2024 was a huge year for flourishing female stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx and Chappell Roan. All of these women have honed their craft and public persona over time to reach the position of mainstream fame they currently sit at; their apparent ‘overnight success’ was a product of tireless hard work, several setbacks and a whole lot of online hype and speculation this past summer. Their breakthroughs defined 2024 as an unforgettable year for women in pop, and I’m overjoyed that their talents have finally been recognised. Unfortunately, there are plenty of incredible musicians out there whose recent emergence within the industry has not yet been widely acknowledged, or who have been working for years to little avail. I’d like to recommend six artists – some old and some new – that I think deserve a similar ‘breakthrough moment’ in 2025.
Remy Bond:
If you’re a fan of Lana Del Rey, you’re sure to be obsessed with Remy Bond. Making her musical debut in 2023 with the song ‘End Of The World’, Remy’s artistic persona was immediately striking, yet familiar. Not only do her vintage music video aesthetics and fashion choices hark back to Lana’s iconic Born To Die era, her lyricism and sound emulate the ‘Lana Del Rey Americana’ mould to a T. By fusing Hollywood glamour, tales of intense love affairs, and distinctly American motifs with dreamy, lush production, her discography transports listeners to retro-esque sonic landscape, eliciting feelings of nostalgia for an idealised vision of the 1950s & ‘60s (in a similar way to Lana’s Honeymoon and Lust For Life albums). I’m hopeful that she will be recognised outside of the Lana Del Rey fandom this year; she is constantly working on new music and seems confident in her artistry and her image so her latent success seems likely to manifest itself very soon. Though Remy has yet to release an album or an EP, she has plenty of beautiful singles to keep you occupied in the meantime.
Favourite Songs: ‘Summer Song’, ‘Don’t Go Back To Paris’, ‘Red White and Blue’, ‘End of the World’ and ‘Benzo Queen’
Lord Huron:
The folk-rock band Lord Huron made waves across the internet when their heartbreaking track ‘The Night We Met’ was featured in Netflix’s Thirteen Reasons Why. However, their more recent music has failed to reach similar levels of traction. This summer, I heard ‘The Night We Met’ for the first time in years and decided to delve further into the band’s discography. Immediately, I was struck by the cinematic, immersive feel of their songs, their emotive lyrics, and lead singer Ben Schneider’s soothing vocals. Their albums prompt feelings of whimsical escapism; of yearning to flee the humdrum of ordinary life and explore the sublimity of the natural world. I became so obsessed with them in 2024 that their song ‘Meet Me In The Woods’ from their album Strange Trails ended up being my top track on Spotify Wrapped! If you like folk/indie artists such as Noah Kahan, Gregory Ivan Isakov, The National, Fleet Foxes, and Hozier, I’d highly recommend listening to the entirety of Lord Huron’s astounding catalogue.
Favourite Songs: ‘Meet Me In The Woods’, ‘Long Lost’, ‘Emerald Star’, ‘Love Me Like You Used To’ and ‘Louisa’
The Technicolours:
Admittedly, I know very little about the indie-rock The Technicolours aside from that they make great music. One of their deep cuts – ‘Feels Like Trouble’ – popped up on my Spotify recommendations in 2022 and despite being addicted to their music ever since, I’ve yet to find out anything substantial about them as a group. Their presence online is highly limited; though they have garnered millions of streams on Spotify and have plenty of albums to dig into, they don’t even have an official Wikipedia page! I’ve never heard anyone – either in real life or on social media – talk about this band and so I feel it is my duty to inform Nouse’s readers of their talent. Not only are their songs consistently upbeat, punchy, and fun, their general sound is a clear pastiche of some of the early 2000’s best rock bands such as The Killers, Muse, and The Arctic Monkeys. According to their inactive social media and an almost deserted Reddit chat, they seem to have disbanded for good but I hope that if they are discovered by the likes of TikTok, they may reunite at some point!
Favourite Songs: ‘Tonight You Are Mine’, ‘Feels Like Trouble’, ‘Space Cadet’, ‘Neon Roses’ and ‘Mezzanine’
Ravyn Lenae:
Much to my delight, I luckily discovered R&B artist Ravyn Lenae at the very backend of 2024 via TikTok. A remix of Solange Knowles’ ‘Losing You’ (one of my favourite songs of all time!) and Lenae’s ‘Love Me Not’ popped up on my feed and I immediately fell in love with her voice and overall vibe. After doing some research, I was shocked to find that Lenae has been a part of the industry since 2015; I couldn’t believe that someone so talented has slipped under my radar for so long. I soon discovered her discography to be diverse and sprawling, covering jazz, hiphop, R&B and elements of disco. She has collaborated with several prominent artists including Steve Lacy, Childish Gambino & Kaytranada, and also opened for SZA’s Ctrl tour in 2017. Despite her connections within the industry and her constant output of excellent music, she has remained painfully underrated for over nine years. If you’re a fan of Victoria Monet, Lauryn Hill, SZA, Solange or Steve Lacy, be sure to check her out this new year!
Favourite Songs: ‘Love Me Not’, ‘Genius’, ‘Light Me Up’, ‘Sticky’ and ‘The Night Song’
Jessie Ware:
I’ve been a casual fan of Jessie Ware for some time now; I regularly tuned into her ‘Table Manners’ podcast and I enjoyed her collaboration with Kylie Minogue titled ‘Kiss of Life’ in 2021. However, it wasn’t until I stumbled upon a Youtube review of her album What’s Your Pleasure? (2020) from Anthony Fantano that my interest in her was roused. The fact that Fantano, one of the harshest music critics out there, gave it a near-perfect score signalled to me that there must be something special about her music. I decided to listen to her two most recent albums What’s Your Pleasure? and That! Feels Good! (2023) and was instantly transfixed by her soothing, powerful voice, her clever lyricism and disco-inspired sound. Not only do her vocal capabilities rival that of legends like Adele, but her songs are impeccably produced and consistently pack a punch. If you’re unsure where to start with her vast discography, I’d recommend watching her live renditions of her songs ‘Begin Again’ and ‘Free Yourself’ on Later…With Jools Holland; they’re a great introduction to her brilliant artistry. Be warned that her music is insanely addictive – there was a point in 2024 where I genuinely couldn’t bring myself to listen to anyone else but her! Whilst Ware has been a British LGBT+ icon for years, I hope that she is able to cement herself as an artist outside of the UK very soon.
Favourite Songs: ‘Begin Again’, ‘Wildest Moments’, ‘Spotlight’, ‘Want Your Feeling’ and ‘Free Yourself’
FLO:
Throughout the ‘90s and 2000s, the UK was famed for churning out iconic girl groups like The Spice Girls, Little Mix, The Saturdays and Girls Aloud. There seemed to be a lull in that department of the British music industry for several years…until FLO. Comprised of Stella Quaresma, Jorja Douglas and Renée Downer, this tenacious trio have been working tirelessly since 2019 to revive the legacy of the British girl group archetype. Their discography, particularly their debut album Access All Areas (2024), is defined by its nostalgic homage to ‘90s legends like Destiny’s Child, their complex and angelic harmonies, as well as their unabashed celebration of female sexuality through their playful lyrics. Whilst they rose to a significant level of prominence in 2022 with their R&B viral hit ‘Cardboard Box’, their fanbase remains limited within the confines of the UK. I’ve been obsessed with FLO this past year and I hope that they’re able to attain another success like that of ‘Cardboard Box’ as soon as possible.
Favourite Songs: ‘Check’, ‘Walk Like This’, ‘How Does It Feel?’, ‘In My Bag’ and ‘Cardboard Box’