On Thursday, Spotify Japan released a special collection of artists that they thought would be the next major breakout artists of the up and coming generation. Please find a translated version of their thoughts and rationale below, with a link to their podcast featuring all 10 artists.
Since starting this feature in 2017, artists such as Aimyon, Official Hige Dandism, King Gnu and Vaundy have all made an appearance.
When speaking about how they selected the artists for this feature as a whole, Spotify Japan representative Ashizawa Noriko said:
We feature those artists that are deeply involved in the creation of their works right down to the composition and arrangement. These artists are people who convey their own thoughts directly to the world, which is a trend that we think will be big in 2023.
The themes that bind these 10 people together are “borderless” and “internet natives”, with the potential to surpass all barriers including genre, country borders, languages and cultures. Of particular interest are those artists who are able to properly weaponize social media to their advantage, especially those who can utilize things like video sharing sites to turn their art into major hits.
The list of 10 artists unordered are:
- Skaai
- Born in the United States and raised in Japan, this trilingual rapper first made waves when appearing on the audition program Rap Star Tanjo 2021. He then went on to release his first single in November of that year.
- DURDN
- A production by the duo tee tea, this group consists of singer-songwriter Baku, trackmaker SHINTA, and topline songwriter yacco. They debuted with their first song Conflict in January 2021.
- Tele
- A solo project by all-rounder Taniguchi Kitao, he does everything from composition to arrangement for this musical act. Spotify highlighted his ability to create entire worlds with his lyrical ability, calling him a revolutionary poet with extraordinary genius born in the new era.
- TOMOO
- A pianist from childhood, TOMOO made waves when she was signed to Official Hige Dandism‘s label IRORI under PONYCANYON.
- Natori
- Natori is a 19 year old singer-songwriter who, much like other stars in their generation such as Ado or yama, has not revealed their face in public. Their 2022 song Overdose was a breakout hit both within Japan and overseas.
- Haru Nemuri
- Another all-rounder who also writes poetry through rap, Haru Nemuri has received widespread critical acclaim, with an international tour that has yet again sold out as of the time of this writing.
- Furui Riho
- Originally a gospel choir singer, this Hokkaido singer-songwriter has been making noise for her catchy melodies as well as her composition and production for other artists.
- Young Skinny
- Formed in August 2020, this four member rock band stands out for their very realistic lyrics that reflect everyday life with a particularly strong teenage fanbase.
- LANA
- The younger sister of Japanese rapper LEX, her original works first uploaded to SoundCloud made waves within the industry and were brilliant enough to catch many an industry executive’s eye. While she does both composition and rapping, it is her husky voice that is the key sell for many people who recommend her works.
- Ren
- A TikTok native with over a million followers, the 19 year old singer songwriter has created many a viral hit across various social media platforms.
Source: Oricon
