This year’s 21 Under 21 package features the next generation of superstars who are savvier than ever — and know the importance of balancing nonstop careers while still maintaining at least a shred of privacy.
It’s something that fast-rising newcomer d4vd has already mastered. The 18-year-old — who teased his breakout hit “Romantic Homicide” on social media without ever showing his face — has quickly become one of alternative music’s most promising new artists. And come May 26, he’ll release his debut EP, Petals to Thorns.
The 2023 list includes other new names like alternative artist Riovaz, fast-rising R&B trio FLO and Afropop sensation Ayra Starr alongside more familiar chart-toppers like Olivia Rodrigo, The Kid LAROI and Lil Tecca — all of whom are teasing anticipated new projects on the way.
Rodrigo shared an update on her Sour follow-up in an Instagram story at the top of the year, LAROI debuted a new song off his upcoming album during his April Coachella set and in February Lil Tecca captioned a video on Instagram of himself in the studio, “when we droppin this album?”
It’s clear for the artists on this list that the year ahead — and, considering their early start, the years to come — will continue to be bright, if not nonstop.
Methodology: Billboard editors and reporters weighed a variety of factors in determining the 2023 21 Under 21 list, including, but not limited to, impact on consumer behavior, measured by metrics such as album and track sales, streaming volume (listed here as each artist’s on-demand official U.S. career streams, according to Luminate), social media impressions and radio/TV audiences reached; career trajectory; and overall impact in the industry, specifically during the past 12 months. Unless otherwise noted, Luminate is the source for sales/streaming data.
A version of this list originally appeared in the May 13, 2023 issue of Billboard.
