VOCAL GIRLS’ 25 for 2025

Our guide to the best new artists to fall in love with this year.

The decorations are packed up, Gavin and Stacey has aired, and Michael Bublé has gone back into hibernation - that’s a wrap on 2024, people. While the past twelve months have given us some of the biggest musical moments in recent memory - the rise and rise of Chappell Roan, English Teacher’s Mercury Prize win, Oasis mania, and ‘brat’’s lime-green cultural takeover, to name a few - the year ahead has more than a few treats in store too. As we ease ourselves back into normal life and remember how to dress in something other than PJs (just us?), Team VG have put our heads together and our ears to the ground to bring you VOCAL GIRLS’ 25 for 2025 - a collection of stellar emerging artists who we’re tipping as must-listen ones to watch this year.

1. Adore

A divine addition to Ireland’s acclaimed music scene, this underground outfit are the nation’s next dark horses. Coming from different ends of the country, it’s nothing short of a blessing that Adore found one another. With a sound reminiscent of ‘90s garage punk and the harmonious joint vocals of Lara Minchin and Lachlann Ó Fionnáin, this lively trio truly are the perfect juxtaposition of raucous noise and delightful melody. Despite having only released three defiant singles so far, they’ve already played a run of shows supporting compatriots (and VG faves) Sprints, as well as selling out the main room of renowned Dublin venue Whelan’s. With such prominent moves already under their belt, it’s safe to say that we can expect more of the same in the year to come. (Dani Murden)

2. Amie Blu

South London based singer-songwriter Amie Blu had a landmark year in 2024 with the release of her debut album how we lose, its introspective writing and soulful indie-pop charming a dedicated flurry of listeners. Now, with her first full length project under her belt, the next twelve months promises to be a celebration of both how far she’s come, and everything that lies ahead. (Amber Lashley)

3. Annie-Dog

One for the girls, gays, and theys, Annie-Dog creates slices of shimmering electro-pop spearheaded by catchy melodies and shapeshifting production, making it near-impossible not to move to her tunes right from the first listen. 2024 certainly put pop music back on the menu, and Annie-Dog’s offerings were a feast in themselvesf, with her serving up a debut EP and three singles across the year. Having cut her teeth playing a rather small series of gigs thus far, the Dublin newcomer is now one we’re desperate to hear live. (Dani Murden)

4. Beckah Amani

Born in Tanzania to Burundian parents, before moving to Australia aged eight, Beckah Amani beautifully explores the intimate and personal facets of life - heartbreak, identity, anxiety, and belonging - through her songwriting, finding a home in music to make sense of a world that, for her, has been ever-changing. Drawing on influences like African folk and R&B, her debut album This Is How I Remember It (released towards the end of last year) shows her to be a beautifully poetic lyricist and vocalist, possessing a straight-from-the-heart vulnerability and authenticity that we can’t wait to see more of in 2025. (Rebecca Kesteven)

5. Brooke Combe

Having been chipping away with releases since 2021 - including her 2023 debut EP Black Is The New Gold - this is the year that will see Scotland’s Brooke Combe truly arrive. Armed with a sumptuous neo-soul sound à la Olivia Dean or Leon Bridges, and the kind of voice that’s tailor-made for a Bond theme, she brings her Motown influences bang up to date on her imminent debut full-length (produced by The Coral’s James Skelly, no less). With Dancing At The Edge Of The World, Combe proves that sometimes, (very) good things come to those who wait. (Daisy Carter)

6. Cosmorat

Catching them live is the key to understanding why transatlantic three-piece Cosmorat are poised for huge things. Last year saw them tour with Courting and Flat Party, as well as popping up at festivals including Latitude, Dot to Dot and Sŵn, where they injected their wonky alt-pop with such palpable glee it was hard not to fall for them. 2024’s Evil Adjacent EP helped pin down their sound - which spans from the haunted delicacy of ‘St. Villain’ through to the FIZZ-esque joy of ‘Backseat Baby’ - and we for one are hoping 2025 brings them bigger stages to let loose on. (Caitlin Chatterton)

7. DellaXOZ

Alt-popper DellaXOZ made waves with her latest EP, 2024’s DELLAIRIUM, which explores themes of love, loss, and heartbreak via elements of dream-pop, indie-rock, and electronic music. Its uplifting cut ‘it’s all good, kid’, was hailed as both a BBC Introducing Track of the Week and a Radio 1 Hottest Record, while viral TikTok hits and numerous live dates across the country have secured her steady rise. If the last couple of years are anything to go by, DellaXOZ’s trajectory is pointing firmly skyward. (Ife Lawrence)

