Pickwood Magazine released its Top 10 Artistes to Watch in 2022 on January 7th, 2022, highlighting ten (10) musicians who will make a mark in 2022. Nigerian Artistes Ayra Starr, Ckay Yo and Tems are one of them.
The beginning of a new year represents the beginning of new emerging music artists ready to make their mark in the industry. While 2021 saw the rise of many talented individuals, 2022 will see the introduction of a new crop of musician
Lyn Lapid
Lyn Lapid, like many other artists of her generation, understands the critical role that platforms like TikTok play in the commercial success of a single. She had this experience with “Producer Man.”
When it was released in 2020, the track quickly accumulated millions of views on the mobile application. Lyn Lapid has since signed to Republic Records and released singles such as “In My Mind.”
Ckay Yo
Chukwuka Ekweani, better known as Ckay, is best known for his hit single Love Nwantiti and has recently drawn the attention of international musicians.
CKay became the first African artist to reach 20 million Spotify listeners. The Afrobeat singer-songwriter is the first on the continent to have over 21 million monthly listeners on his Spotify page alone.
Ne-Yo, a popular American singer, announced his intention to collaborate with the Love Nwantiti crooner, who also recently announced a collaboration with French producer, David Guetta, about a week ago.
Dylan Fraser
Dylan Fraser’s music has an indie feel but frequently dabbles in different sonics, such as electronic beats and rap-influenced vocal effects. Fraser’s debut EP, The Storm, was released in 2020 and flitted across genres like a grasshopper in the wind, indulging in folk-based storytelling that reflected his upbringing in the Scottish town of Bathgate.
Fraser, an exciting new voice with an alternative edge, isn’t afraid to stray from purely guitar-driven music, having been influenced by acts as diverse as Kanye West, Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead, and Lorde.
Fraser, who was only 20 years old, had yet to reach the pinnacle of his abilities despite his refreshing approach. Only time will tell how far his innovations will progress.
Wet Leg
Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers founded the British indie band Wet Leg in 2019. The duo has slowly but steadily dominated the post-punk scene, thanks to their satirical and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Having introduced four singles last year — “Chaise Longue,” “Wet Dream,” “Too Late Now” and “Oh No” — the band is preparing to debut their eponymous album this spring on April 8.
Priya Ragu
Priya Ragu’s music career did not get off to a good start. After graduating from high school, the Sri Lankan-Tamil native worked as an accountant for Swiss International Air Lines, where he was born and raised. Due to her South Asian heritage, the young artist found it difficult to focus solely on her music due to her parents’ traditional and conservative views.
Ragu, on the other hand, was able to take her potential to new heights after moving to New York in 2017 by working on a slew of singles and her debut mixtape, damnshestamil. Ragu offers her own edgy rendition of R&B and electro-pop to fans of the two genres while incorporating her Sri Lankan roots.
Tems
Temilade Openiyi, better known as Tems, is a one-of-a-kind addition to Nigeria’s cutting-edge “alté” scene. Since the release of her debut single “Mr Rebel” in 2018, the alternative R&B artist has worked on a number of memorable projects, including her song “Try Me,” which has now received over nine million views on YouTube.
Tems also collaborated with Khalid on his Afrobeats remix of “Know Your Worth” with fellow Nigerian artist DaVido. Tems collaborated with Drake on “Fountains,” WizKid and Justin Bieber on “Essence,” and Brent Faiyaz on “Found” after releasing her debut EP, For Broken Ears.
Central Cee
Central Cee is a well-known name in UK rap, not only pleasing young people across the country but also consistently appearing in playlists, social feeds, and music-related discussions online. His rise, however, did not occur overnight. Cee, a baby-faced 16-year-old, delivered a recently removed freestyle for Charlie Sloth’s Fire In The Streets series in 2014.
Born in West London, he began listening to music at the age of eight, using his father’s old school hip-hop collection. This would be the impetus for him to launch a full-fledged career for himself. In 2020, he literally took the scene by storm, amassing over 30 million streams and his first Top 40 single as an independent artist.
Yawtog Yt
Thorsten Owusu Gyimah (born 8 May 2003), better known as Yaw Tog, is a Ghanaian rapper who specializes in drill music, also known as Asakaa in Ghana. He is best known for his viral song ‘Sore,’ which featured O’Kenneth, City Boy, Reggie & Jay Bahd, and on the remix, Kwesi Arthur and Stormzy. He is a rising young star with a lot of talent.
Stay C
The demand for K-pop has never been greater. Korean record labels are continuing to feed it by forming new groups inspired by the success of BTS and Blackpink. STAYC is one such organization. Sumin, Sieun, Isa, Seeun, Yoon, and J are the members of this girl band.
With the colorful track “ASAP” and the “Staydom” EP, they found instant success. They’re unquestionably a band to keep an eye on in 2022.
Ayra Starr
Ayra Starr is only 19 years old, but she has already demonstrated exceptional musical maturity. With “Bloody Samaritan,” released last August, the Nigerian artist captured the attention of music fans and industry professionals. This Afropop-inspired track is one of 11 on Arya Starr’s debut album, “19 & Dangerous.”
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