights and new frontiers in sound; we should be looking for boundary pushers because we seem to be entering an era in which genres and labels don’t mean a thing anymore. One artist embodying this frontier-living ethos is NoMBe, showcasing his unique blend of genres and cultural influences, particularly Afro-Caribbean sounds and cultural touchstones.

In his quest for continued evolution, NoMBe called to us not only for the richness and variety of his sound, but also for his productivity, and 2025 promises to give us a string of hard-hitting singles starting from January 2nd, followed by a whole new album titled Diaspora, a record celebrating and paying homage to the past 60 years of Black music.

WHIT

WHIT blends flashy 90s alt-rock with modern country soul to create a distinctive sound full of rebellious energy and emotional intensity. A former Miss United States and Miss Texas, blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and wake surfer, she discovered her musical voice after connecting with Matt Novesky from Blue October. Inspired by artists like P!nk and Johnny Cash, her authentic songwriting delves deep inside into themes of trauma and empowerment. 

WHIT is a feminine force in a mostly male musical space; she owns it with undefeated grit, and she is poised to redefine the country-rock landscape as she gears up for her next EP with producer Aleks Von Korff at the helm.

COLBY!

If it’s written with an exclamation point, you better believe it’s worth getting excited about. Colby! Is one of those artists who’s just full of surprises—in one song she’s serenading us with a vulnerable folksy ballad that turns into a catchy pop banger, and in the next she’s pulling a Stevie Nicks rock song from her oversized blazer. She’s got literal heaps of talent, and she’s not afraid to take risks, making her an absolute must-watch artist to watch this next year.

For 2025, Colby! will be gifting us a string of releases ahead of her sophomore EP (as yet unnamed) due in the Summer.

FIN PEACH

For the highly sensitive souls, there’s fin peach, a uniquely vulnerable and genuine soul that’s making some of the most finely crafted alt-pop sounds you’re bound to hear around these parts. Hailing from the Texas suburbs, Griffin AKA fin peach is a sharp observer with a melancholic temperament who spins the mundane around into the exceptional.

For his 2025 music, peach’s got a bold plan all set up: he’ll be releasing a new track every six weeks or so ahead of his sophomore EP in the second quarter of the year.

VENDREDI SUR MER

With over 300 million streams and several certified gold/platinum releases to her name, Vendredi sur Mer is quickly becoming one of the most high-profile “emerging” artists out there. In many ways, you could say that the Swiss-born songstress has already made it a global phenomenon, but 2025 will surely bring unprecedented recognition to this fantastic new pop sensation. Vendredi sur Mer has an album planned to drop sometime this coming year, but she’s also about to embark on a European tour across 10 cities, starting around May.

Ella Isaacson

Under the guidance of Norwegian hitmakers Stargate, Ella Isaacson is honing her craft, collaborating with artists like Illenium and Zed’s Ded while writing for names like Aespa and Bryce Vine. With over 26 million Spotify streams, countless views on TikTok and support from major radio figures, Ella is not just trending; she’s redefining her space in the music scene. Her blend of authenticity and visionary songwriting make her both a highly sought-after talent that can just as easily shine on her own.

Ella is preparing for a super-busy year, working on singles, tours, music videos, and a bigger long-form project that already has us salivating from the expectations.

JOSIE & THE UNI BOYS 

Josie Ho is a multi-award-winning rock goddess and indie cult queen, celebrated for her dynamic career in music and film. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto, she leads Josie and the Uni Boys, a pioneering punk rock band that defies Canto-pop norms with their eclectic sound. Known for her gritty yet melodic voice, Josie captivates audiences across Asia with chart-topping hits in multiple languages. 

In February, the band will headline Dragon Rock Indigo at O2 UK, featuring legendary Hong Kong bands 24Herbs, Paul Wong, LMF, and LAZY MUTHA FUCKA. Details will be revealed soon. They are also releasing new music, including the single ‘Endless Perfection’, with more tracks on the way.

CLOSE TO MONDAY

A duo on the rise: Rather than just riding the dark wave and synth-pop wave, Close To Monday is redefining it entirely. Their debut albums, Interference and Secret Wishes, have dominated the German Alternative Charts, landing in the Top 10 for eight weeks while drawing comparisons to the likes of Depeche Mode and CHVRCHES

Known for their captivating fusion of choreographed visuals and live performances, they headlined Art Dubai, further establishing their presence on the global electronic stage. They are also fresh off a triumphant mini-tour through NYC, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

ALEXA KATE

For singer-songwriter Alexa Kate, music is all about connection, something she’s cultivated not just through her deeply personal yet relatable songs but by literally engaging with her audience pretty much daily by hosting TikTok Lives.