8. Dog Race

For a group only recently out of the blocks, Dog Race are a formidable force. Following the release of two singles and some hot spots on 6 Music’s playlists last year, the Bedford band have amassed a fanbase who are eagerly awaiting new music to sink their teeth into and recite at one of their delicious live shows. If there’s one resolution we’d recommend you make this new year, it’s to experience the gritty energy, demanding intensity, and utter enchantment of a Dog Race gig for yourself. (Dani Murden)

9. Georgian

2024 marked a significant kickstart to Georgian’s journey, with the spellbinding solo artist signing to Manchester indie label Heist or Hit after self-releasing her captivating debut single, ‘Big Lips in Leather’. Echoing the likes of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Alexandra Saviour, her creations are effortlessly sweet to the ear; think psychedelia combined with haunting vocals and lyricism, and somewhere along the way you’ll find Georgian. She’s already been celebrated by radio big-hitters like Craig Charles, and we’re confident this acclaim is only set to grow. (Dani Murden)

10. Jacob Alon

They may currently only have two tracks to their name, but Scottish songwriter Jacob Alon is already proving to be something of a singular artist. Debut offering ‘Fairy In A Bottle’ is one of those remarkable, rare releases that’s utterly flooring in its fragility; akin to the work of Jeff Buckley (not a comparison we make lightly), it lands like a sucker punch from a feather. Given that recent follow up ‘Confession’ balances beauty and pain just as well, we’re more than happy to take the hits this year, too. (Daisy Carter)

11. jasmine.4.t

Part of 2025’s first crop of albums is the debut record from Manchester’s Jasmine Cruickshank (aka jasmine.4.t), who last year became the first UK artist to sign to Phoebe Bridgers’ own label, Saddest Factory Records. Previewed by singles ‘Skin On Skin’, its title track, and the characteristically charged ‘Elephant’, her LP You Are The Morning lays out starkly moving observations on life, love, and identity laced with the influence of Elliott Smith and labelmates boygenius. Have no doubt: Jasmine’s is a project set to become an early highlight of the year’s musical calendar. (Caitlin Chatterton)

12. Kaeto

If there’s anything to be taken from Kaeto’s debut mixtape INTRO (which landed in September last year), it’s that for this eerie alt-pop visionary, 2024 was only the beginning. With a sound that’s at once groovy, skittish and soothing, the Scotland-born, London-based artist cuts a striking figure onstage, moving with the uncanny physicality of someone who understands that performance - when delivered with conviction - is an all-encompassing affair. And, judging by her turn-of-the-year latest release ‘kiss me outro (st0pid b0y)’, Kaeto’s got plenty more tricks up her sleeve. (Daisy Carter)

13. Luvcat

For an artist with only three songs to her name, Liverpool’s Luvcat has managed to turn an impressive number of heads since debuting her first single back in May. The dots become easy to join up when you listen to her music: glittering and glamorous, she paints vivid scenescapes of fantasised dinner dates and doe-eyed love affairs with the kind of carefully curated aesthetic Holly Macve and The Last Dinner Party would be proud of. With this momentum, Luvcat is primed to prowl her way onto stages and festival bills across the UK and beyond. (Caitlin Chatterton)

14. Mandrake Handshake

After a year off releasing music in 2023, multi-dimensional outfit Mandrake Handshake recently returned with a trio of mind-tickling tunes - and what a gift, to have received a fresh taste of this collective’s meticulous chaos once again. From their fearless musicianship and ever-ludic instrumentalism, to their larger size and effortless synergy, there’s something undeniably addictive about the sense of community Mandrake Handshake radiatesradiate. It’s bohemian music-making at its best. (Dani Murden)

15. Man/Woman/Chainsaw

A young art-rock six-piece who were darlings of London’s grassroots circuit long before being legally allowed to drink in the venues they’ve played, Man/Woman/Chainsaw continue the legacy of their Windmill forebears but wear the mantle lightly, re-injecting a dynamism and sense of fun into a genre that too often takes itself too seriously. Between the relentless drive of ‘The Boss’, the orchestral overtones of ‘Ode To Clio’ and the understated tenderness of ‘Grow A Tongue In Time’, their six-track debut EP Eazy Peazy speaks of a band whose scope, ambition, and energy are self-evident. Try and keep up - if you can. (Daisy Carter)

16. mary in the junkyard

Since their live debut in 2022, South London’s mary in the junkyard have proved themselves to be a vital and ever-intriguing part of the current moment’s guitar-led brilliance. Having released their debut EP This Old House last year, they’ve spent the months since relentlessly doing the rounds on the UK’s live circuit, before capping it all off with their first US shows in New York in December. Their music conjures vivid, spooky imagery, while their DIY approach to everything they do - making everything from clothes to huge moths that eerily hang over the stage as they play - is demonstrative of the trio’s commitment to creating a whole world around their ethereal ‘chaos rock’. Stay tuned to find out what other-worldly things they have in store for 2025. (Rebecca Kesteven)

