2022 was the year of new music! From the explosion of indie pop to some big-name revivals, music lovers everywhere have basked in the glow of new anthems. And, every step of the way, V has been here for the ride with our weekly New Music Roundup. This week, let’s look back on all those artists who have blown up throughout the year. While 2022 featured some major returns to the industry (Beyoncé and Adele, just to name a few), there were some even bigger new entrants to the market. Here are our favorite new names in music from this past year. 

Wet Leg

With their debut self-titled album, the indie-rock duo drove into the national consciousness head-first. What haven’t they done? Harry Styles covered their song, they opened for Florence + The Machine, and they even scored their first Grammy nomination. Listen to Wet Leg for writhing electric guitars, stellar lyricism, and floating ethereal voices.  

Noah Kahan

2022 was the season of the sticks. Noah Kahan is by no means new to the music industry, but 2022 was the year that his neofolk acoustic sound blew up. Writing New England-style folk songs with bass and the occasional tambourine, Kahan reminds of earlier bands like The Lumineers and Mumford and Sons. His music is heavenly and poignant. 

Maude Latour

Entering her electropop era, Maude Latour made waves with the release of her follow-up EP 001. Infusing hyperpop flairs into her standard new-age sound, Latour proved herself to be anything but a one-trick pony. The new record is hit after hit. 

Little Simz

Picking up traction from her 2021 album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Little Simz had the perfect runway to launch in 2022. Now, with her year-end drop NO THANK YOU, she proves her lyrical genius. Bars and bars of fluid, jaw-dropping poetry with infectious melodic underlays create a compiled piece of sonic genius. 

Joshua Bassett

By year-end 2021, it was easy to think of Bassett as mere fodder for tabloid gossip. He had something to prove. Escaping the standard EP release cycle, Bassett released song after song, each one hitting harder than the last. The heartbreak king, Bassett demonstrated that he knows how to swoon through song.  

Laufey

Infusing some loved-up jazz into our year, Laufey single-handedly revived the mellow love song. Her album Everything I Know About Love is simple and refreshing, harkening back to an earlier time in music history. Playfully nostalgic, it’s clear that Laufey knows what she’s doing. 

Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo pushed his way into the limelight, one slow-rocking song at a time. His smooth, R&B-inspired pop album Ivory can’t help but persist in your thoughts. Having scored himself a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, Apollo proved his staying power. 

Coi Leray

As the rap pantheon continues to slowly open its doors to alternative voices, Coi Leray has proven herself as one of the foremost women in rap out there. Whether it be her single with evergreen star Nicki Minaj or her piles of TikTok hits, Leray entered the upper echelons this year. Her star rose, and rose quickly.