Art by Sharon Gong.
1. 03 Greedo
03 Greedo
Photo by Deawnne Buckmire
Watts native 03 Greedo has a tendency to pack his projects full of material — in 2017, he released three albums, totaling 73 tracks — maybe as a way of demonstrating just how expansive his melodic approach to rapping can be. But songs like “Never Bend” and “Run For Yo Life” distill what he’s best at: making somber West Coast slaps about past Ls and future Ws. Greedo recently signed to Alamo Records/UMG (and recorded 10 songs in 24 hours…) so expect to hear a lot more from him in 2018. —BEN DANDRIDGE-LEMCO
3. Virtual Self
Virtual Self EP art.
My favorite electronic music producer — and the only person that could ever make me go to Las Vegas — Porter Robinson unveiled a new project late last year called Virtual Self. What it actually is is a bit puzzle-like so far, but he appears to be producing tender-yet-hard neotrance for vocalists of his own creation, with names like Pathselector and technic-Angel. What that hopefully means, in concrete terms, is even more opportunities for a great sonic innovator to experiment with the "human" voice. —DUNCAN COOPER
6. Palberta
Palberta
Photo by Jane "Pain" Chardiet
The songs that Palberta’s Lily Konigsberg, Nina Ryser, and Ani Ivry-Block make are sometimes twitchy and noisy, sometimes drawn out and hinged on funky sing-talk vocals, and sometimes it’s all weirdo sounds I don’t know what to make of. And sometimes they make a Bee Gees classic sound kooky crazy. They are not an easy band to listen to by any means, but they are really fucking good — they’ve got the existential, experimental, un-fuck-withable ethos of CAN and Yoko Ono. Already darlings of the N.Y.C. noise scene and gaining growing critical attention, Palberta’s poised to have a great 2018, a year in which we’ll surely be needing some chaotic escape. —LEAH MANDEL
7. Lido Pimienta
Lido Pimienta
Photo by Alejandro Santiago
Colombian-Canadian singer and producer Lido Pimienta won the Polaris Prize in 2017 for La Papessa, her record of rich, hip-shaking political songs. She also stirred up some right-wing drama by requesting her audiences make space in the front for women of color, and continued to be a champion for Indigenous rights. Lido’s got a raging fire inside her, a demand to be heard, and a giant sense of humor to boot. She's beyond a force to be reckoned with. In 2018, she’ll release her third album, Miss Colombia, which will confront racism in her home country. Look out world, seriously. —LEAH MANDEL
10. Eartheater
Eartheater
Photo by Zev Rector
New York experimental artist Eartheater never not rips. Since dropping her first two records of left-field pop in 2015, she's been touring hard, but still found time to lend screamo vocals to Show Me The Body's mixtape, and wield a chainsaw for a special Wolf Eyes show. Having signed to PAN, this year promises to bring new sounds and shapes from the acrobatic performer. —RUTH SAXELBY
11. Mahalia
Mahalia
Photo by Alice Fisher
If you're already a fan of soulful U.K. artists like NAO and Jorja Smith, then Mahalia will be your next obsession. The Leicester-based singer has a gentle rasp to her voice, color blocks her outfits like a pro, and sings each of her slice-of-life lyrics with warm, unhurried pleasure.— OWEN MYERS
13. UN BLONDE
Jean-Sebastian Audet, a.k.a. Un Blonde, makes intimate lo-fi recordings that carry the weight of secrets held for a lifetime, now escaping through his songs. But part of the magic in 2017's Good Will Come To You, Audet's best album, is that the Montreal-based artist sings about the mundane and overlooked with the same hushed passion. 2018 will almost certainly be another year of overstimulation. but with a new album on the way, Un Blonde could deliver the remedy. —JORDAN DARVILLE