17. Nectar Woode

The perfect fusion of classical jazz influences with contemporary neo-soul sounds, Nectar Woode’s music finds the ideal sweet spot between nostalgia and newness. Her recent debut EP Head Above Water is a beautifully vulnerable record that highlights the solo artist’s honey-coated voice, inviting listeners to submerge themselves in Woode’s soothing creations and truly see the world through her eyes. Pure sonic sunshine, it’s a guaranteed cheat-code to banishing those winter blues. (Dani Murden)

18. Paige Kennedy

The term ‘earworm’ deserves a speedy retirement for all the grim imagery it conjures, but there’s no denying that Paige Kennedy’s 2024 single ‘Lingerie Model’ - documenting their life as “A little rat boy / In the body of a lingerie model” - is its absolute epitome. And, if recent EP Babylotion is anything to go by, this combination of tongue-in-cheek worldly observations and grooving, synth-laden alt-pop is a winning calling card for the Kent-born, Manchester-based artist. If you’re on the hunt for some feel-good tunes to brighten up a leaden January, look no further. (Caitlin Chatterton)

19 . Rosie Alena

Between hypnotic reimaginings of traditional folk songs (‘Oh Dear What Can The Matter Be / Silver Dagger’) and more pop-flecked offerings (‘God’s Garden’), Rosie Alena’s not-so-secret weapon is her richly evocative voice, the versatility and depth of which is - especially when rendered live - nothing short of goosebump-inducing. Released at the tail end of ‘24, the London artist’s latest single ‘Loophole’ is a determined, rousing reflection on both limbo and liberation, and marks the first of Rosie’s next moves; moves we’ll be awaiting with open ears and baited breath. (Daisy Carter)

20. ratbag

Somewhere between the natural landscapes of New Zealand and the abnormal corners of trip-induced dreams lies ratbag - a 360° visionary who’s created not only an all-killer catalogue of darkly twisted alt-pop tracks, but an entire monstrous band to play them, too. Creative, immersive, and utterly unlike anything else going: welcome to the weird and wonderful world of ratbag. Tread carefully… (Daisy Carter)

21. SPIDER

Last year, London via Dublin riser SPIDER gave us a welcome callback to the melodies and styles of ‘90s grunge with her an object of desire EP. Stacked full of distorted guitar and addictive hooks, the project points to an alternative rock prodigy whose proficiency in song-making stands out; throughout the EP, you’ll catch moments that are near classic. With whispers of an album in the works, we can’t wait to see what the seeds SPIDER has sown thus far come to fruition. (Amber Lashley)

22. The New Eves

Brighton’s The New Eves have been steadily garnering attention thanks to their entrancing live show, and across 2024 they supported Goat Girl, played the likes of Green Man and Wide Awake, and ticked off countless headline performances. Mastering their self-coined style of ‘Hagstone Rock’, the quartet have laid the foundations for an exceptionally exciting year. (Amber Lashley)

23. TTSSFU

TTSSFU (aka Manchester's Tasmin Nicole Stephens) has had an absolute whirlwind time of it. Freshly signed to Partisan Records, her music is self-produced, mixed, and mastered - mostly on Garageband - and beautifully combines the classic ‘90s shoegaze of the likes of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine with the spookiness of Bauhaus and The Cure. Whatever the time or place, Tasmin and her heart-shaped guitar are guaranteed to have you lulled into a lilting, ethereal dreamscape. Make no mistake - her 2025 is looking huge. (Rebecca Kesteven)

24. Westside Cowboy

If Westside Cowboy’s debut single is a reflection of what’s to come from this Manchester outfit, we need more of it - and we need it now. Produced by English Teacher’s Lewis Whiting and released via the ever-reputable Nice Swan Records, the track sees the four-piece confidently blend demanding guitar with heart-wrenching harmonies, while their live material points to a future discography of experimentalism and boundless creativity. They’ve found a way to remain playful and unpredictable whilst still pleasing the parts of us that love to sway along to a catchy melody, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store from the Northern newcomers. (Dani Murden)

25. Zola Courtney

The latest project from London-based solo artist Zola Courtney, I Dreamt You Made A Movie,is a masterclass in confessional and thoughtful songwriting, acting as yet further proof of her consistently charming storytelling. Anecdotal and personal, it’s the sound of an admirably authentic artist - one who’s bound to continue serenading audiences throughout the year ahead. (Amber Lashley)

VOCAL GIRLS’ 25 for 2025

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