15 New Artists to Watch in 2015

These rising stars should be on your radar in the new year.

15 New Artists to Watch in 2015 - 2015 is the year that music lovers have been waiting for. With femcees on the rise, alternative R&B stars roaring for attention, the rise of the West again, continued movement from the South and New York always looking to maintain the crown, these are the artists for you to keep your eyes and ears on in the new year.  —Taj Rani (Photo: Tink via Twitter, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET, Fortunata/Splash News)

1 / 16

15 New Artists to Watch in 2015 - 2015 is the year that music lovers have been waiting for. With femcees on the rise, alternative R&B stars roaring for attention, the rise of the West again, continued movement from the South and New York always looking to maintain the crown, these are the artists for you to keep your eyes and ears on in the new year.  —Taj Rani (Photo: Tink via Twitter, Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images for BET, Fortunata/Splash News)

Tink - She is Timbaland's protégé and an emcee whose talent goes far beyond the booth. Besides being a ferocious femcee who can sing as well, her verse on Rick Ross and Jay Z's "Movin' Bass" remix garnered her the attention that'll make her a star who's here to stay in 2015. (Photo: Tink via Instagram)

2 / 16

Tink - She is Timbaland's protégé and an emcee whose talent goes far beyond the booth. Besides being a ferocious femcee who can sing as well, her verse on Rick Ross and Jay Z's "Movin' Bass" remix garnered her the attention that'll make her a star who's here to stay in 2015. (Photo: Tink via Instagram)

Father - You can't stop and won't stop any rapper from Atlanta, including Father. His breakout hit, "Look at My Wrist" featuring iLoveMakkonen and Key!, is a laid-back tune that is setting the tone for new acts coming out of his city.  (Photo: Father via Instagram)

3 / 16

Father - You can't stop and won't stop any rapper from Atlanta, including Father. His breakout hit, "Look at My Wrist" featuring iLoveMakkonen and Key!, is a laid-back tune that is setting the tone for new acts coming out of his city.  (Photo: Father via Instagram)

Dej Loaf - Like Tink, Dej Loaf is a female emcee who took the music scene by storm due to her ability to both sing and rap. Her breakout hit "Try Me" landed her a lucrative deal with Columbia Records and her new single "Blood" featuring Rich Gang is climbing up the charts, further solidifying her space in the game.  (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

4 / 16

Dej Loaf - Like Tink, Dej Loaf is a female emcee who took the music scene by storm due to her ability to both sing and rap. Her breakout hit "Try Me" landed her a lucrative deal with Columbia Records and her new single "Blood" featuring Rich Gang is climbing up the charts, further solidifying her space in the game.  (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

OG Maco - The self-titled OG Maco EP is making waves because of lead single "U Guessed It." The song was so influential that many even feel as though Beyoncé picked up on some of his style and swag for her "7/11" music video. That's debatable, but what isn't is OG Maco's staying power as a party anthem-maker. (Photo: Quality Control Records)

5 / 16

OG Maco - The self-titled OG Maco EP is making waves because of lead single "U Guessed It." The song was so influential that many even feel as though Beyoncé picked up on some of his style and swag for her "7/11" music video. That's debatable, but what isn't is OG Maco's staying power as a party anthem-maker. (Photo: Quality Control Records)

ADVERTISEMENT
455742964

6 / 16

Vince Staples - Hailing from Long Beach, Calif., Vince Staples made a splash this year with his single "Blue Suede." He also made a statement as part of the moving tribute to Mike Brown at the 2014 BET Hip Hop Awards alongside Common and Jay Electronica. With slick lyrics and the classic laid-back Cali style, Vince Staples is a legend in the making.  (Photo: Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images)

iLoveMakonnen - Hailing from Atlanta, iLoveMakonnen's hit "Tuesday" made such an impact that Drake hopped on it and assisted the meteoric rise of the lyricist. The alternative urban music artist fuses electronic music with hip hop and uses his songs to narrate what his life is really about.   (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

7 / 16

iLoveMakonnen - Hailing from Atlanta, iLoveMakonnen's hit "Tuesday" made such an impact that Drake hopped on it and assisted the meteoric rise of the lyricist. The alternative urban music artist fuses electronic music with hip hop and uses his songs to narrate what his life is really about.   (Photo: Bennett Raglin/BET/Getty Images)

FKA Twigs - Coming from across the pond, FKA Twigs has made nothing short of an impact with her dedication to the artform of voguing. As a vocalist, her feathery voice is exactly what people love in the alternative R&B space on songs like "2 Weeks."  (Photo: Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images)

8 / 16

FKA Twigs - Coming from across the pond, FKA Twigs has made nothing short of an impact with her dedication to the artform of voguing. As a vocalist, her feathery voice is exactly what people love in the alternative R&B space on songs like "2 Weeks."  (Photo: Tabatha Fireman/Getty Images)

Lion Babe - Two years ago, Lion Babe debuted with their single, "Treat Me Like Fire" and then they seemed to fall back from the spotlight, but now they're back. The duo, which consists of Jillian Hervey and Lucas Goodman, just dropped their self-titled EP, the single "Jump Hi" featuring Childish Gambino and are currently opening for The Roots. Let's just say that the future is mighty bright.   (Photo: Jordan Naylor/Getty Images for SXSW)

