It’s the question critics and industry bigwigs have been asking for the best part of the last six months: who’s going to break through in 2025? The answer to this question varies greatly depending on who you ask, and although no one asked us we’re still going to tell you anyway. We could spew paragraph after paragraph detailing why a certain artist should be on your radar this year, but at the end of the day it’s the music that does the talking. So here is our starting XI for 2025, featuring a key song from each pick.
Junior Varsity
From: Los Angeles
For fans of: The Go! Team, Bby, skating
Getdown Services
From: Bristol
For fans of: Do Nothing, Yard Act, Big Special
Chloe Slater
From: Manchester
For fans of: Wolf Alice, Courtney Barnett, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Cara Rose
From: Glasgow
For fans of: Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse, Regina Spektor
Bby
From: London
For fans of: London’s DIY scene, Junior Varsity, Husky Loops
Fcukers
From: New York City
For fans of: New York City
Girl Ultra
From: Mexico City
For fans of: Nilüfer Yanya, Marta Knight, Kali Uchis
Camille Schmidt
From: Brooklyn
For fans of: Boygenius, Waxahatchee, storytelling
Aino Salto
From: Switzerland
For fans of: Marta Del Grandi, obscure indietronica, winter
Ellie Dixon
From: Cambridge
For fans of: seizing the day in style
Heartworms
From: London
For fans of: Enola Gay, Talk Show, military history
