2016 may have been the year that big players like Frank Ocean, Drake, Kanye and Beyoncé returned to dominate but there was still space left for the newbies. These are the 2016 newcomers that we think made the biggest splash.
Kiiara
Kiiara was at the top of everyone's ones to watch in 2016 lists and she didn't disappoint this year. Gold, although it was technically released in 2015, became a huge hit both here and in the US and that rolled very nicely onto her Low Kii Savage EP which was full of woozy, late night jams that distorted the crisp, clear lines of pop music. She's still got at least three songs of that EP that could be hits and she's moved on with new single Dopemang which proves that the creative bank is far from being dry for Kiiara. Even though she established herself in 2016, she's still one to tip for big things in 2017.
Maribelle
Aussie youngster Maribelle made a late charge for pop song of the year with her shiny, '90s-tinged hit Shout, proving she was the popstar this country has long been asking for. Her debut EP Overtake featured five songs that carefully and expertly treaded the line between pop and R&B and already she's toured with Kaytranada and is billed on the FOMO Festival bill. She's on a roll and while she's yet to crack the charts it's only a matter of time before she's a force to be reckoned with.
Dua Lipa
From Australia's biggest pop hope to the world's biggest pop hope - Dua Lipa. Everyone knew Lipa was going to pop at the beginning of this year and she hasn't disappointed. The ready-made superstar delivered great song, after great song blitzing the charts both here and in the UK. Be The One made Aussie audiences fall in love with her but it was the steamy, soaring Hotter Than Hell that caught everyone's attention. She's already hit the stage of many huge festivals around the world and without even a debut album to her name, she has a discography stronger than many popstars who have been in the game for years.
Whitney
This year wasn't a great year for new bands with hip-hop taking over as the year's most innovative and dominant genre but there was one that shone through. Chicago indie-rock due Whitney released one of the most subtle debut LPs of the year Light Upon The Lake but they captured the world's attention with their honest, emotional songwriting and accute ear for an immediate melody. Sounding like Neil Young in his prime, the record was proof that simplicity still cuts through in 2016. They're heading to the country for Laneway Festival next year and before then they're bound to wind up on many Best Of 2016 lists.
Mura Masa
Mura Masa technically only release two songs this year but they were so strong that they took him from a shy, underground British producer to a mainstage player in the electronic scene. He's most likely on the top of many promoters wish-lists in Australia and that's because he's generated excitement through innovative, emotional tunes that are just as likely to end up on radio as they are bellowing out of a club soundsystem. What If I Go? with Bonzai was sweet and bursting with heart and his latest Love$ick with A$AP Rocky may be Rocky's biggest hit of the year.
NAO
Nao's debut album For All We Know will undoubtedly go down as one of the best debuts of the year. There was hype surrounding her before the release but she capitalised on that with a futuristic soul record that showed she was more sure of her sonic aesthetic than any new artist this year. It positioned her as a budding Janet Jackson, and took her from the world of being a 'featured artist' and made her a star in her own right. She's set to visit Australia next year for Laneway Festival and she's probably going to win over a whole new tribe of fans.
DVSN
OVO Sound expanded with many new acts this year (Majid Jordan, Roy Wood$) but none cut through quite as successfully as dvsn. Beginning as an enigma, it was eventually revealed that Drake producer Nineteen85 was behind the project - not that, that was what made people listen. Their richly soulful, hooky music captured audiences from the get-go and they got better with every release. Then they released SEPT 5th, a ten track LP that sounded way more mature than the first effort from a band. It bursts with emotion over dimly-lit beats that always elevate the voice rather then overpower it.
Camp Cope
Usually a band generates hype and that tries to consolidate on it with a debut album but in the case of Melbourne band Camp Cope it didn't really happen like that. Their self-titled debut album was a slow starter. It was so good that word naturally spread with more and more people jumping on board. The hype has never been larger surrounding the band than it is now. A hearty Like A Version of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Maps helped as did a bunch on music award nominations. Critics don't make an artist in the end though, it's the fans and they're fanbase just keeps growing. They're playing Laneway Festival next year and have a great new single Keep Growing out which is just as good as anything on the album.
Kamaiyah
Cali rapper Kamaiyah is an example of what can happen when you just release a really damn good mixtape. A Good Night In The Ghetto, released early in the year, was an autobiographical record that told us exactly who Kamaityah with a distinctly '90s-tinged, West Coast sound. How Does It Feel is a triumphant, rags to riches tune which helped drive the mixtape to more and more people. It even caught the attention of YG who rightfully gave her a verse of Why You Always Hatin? with Drake giving her the breakout moment she so badly deserved.
Lil Yachty
Lil Yachty is without a doubt 2016's most divisive rap star but it's impossible to deny his impact. This year everything has changed for him. He's gone from a no name to a rapper with one of the largest new followings in the game and it's all through weird, wonky rap tunes that don't ever sit quite right. He pulled an unlikely hit with One Night, guested on Charli XCX's After The Afterpary and released two weirdly satisfying mixtapes. He's a rapper who claims to have never heard Tupac and Biggie before this year and maybe that's a perspective that the rap scene needs.
D.R.A.M.
One man who has been a big part of Lil Yachty's success is D.R.A.M. The soul singer/rapper scored a big hit this year with Broccoli, backing up the unstoppable Cha Cha with something that was arguably even more likeable. D.R.A.M. could've run his career into the ground by complaining about Drake yanking Cha Cha for Hotline Bling but instead he made better and better music, culminating in his debut album Big Baby D.R.A.M. He's so likeable it should be illegal and he's making the right friends like Erykah Badu. He's 2016's most smiley artists but he's also 2016's most soulful.
Tash Sultana
Tash Sultana is triple j's Unearthed sweetheart of 2016. She ruled the airwaves with her raw tunes Notion and Jungle, capturing people's hearts with her no bullshit sound and personality. Her debut EP Notion and her live shows gave you the feeling that there was no filter between Sultana's heart and the audience and that's what makes her so damn likeable. There's not smoke and mirrors when it comes to Sultana and she was a refreshing addition to every festival stage she graced.
- Words by Sam Murphy