Anitta
The Brazilian singer, dancer, and model Anitta is well-versed in receiving award nominations, having already earned seven Latin Grammy nominations since 2016. Her latest album, Pieces of Me, which features songs in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, seamlessly blends Brazilian funk and hip-hop beats with irresistible pop melodies. One of its tracks, “Envolver,” became a viral hit and helped catapult Anitta to global stardom.
This versatile artist has collaborated with big-name musicians like Cardi B and Missy Elliott, performed alongside Snoop Dogg at Coachella, and recently acted as a mentor in the Billboard NXT competition. However, she was nearly speechless when she received her first-ever Big Four Grammy nomination.
Omar Apollo
Omar Apollo, a musician from Indiana and the son of Mexican immigrants, has created a distinctive sound by blending Latin music elements with alternative R&B production. His heart-wrenching post-breakup track “Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All)” became a sensation on TikTok, prompting countless teenagers to create their own dramatic cathartic breakup scenes to the song’s sorrowful pleas. With over seven million streams in just one week and a climb to No. 51 on the Hot 100 chart, Apollo has distinguished himself as more than just another viral star. While a viral Tiny Desk Concert helped him gain popularity, he will soon be performing for large audiences.
Måneskin
The Italian rock stars had an unlikely breakout year: vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi and drummer Ethan Torchio originally gained international success with their hard-charging rendition of the classic 1967 Four Seasons track “Beggin.’” The cover was actually performed and recorded in 2017, when Måneskin competed on the Italian version of The X Factor, but gained a whole new life after going viral on TikTok.
After winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021, the quartet went on to perform their hit on Saturday Night Live, and later shot to the top of Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay Chart with “Supermodel,” produced by pop heavyweight Max Martin. Their new album, Rush, will be released in January, and the band is touring in the U.S. ahead of the new full-length.
Muni Long
Muni Long continues to beguile R&B listeners, but even if the name might not ring a bell, you will undoubtedly be familiar with Long’s extensive songwriting work under the name Priscilla Renea: She has over a decade of experience under her belt, co-penning smashes like Pitbull and Kesha’s “Timber” and Fifth Harmony and Kid Ink’s “Worth It.”
After releasing her debut studio album under her given name in 2009, Long went on to churn out hits for pop mainstays – until she released “Hrs and Hrs,” the sultry R&B track which sparked her own TikTok trend, late last year. Long signed to Def Jam earlier this year, and returned from the studio with a fresh batch of songs under her new moniker, as Public Displays of Affection: The Album, which included “Hrs and Hrs” as well as collaborations with Saweetie and Ann Marie, was released in September.
