Spotify has unveiled the top 25 most influential artists under 25 who are currently dominating the music scene in Singapore.
Shawn Mendes, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter from Canada, takes the top spot. He boasts 25 million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 500 million streams for his hit song, “Stitches.” Following closely behind Mendes are Ariana Grande, Martin Garrix, Justin Bieber, and Alessia Cara. Popular artists Gentle Bones and Fifth Harmony are also included in the list.
To curate this “25 Under 25” list, Spotify’s music experts analyzed several factors, including the monthly listeners for each artist, artists featured in Spotify’s top playlists, and the best-performing artists within each genre.
The top 25 list also showcases emerging artists such as Linying, an indie singer-songwriter featured on Spotify’s “Global Viral 50” chart. “These young artists have broken boundaries and are certainly leading global culture regardless of age, making an impact across the world with their creativity and music,” says Chee Meng Tan, Spotify’s Director of Label Relations in Asia Pacific. He adds, “We are excited to see music from all over the world – international, regional and local – resonate amongst our Spotify users in Singapore. With so many young listeners on Spotify, it’s always fascinating to hone in on the peer artists they’re listening to and looking up to.”
Spotify’s “25 Under 25” (Singapore Edition):
Shawn Mendes: Mendes began his journey by sharing six-second covers on Vine. Now, at 18, the Toronto native sells out stadiums and boasts 25 million monthly Spotify listeners. Many tracks from Mendes’ second album, “Illuminate,” released in September, are trending on Spotify. His hit “Treat You Better” is on its way to rival the success of “Stitches” (over 500 million streams).
Ariana Grande: The 23-year-old singer released her latest album to immediate success, with multiple tracks becoming instant hits. “Dangerous Woman” and “Into You” have each surpassed 200 million streams, and “Side to Side” (featuring Nicki Minaj) is currently a top 10 song on Spotify’s global chart. Grande has 27 million monthly listeners.
Martin Garrix: The Dutch artist skyrocketed to EDM stardom at 17 with a series of remixes. Garrix, now 20, remains at the top with his hit “In The Name of Love,” featured on Spotify’s “Today’s Top Hits” playlist. With 21 million monthly listeners, Garrix is among Spotify’s top twenty most popular artists of all time.
Justin Bieber: Bieber has been unstoppable since his 2015 comeback with the Diplo and Skrillex collaboration “Where Are Ü Now.” With a continuous streak of solo hits like “Love Yourself,” “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry” – all surpassing 700 million streams – there’s no slowing Bieber down. His collaboration with Major Lazer and MØ, “Cold Water,” currently streams over 2.5 million times daily.
Alessia Cara: While this 20-year-old from Ontario, Canada, gained recognition for her song about disliking teen parties, she has soared further with the success of “Here.” “Here” was Spotify’s most viral song in the U.S. last year (and No. 5 globally). The R&B singer now has over 13 million monthly listeners. Cara’s track, “Scars to Your Beautiful,” is currently featured on Spotify’s “Today’s Top Hits” playlist.
Charlie Puth: With 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify, singer-songwriter Puth is a prominent figure in pop music. He gained international recognition for the Wiz Khalifa song “See You Again,” which he wrote, produced, and sang on. His collaborations with leading female artists, including Meghan Trainor (“Marvin Gaye”) and Selena Gomez (“We Don’t Talk Anymore”), achieved pop success, with the latter appearing to have a permanent spot on Spotify’s global charts.
Fifth Harmony: This all-female R&B group boasts over 16 million monthly Spotify listeners. Their catchy song “Work From Home” has racked up more than half a billion listens, dominating playlists throughout the summer in the U.S. and UK (similar to their previous year’s hit, “Worth It”). Their current hit is “All In My Head (Flex)” featuring Fetty Wap.
Hailee Steinfeld: Steinfeld’s latest track, “Starving,” has already surpassed 160 million streams and is soaring up Spotify’s global chart. This 19-year-old Oscar-nominated actress had a breakout single last year with “Love Myself” (210 million streams). Steinfeld, also known for her role as one of the Barden Bellas in “Pitch Perfect 2,” boasts 17 million monthly listeners.
Flume: Australian DJ/producer Flume recently received 11 nominations for the ARIA Awards, Australia’s equivalent of the Grammys. Spotify listeners are captivated by his tracks “Say It” (featuring Tove Lo) and “Never Be Like You” (featuring Kai). With 13 million monthly listeners, Flume (real name Harley Edward Streten) is a top EDM artist.
Zara Larsson: After winning a televised talent show at age 10 in her home country of Sweden, Larsson took time away to refine her singing before returning to conquer the global pop music scene. “Never Forget You” (385 million streams) and “Lush Life” (485 million streams) showcase Larsson’s genre-bending style, blending pop, EDM, and hip-hop. Larsson, now 18, has 18 million monthly listeners, and her latest track, “Aint My Fault,” is a hit on Spotify’s “Today’s Top Hits” playlist.
Joel Adams: This 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia, has just one song released on Spotify. However, his ballad “Please Don’t Go” has garnered approximately 210 million streams. With 10 million monthly listeners, a contract with independent record label Will Walker Records, and a spot on Charlie Puth’s North American tour, Adams is having a breakthrough moment.