Drawing inspiration from powerhouse voices like Taylor Swift, Alexa has been crafting lyrics since childhood, bravely stripping away her layers to reveal the raw truths many keep hidden. Now, with a wealth of new music on the horizon—possibly an EP or even an album—and a series of live performances lined up for 2025, she’s ready to make her mark.

Caroline Kingsbury 

There’s an endless source of inspiration and love today in music and aesthetics that’s called “the 80s”. It is undeniable that the era continues to have a grip on the cultural zeitgeist in a lot of ways, and artists like queer pop luminary Caroline Kingsbury certainly use the rich sound palettes and aesthetic sensibilities of the era like the clay best-suited to express herself with.

In 2024, Kingsbury showered us with her high-octane synth-pop gifts via the I Really Don’t Care! EP, garnering millions of streams and earning a regular spot on Chappell Roan’s own Spotify Radio Playlists. Thus, she seems to be in her most picking-up-steam moment yet while getting ready to have a blast next year supporting Pom Pom Squad on a 25-date US tour and a planned string of coming releases in the early part of the year.

Naomi Jane

Naomi Jane has a knack for emotional and soulful storytelling that she alchemizes with catchy pop melodies. Her breakout single, ‘Little Miss’, won our little hearts and the International Songwriting Competition in 2024. Through her ‘Letterman Trilogy’, she delves into themes of love and self-discovery and takes us by the hand along for the journey with her imposing mezzo-soprano vocals. 

In 2025, Naomi Jane will launch two music videos from her debut EP, Sweet Talk—Like Like Love on January 10 and Socks on February 6. This spring, she will release her new single, ‘Lightning’, while also working on a sequel EP. She’s also planning to hit the stages this year, giving us a different taste of her music in the live format.

Shaney Poo

Shaney Poo is adept at subverting expectations in sound. Every song of his is some orthogonal pop banger that incorporates strong Hip Hop and R&B foundations and Afro-Caribbean textures. Influenced by legends like Ludacris and Sean Paul, Shaney left college to pursue music, founding B.L.A.C Pop in 2015—an initiative embodying “Becuz Love Always Conquers.” 

Shaney is also a community pillar through his podcast, Show & Tell Boston, amplifying local voices while preparing to release his new single, ‘Latin Nites’.

Shaney Poo will launch his new single, ‘Latin Nites’,, collaborating with different Latino-owned and oriented brands, with a vibrant music video celebrating Latino, Caribbean, and Black cultures, that is set to debut around Cinco de Mayo. This summer, he’ll embark on a series of live shows across the East Coast, West Coast, and Texas, featuring drummer Gina G. Additionally, he plans to release a single titled ‘Aqua Lounge’ to get that same summer rolling in a big way.  

Ayla D’Lyla

Ayla D’Lyla is a classically trained musician who’s always been at a cultural crossroads. Alya was born and raised in NYC to German and Palestinian ancestry embodying the idea of a “melting pot” in a single person, and she carries this into her music, where she adopted the plasticity and versatility of Pop in order to tell great stories that resonate with a global audience, inspired by huge female icons like Sher and Nacy Sinatra.

In 2025, Ayla D’Lyla is set to deepen her artistic journey, prioritizing the organic release of music “as the fancy strikes” -as it were- in order to continue building a strong, natural bond with her growing fanbase while staying true to her emotions and headspace. In short, she’s planning to surprise us!

KLOVIS GAYNOR 

By far the loudest and most shocking queer-and-here artist out there, Klovis Gaynor blazes a path very few have dared and does so with utmost confidence and temerity, taking even traumatic personal experiences and turning them into full-blown rock anthems. Klovis Gaynor & The Urinal Cakes, the latest project from NYC’s queer scene, features Klovis Gaynor alongside Brayden Baird, Dane Bundschuh, Josh Hausman, and Larah Helayne. 

Established in 2023, they debuted with the EP BABY PINK SPLIFFS in November 2024, blending raw emotion with chaotic sounds of heartbreak and desire. In early 2025, they’ll release their highly anticipated LP, SAVE ME 4 THE SPANK BANK.

Klovis is also directing short films, including BABY PINK, along with upcoming titles like MYSOPHILIAC and HORNED UP HAZY BABY. They continue to create handmade clothing and zines.

RYAL

Meet RYAL, your new favorite synth-pop duo. Born from the creative synergy of singer Jacque Ryal and multi-instrumentalist/producer Aaron Nevezie, this band has been making waves—particularly over the past two years—by seamlessly bridging gaps within the pop landscape. Their music is a captivating blend of catchy, alternative sounds, delivering sophisticated retro beats that pay homage to the iconic production styles of the 1980s.

As they gear up for an exciting year of 2025 music, RYAL is set to release five new singles, each promising to elevate their already dynamic sound. In addition, the duo is producing a series of live performance videos, which will be unveiled on YouTube and social media throughout the year, inviting listeners to join them on the dance floor in an exhilarating celebration of music and movement.