BY: Alexis Eichelberger

We at PROVOKR are loving that we are turned on by so many hot, new artists. This year, they all broke onto the music scene and made their mark. They each delivered a fresh, new sound we can’t get enough of or stop talking about.

Here are our five favorite new artists of 2019:

Lil Nas X

Of course, the artist that defined the year was Lil Nas X, a TikTok-made sensation. “Old Town Road” shattered every rule and established expectation for charting hits and genre definitions. The young, adorable star followed up his viral hit with another fantastic single “Panini”, and his 7 EP seems to fuse hip-hop, country and rock into one. A full-length debut album is reportedly in the works, and we’re anxious for a release date to be announced.

Maggie Rogers

One of the most stunning debut albums we’ve heard in recent years came from Maggie Rogers. Heard It In A Past Life is a beautiful, tender collection of music that’s bound to make you smile. This year, she headlined her first world tour, which included a stop at Coachella. She also performed a few tracks alongside Dead & Company during their show at Madison Square Garden and rocked Kacey Musgraves’ sold-out Nashville show recently as the opener.

Lizzo

Lizzo’s first EP, released in 2016, was fabulous, but this year she reached icon status with her debut album. Cuz I Love You is all about feminine badassery and self-love, and songs like “Truth Hurts” and “Good As Hell” quickly became the girl power anthems of the year. We can’t stop listening.

Normani

Normani broke away from Fifth Harmony and made a name for herself this year with a few hot new singles and a few months spent opening for Ariana Grande on the North American leg of the Sweetener World Tour. A few collabs last year led to another this year, the beautiful and emotive “Dancing With A Stranger” with the incomparable Sam Smith. Normani also gave us her first sexy solo single “Motivation” in August. Her debut album is reportedly on the way.

Lewis Capaldi

Currently reigning king of the Billboard Hot 100 is Lewis Capaldi with his stunning single “Someone You Loved.” It’s stripped down and simple compared to most songs that’ve been coveted number one spot this year, but Capaldi’s breathtaking vocals speak for themselves. His minimalist style is a testament to his raw talent throughout his debut album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, which made waves when it dropped in May.