Desiigner: Hip-hop artist Desiigner solidified his position as a breakout star of 2016 with the release of his hit “Panda” earlier this year. The song is approaching half a billion streams. Signed to Kanye West’s label G.O.O.D. Music, the 19-year-old from Brooklyn, New York is now climbing Spotify’s charts with “Timmy Turner.” Desiigner (real name Sidney Royel Selby III) attracts over 13 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Selena Gomez: Selena Gomez shed her child TV star image with the release of her mature and sensual album, “Revival.” With many songs surpassing 200 million streams, including “Hands to Myself,” “Same Old Love,” and “Good For You” (currently at around 330 million streams), Gomez, 24, is now one of pop music’s leading ladies. She averages 2.5 million streams daily, and listeners are loving her current collaboration with Puth, “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”
Halsey: Many Spotify listeners have closely followed pop singer Halsey’s career over the past few years, evidenced by “New Americana” garnering 130 million streams. However, it’s her feature on The Chainsmokers’ global hit “Closer” that exposed Halsey’s stunning vocals to a wider audience. Her solo music averages 1.5 million streams per day, and it feels like the 22-year-old from New Jersey is just getting started.
Demi Lovato: Lovato demanded attention with her bold and unrestrained album, “Confident,” which produced the megahit title track and last year’s summer anthem, “Cool for the Summer” (180 million streams). Listeners are also embracing Lovato’s “Body Say." The 24-year-old singer-songwriter has 10 million monthly listeners.
Cheat Codes: This electronic trio from Los Angeles, California struck a chord with listeners on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” playlist with their song “Sex,” released earlier this year. The track samples Salt-N-Pepa’s 1990 hit “Let’s Talk About Sex” and has amassed over 320 million streams. Cheat Codes average 15 million monthly users, and their current fan favorite is “Let Me Hold You (Turn Me On)” featuring Dante Klein.
Daya: Singer-songwriter Daya lends her voice to The Chainsmokers’ 2016 summer hit, “Don’t Let Me Down,” but she was already on her way to stardom the summer before with her own hit “Hide Away” (215 million streams). The 18-year-old from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whose real name is Martine Tandon, recently released her debut full-length album, “Sit Still, Look Pretty,” with the title track enjoying a successful run on Spotify’s “Today’s Top Hits” playlist.
BTS: This seven-member South Korean boy band is recognized for both their musical talent and significant social media influence. Their lead single “Blood Sweat & Tears” from their second studio album, “Wings,” is quickly gaining popularity among fans. It has received over 8 million streams since its release on Spotify.
EXO: EXO, short for Exoplanet, is a boy band recognized for their distinct blend of rap, hip-hop, rock, R&B, and, notably, their choreography. Since their debut in 2012, the band has maintained a strong online presence. Their latest single, “Dancing King,” has been racking up streams since its launch, currently nearing 3 million streams.
BLACKPINK: BLACKPINK followed their debut single album, “Square One,” with their second, “Square Two.” Despite being relatively new, BLACKPINK’s debut hit singles “Whistle” and “Boombayah” both secured top spots on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart. They were the fastest to achieve this and the third Korean artist to do so.
Linying: Linying gained initial recognition for her collaborations with European House heavyweights Felix Jaehn and Lost Frequencies. These collaborations led to a No. 1 spot on Hype Machine and over 10 million plays on Spotify. She released her debut single, “Sticky Leaves,” late last year, which landed on Spotify’s global viral charts. Her current hit single on Spotify is “Alpine.”
Eric Chou: Encouraged to learn classical piano by his mother, Chou discovered his love for composing his own music, capturing the rawness of life. His second album, “What Love Has Taught Us…” features one of his most cherished works, “Let’s Not Be Friends in The Future,” which became the theme song for a popular Taiwanese drama and is one of his most streamed songs on Spotify.
DEAN: DEAN has proven himself to be a hitmaker, having written chart-topping songs for K-Pop boy bands like EXO, Block B, and VIXX. Earlier this year, he released his EP, “130 Mood: TRBL,” with standout tracks like “Pour Up” and “D (Half Moon).” This year, he became the first Asian artist to perform at SXSW in the U.S. and followed that performance with one at KCON.
Gentle Bones: 22-year-old Joel Tan, known as Gentle Bones, saw his recent EP, “Geniuses & Thieves” hit No. 1 upon its June 2016 release, driven by the hits “Run Tell Daddy” and “Geniuses & Thieves.” He held two sold-out concerts in Singapore in June.
MYRNE: MYRNE released his debut four-track EP “Softsins” on Mad Decent in November 2015, making him one of the only Asian artists on their roster. A familiar face in the festival and club scene, his “Feels Right (Radio Edit)” has garnered over 2 million streams in a short period.
Spotify is currently available in 60 markets globally, with over 100 million active users* and over 40 million paying subscribers**.
Interested? Listen to Spotify’s “25 Under 25” playlist for Singapore.
*As of June 2016 **As of September 2016