These are some music artists to watch as we move into 2022. It looks like music fans could be in for a fresh sound, new musical styles, and powerhouse collaborations this year!
Some of the biggest songs over the last 3 years have come from both established artists and new musicians on the scene, with TikTok affecting specific songs and artists to rise quickly on the charts. This is a direct result of the popularity of music as an integral part of the platform’s short video content creation process.
As 2022 looms large, we’re interested to see what music artists will be trending. Will we be treated to more surprise album drops? Will any big names resurface with new music? How will the sound and style of what’s popular in music change this year?
While there are many unanswered questions around 2022 music trends – we can offer some speculation on what artists we think may enter the limelight.
Here are a few of our “must-watch” artists with the potential to find themselves on the music charts…
Lizzo
Since dropping her 2019 album “Cuz I Love You”, Lizzo has been relatively quiet on the music scene. She’s attending award shows, active on social media, was in a few Hollywood movies, and even released a collaboration song with Cardi B. But – what’s on the horizon for Lizzo in 2022?
Lizzo took to social media to announce some new music is on the way. Fans are excited at the potential of a new, boppy, upbeat album that would be full of Lizzo’s quintessential sound. We’re interested in seeing how a new Lizzo album may differ from her past work and where she’s headed as an artist!
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is completing his massive stadium tour in 2022 named “The Mathematics Tour”. Sheeran has announced that this will be his last huge tour as an artist. Following this stadium tour, Sheeran plans to take a step back from his music career to focus on his family. While busy on tour, we likely won’t see much from Sheeran in terms of new music. However, the buzz will remain around Sheeran and his music as he tours the world.
Reiley
Reiley is a name you may not have heard of, but he’s amassed a large following (11 million) on TikTok and counting. He launched his career as a songwriter with his debut song “Let It Ring” in March 2021. The song is a contemporary pop tune, and his music video highlights his quirky fashion sense. Reiley may be one of the artists that we see rocket to fame due to his existing audience on TikTok.
Caroline Polachek
Polachek is another star that’s found recent fame on TikTok with her recent song “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings”. Polachek’s boppy song with fun lyrics brought all the good vibes at the start of 2022. Fans think there may be a larger drop from Polachek in the near future. Regardless, we predict that Caroline Polachek and her dreamy sound will continue to rise as we move into spring and summer of this year.
Blackpink
It’s been a while since fans have seen Blackpink release new music collaboratively. Many of the group’s artists have done their own thing in terms of releasing individual singles or other initiatives. This Kpop band has a massive following of fans who call themselves “Blinks” - and they’re anxiously watching Blackpink’s record label closely moving into 2022. The band’s record label, YG Entertainment, did confirm that they’re planning a world tour and a “comeback” for the band. We’re waiting to see what happens with Blackpink as we move through 2022.
Drake
Drake has an elusive and low-key personality behind-the-scenes. He’s fairly drama-free when he hasn’t recently released new music. However, fans speculate that this year could be an album drop year for Drake. While he’s quiet in the background, he’s definitely consistent with new album releases. Fans assume that he’s gearing up for another drop in 2022 – which means an active year of new music from Drake to listen to. Even if it’s just a mixtape or unreleased singles, fans are excited. Only time will tell if this prediction comes to fruition in 2022 music trends!
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Sour” album was a massive hit. With just 11 songs and a 1-hour total playtime, the album took the world (and Gen Z) by storm with its captivating lyrics and behind-the-scenes drama. Really, the album was just a small morsel for her fans.
The third season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is set to debut in 2022. This may bring Rodrigo back into the spotlight as she begins her “Sour” tour as well. Olivia Rodrigo did hint to press that she’s started work on some new songwriting - so she could be gearing up to give her fans a lot of herself this year. Maybe she’ll take a lesson out of Taylor Swift or Beyonce’s playbooks and release a surprise album drop.
Rihanna
Rihanna likely won’t be releasing any new music in 2022 (despite fans always thinking it’s the year). However, she’s at the top of the headlines lately after announcing that she and A$AP Rocky are expecting their first child. We expect that Rihanna’s maternity fashion, makeup, and her future newborn photos will be the talk of the music town over the course of the next year.
More Viral TikTok Tunes - hard to predict!
TikTok, as a platform, has had a massive effect on trending music charts and artists. Gen Z controls what we hear (and what hits our Spotify playlists) with their short video culture on TikTok. We wouldn’t be surprised if we continue to see the rise of new or obscure artists as TikTokers pick up their music for their viral videos.
TikTok (and social media) has made it a little bit more challenging to gauge what’s trendy because it’s shifting on a day-to-day basis. We’re interested to see how 2022 music trends go with this unique and engaging platform functioning in the background… and how that affects the music charts!