15 Artists To Look Out For In 2016

Come join us on the bandwagon before it gets too heavy.

1. Jack Garratt

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Easily one of the most exciting and unique solo artists of the past few years, one-man band Jack Garratt is a fixture on seemingly every critics' one-to-watch list for 2016. Don't be surprised to see him following in the footsteps of Adele and Sam Smith as the UK's greatest new export.

His debut album, Phase, is out early next year.

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2. LÉON

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Swedish songstress LÉON only released her debut EP, Treasure, in late October and has already been streamed over 7 million times. This is one early bandwagon you definitely need to jump on.

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3. HONNE

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HONNE's style has been described as "futuristic soul destined to re-invent baby-making music", so music to warm up your loins!

They set the internet alight when they dropped debut hit "Warm on a Cold Night" back in 2014, and we get the feeling now they're ready to make a real leap.

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4. Mura Masa

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Guernsey-born electronic producer Alex Crossan – better known as Mura Masa – is hitting all the right notes already in his career. Touted as the next Disclosure, his sound has been described as "a mind-altering, deeply emotional listening experience." Not bad for a 19-year-old.

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5. Gavin James

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Gavin James has already toured the US with the likes of Sam Smith and made appearances on The Late Late Show With James Corden and Dancing With the Stars.

The only question now for the folk singer is when exactly in 2016 we can expect that debut album?

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6. JONES

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Singer-songwriter JONES hasn't a huge body of work to date, but what's out there already has made plenty sit up and take notice, including the beautiful, encapsulating "Hoops".

Her debut album New Skin is due out in the spring.

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7. Mabel

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The daughter of Neneh Cherry and Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey, 19-year-old Mabel made an immediate impression as an unsigned artist over the summer with the incredible "Know Me Better".

There's no word about an album yet, but for now we'll have to make do with the excellent sophomore track "My Boy My Town" and look forward to the great things to come in 2016.

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8. Anne-Marie

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Where do you start with Anne-Marie? Well she's an Essex-born child musical prodigy (appearing in the West End at just 12), before giving that up to become a three time karate world champion (as you do).

She then switched back to singing and casually toured with Rudimental for a couple of years, and now she's proving she can go it alone too. Her Karate EP over the summer was huge with a unique brand of electronic and atmospheric soul. One to watch in every sense.

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9. Max Pope

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Good things come to those who wait, or so we've heard. And while it was a slightly agonising two years before Brighton-born singer songwriter Max Pope followed up his debut "Gone to Count Sheep", we think he's proving the adage correct.

"Less Than Nothing" is the first track from his upcoming EP, and it has us in a trance already. Fingers crossed we won't have to wait another two years for the full release!

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10. Matoma

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Norwegian tropical house DJ Matoma made a name for himself in 2014 with a remix of Old Thing Back by The Notorious B.I.G. ft Ja Rule, which has notched a casual 98 million plays.

Now he's rolling out a really intriguing concept album, Hakuna Matoma, which is less an album, but more a rolling playlist which he'll keep adding to and updating throughout the year. Exciting, no?

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11. Blossoms

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It's difficult to avoid drawing a comparison of Manchester-based quintet Blossoms to current indie rock sensations Catfish and the Bottlemen, but it's by no means a bad thing.

A unique, yet almost comfortingly familiar sound, their energetic and infectious performances indicate that they could well be on a similar trajectory to the Welsh outfit.

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12. Will Joseph Cook

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Speaking of comparisons, 18-year-old Will Joseph Cook immediately evokes memories of the Jake Buggs, George Ezras and Tom Odells of the British music scene. Solo troubadours armed with just an acoustic guitar and irresistible vocals, full of confidence and swagger that belie their youth.

Keep an eye out for him when festival season hits in 2016.

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13. Frances

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Continuing the theme of weirdly specific musical reviews, 21-year-old singer-songwriter Frances's "Let It Out" has been described as "the kind of song you wake up early on a cold day and make a complicated soup to".

Have a listen to her searingly powerful vocals, and you'll perhaps understand where that's coming from.

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14. Samm Henshaw

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Another popular pick on the one-to-watch lists, it's crazy to think that rising soul star Samm Henshaw is just 21 years old and fresh out of university.

His debit EP, The Sound Experiment, is an apt title, as the singer-songwriter explores his way through a myriad of genres with a voice that shouts world class.

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15. Nao

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It's quite difficult to put Nao in a categorised box, such is the smoothness with which she flows between all manner of genres (soul, electro, funk, and old-school R&B to name a few), all held together by her dreamy, high-pitched vocals.

"Bad Blood" is taken from her upcoming debut album, due in 2016.

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Find out who you'll be listening to in 2016 with Spotify Year in Music.

Spotify Year in Music is your personal music review of 2015. Find out your most streamed artist, your song of the summer, and all the other musical moments that made your year.

Then, Play It Forward, and let Spotify help you discover which breakout artists will be on your playlists in 2016!