9 / 16

Lion Babe - Two years ago, Lion Babe debuted with their single, "Treat Me Like Fire" and then they seemed to fall back from the spotlight, but now they're back. The duo, which consists of Jillian Hervey and Lucas Goodman, just dropped their self-titled EP, the single "Jump Hi" featuring Childish Gambino and are currently opening for The Roots. Let's just say that the future is mighty bright.   (Photo: Jordan Naylor/Getty Images for SXSW)

Raury - Raury really doesn't need an introduction. His project Indigo Child captured the hearts of music lovers everywhere and his musical prowess at just 18 years old has made him the prodigy to watch for 2015.  (Photo: Raury via Instagram)

10 / 16

Raury - Raury really doesn't need an introduction. His project Indigo Child captured the hearts of music lovers everywhere and his musical prowess at just 18 years old has made him the prodigy to watch for 2015.  (Photo: Raury via Instagram)

Photo By Photo: Raury via Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT
Goldlink - Like Wale, Goldlink hails from the DMV. The rapper stays extremely low-key and far from the spotlight, but his debut project The God Complex fuses hip hop, soul, bounce, dance and tribal sounds into one eclectic mix, setting him apart from his contemporaries. His tracks "Ay Ay" and "When I Die" are two must listens to understand the impact that he'll make on music this coming year.(Photo: Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post)

11 / 16

Goldlink - Like Wale, Goldlink hails from the DMV. The rapper stays extremely low-key and far from the spotlight, but his debut project The God Complex fuses hip hop, soul, bounce, dance and tribal sounds into one eclectic mix, setting him apart from his contemporaries. His tracks "Ay Ay" and "When I Die" are two must listens to understand the impact that he'll make on music this coming year.(Photo: Kyle Gustafson / For The Washington Post)

OT Genasis - With his NSFW single "Coco," O.T. Genasis caught the attention of Busta Rhymes and signed a record deal soon after. He was also another rising star at the 2014 Hip Hop Awards and was featured in a cypher showing off his skills and hunger for the fickle rap game.  (Photo: Atlantic Records)

12 / 16

OT Genasis - With his NSFW single "Coco," O.T. Genasis caught the attention of Busta Rhymes and signed a record deal soon after. He was also another rising star at the 2014 Hip Hop Awards and was featured in a cypher showing off his skills and hunger for the fickle rap game.  (Photo: Atlantic Records)

BJ Drops New Single, "Wednesday Weekend" - BJ the Chicago Kid is giving us just a sample of the greatness he’s mixing up in anticipation of his upcoming album. Last week he released a behind-the-scenes video of the recording of his song “Real Love Never Dies,” and this week, he’s giving us a look into his “Wednesday Weekends.” In the song, BJ turns what some describe as the longest day of the week into the best day of the week. Check it out here.(Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET)

13 / 16

BJ the Chicago Kid - With his city in his name, BJ the Chicago Kid reps his hometown the right way. Already signed to Motown Records, the young vocalist and writer is breathing new life into R&B with songs like "Strawberry Bubblegum" and "B.A.M."  (Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for BET)

Kehlani  - With Oakland running through her veins, Kehlani's destiny has been performing since she was a child. The soul music-influenced vocalist has caught the attention of Nick Cannon and with her single "FWU," an ode to loving your man, 2015 is in her favor.  (Photo: Kehlani Parrish via youtube)

14 / 16

Kehlani  - With Oakland running through her veins, Kehlani's destiny has been performing since she was a child. The soul music-influenced vocalist has caught the attention of Nick Cannon and with her single "FWU," an ode to loving your man, 2015 is in her favor.  (Photo: Kehlani Parrish via youtube)

Justine Skye - Justine Skye is a Brooklyn native with an old soul and a unique style. Besides being a young fashion and beauty icon on the rise, her admiration for '90s R&B was heard clearly on her debut EP Everday Living and her latest single, the DJ Mustard-produced "Collide" featuring Tyga. (Photo: Ethan Miller/BET/Getty Images for BET)

15 / 16

Justine Skye - Justine Skye is a Brooklyn native with an old soul and a unique style. Besides being a young fashion and beauty icon on the rise, her admiration for '90s R&B was heard clearly on her debut EP Everday Living and her latest single, the DJ Mustard-produced "Collide" featuring Tyga. (Photo: Ethan Miller/BET/Getty Images for BET)

Avery Wilson - Avery Wilson first stunned the world on The Voice two years ago with some of the most controlled and, for lack of a better term, anointed vocals that anyone has heard from an R&B singer in decades. He covers tons of songs every week on his Vine and Instagram accounts, so rest assured that 2015 is destined to be a breakout year for this talented crooner. (Photo: Avery Wilson via Instagram)

16 / 16

Avery Wilson - Avery Wilson first stunned the world on The Voice two years ago with some of the most controlled and, for lack of a better term, anointed vocals that anyone has heard from an R&B singer in decades. He covers tons of songs every week on his Vine and Instagram accounts, so rest assured that 2015 is destined to be a breakout year for this talented crooner. (Photo: Avery Wilson via Instagram)