Five Breakout Artists to Discover Before Everyone Else
Because by fall, your playlist won’t survive without them.
by CHLOE RUDNICK ★ September 2nd, 2025
Design: Maisy Wood
It’s that time of summer… when your carefully curated driving-with-the-sunroof-open playlist starts to feel a little too familiar. If you're craving something fresh and a new soundtrack for the season, here are five of my current favorite rising artists — all climbing fast and worth adding to your rotation before everyone else catches on.
Audrey Hobert
You might know her as the voice behind TikTok’s latest viral track, “Sue me,” or as the co-writer behind some of the biggest hits on Gracie Abrams’ latest album “The Secret of Us” — including “I Love You, I’m Sorry” and “That’s So True.” But what you might not know is that she and Abrams are lifelong best friends, and it was during the making of “The Secret of Us” that she discovered her true talent and passion for songwriting.
Now, she’s branching independently, and that branch is growing quickly. Her debut single “Sue me” dropped on May 9 via RCA (a label owned by Sony Music Entertainment) and has already earned over 11 million streams across platforms, proving that she’s not just a behind-the-scenes star, but a breakout artist in her own right. Rolling Stone even went as far as to call it “one of the year’s catchiest singles.” Hobert followed it up with two more singles, “Bowling Alley” and “Wet Hair”— three tracks leading to her highly anticipated debut album, “Who’s The Clown?” And though the title appears satirical, the album is certainly no joke — it’s a tight, 12-song, 34-minute debut that feels as close to perfect as they come, and it’s one of my favorite listens in a long time.
Sombr
If you’re anything like me, you take your aux seriously. And sometimes, it’s just too hard to choose which vibe to go with. When that happens, I’ve got a go-to solution: the Billboard Hot 100 — my personal safety net when I’m stuck. It’s also where I first stumbled on Sombr, with his tracks “undressed” and “back to friends” stacked right on top of each other. If I’m not scrolling through the charts, my backup is Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits, where — no surprise — both songs sit just as comfortably.
20-year-old Sombr has been around for a while, uploading and producing tracks in his bedroom since 2021. In 2023, he signed with Warner Records, and now he’s finally having his breakthrough moment. His viral hit “undressed” has catapulted him into the spotlight, pulling his 2024 single “back to friends” along with it. Together, they’ve built the perfect momentum for his newest release, “we never dated,” which is already shaping up to be his biggest track yet. He recently announced a North American and European tour, followed by dates in Australia and New Zealand, and a return to Europe — all of which sold out. It’s hardly surprising, considering he surpassed 10 million monthly listeners in March and doubled that number to over 20 million within a month. Now, just three months later, he boasts 44 million monthly listeners, ranking as Spotify’s 55th most-streamed artist in the world.
Alex Warren
We’ve seen it before: creators trying their hand at pop stardom (I won’t name names, but you know the ones). Alex Warren is doing it differently. His earlier songs, like “Before You Leave Me” and “Carry You Home,” quietly paved the way for his big break. “Ordinary,” a song that has comfortably sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, has opened nearly every door in the industry — and shattered records most artists spend a lifetime chasing. One of them? Becoming the first U.S. singer since Elvis to hold the No. 1 spot for the most consecutive weeks on the U.K. charts. Yes… Elvis.
Still early in his career, Warren has already teamed up with major names releasing a string of high-profile tracks under Atlantic Records — including “Burning Down” with Joe Jonas, “Bloodline” with Jelly Roll, and his latest, “On My Mind,” featuring Rosé. And something tells me he’s only just getting started.
Role Model
You know him, you love him, and if you don’t… you’re about to. Calling him a breakout artist feels almost strange because, to me, he’s hardly “new.” He’s someone who’s been in my orbit for longer than just the past few months — even if the rest of the world is only now catching on.
Partially, thanks to his song “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” released Feb. 14, as part of the deluxe edition of his latest album “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye).” The track had already built unstoppable momentum on TikTok, becoming a viral hit before its official release. Its success didn’t just introduce Role Model to millions of new listeners — it became a cultural moment. At every show, he brings someone onstage to be his “Sally” of the night. Sometimes it's his biggest fan in the crowd, other times it's a-listers like Olivia Rodrigo, Troye Sivan, Natalie Portman or Bowen Yang. He recently wrapped up a headline tour and then joined Gracie Abrams on hers, closing out at Madison Square Garden. While there aren’t any upcoming dates on the calendar just yet, his latest album is more than worth the listen, and I promise you won’t regret it.
Olivia Dean
You might’ve stumbled upon Olivia Dean through her most recent hit, “Nice To Each Other,” only to fall headfirst into the rest of her discography. That’s when you realize “Ok Love You Bye” is just as addictive. And that stunning track “Dive” you’ve definitely heard before? Yep, that’s hers too. It was her debut EP “Ok Love You Bye” that landed her a deal with EMI Records and sparked her rise to stardom in the UK.
And something tells me… the states are next. Dean is set to open for Sabrina Carpenter on her upcoming North American tour this fall, including Carpenter’s shows at Madison Square Garden. Her timeless sound, weaving soulful roots with a fresh pop edge, is exactly what defines a true breakthrough artist — someone carving out a lane not many others are in yet. Whatever she’s doing, it’s working: she was nominated for Rising Star at the BRIT Awards and featured on BBC’s Sound of 2023 shortlist, cementing her as one to watch. Add in her effortlessly chic concert style — sleek dresses, tailored trousers and subtle vintage touches — and it’s no wonder she’s quickly becoming as captivating to see as she is to hear.
So…
With all this downtime, there’s no better move than diving into new music. Whether it’s Audrey Hobert, Sombr, Alex Warren, Olivia Dean, Role Model, or anyone else you might’ve beat me to discovering, now’s the perfect time to start listening. Who knows, by next year some of these names could be up for Best New Artist at the Grammys, and you’ll get to smugly say you were here first. Besides, even though Brat Summer is forever, can we really keep listening to that album on repeat?
Edited by: Madison Sherman