2026 Artists to Watch: 11 Inspiring Global Musicians Ready To Make Their Mark

The emergence of music projects like Katseye, the rise to international superstar of Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny and the domination of “Golden” by HUNTR/X following the release of the hit movie KPop Demon Hunters has made one thing clear. In 2026, the music trend is going global. Get to know these rising international artists, because they’re certainly going to be artists to watch in the very near future.

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Music has become its own universal language. We can share culture, traditions, stories, language and memories through music. These 11 rising international artists all have unique perspectives, stories and cultures that they share through their music.

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We have even created a Spotify playlist to listen to as you read, featuring the most recent release and some of the other recommended songs by the 11 artists featured in this article.

• Check out the 2026 Artists To Watch playlist!

The Breakout Artists Shaping 2026

2025 saw the rise of the smaller artist as much as it did the big stars. Even with new releases by Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, there has still been huge success for rising international artists. These breakout artists have upcoming tours, new album releases and other big plans in store. Their most recent releases in 2025 are just the beginning for these artists to watch who will definitely leave their mark on 2026.

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Cain Culto

Cain Culto is one of the most interesting and hottest up and coming breakout artists to keep an eye on in 2026. Born in Florida, Culto has Colombian and Nicaraguan heritage which has a large influence on his music.

Culto’s music is also influenced by his upbringing and the direction his life has turned. He was formerly of the religious worship band Ecclesia and a trained bluegrass violinist. His relationship with religion, spirituality and how he has come to accept the different parts of his identity is a signature feature of his music.

Culto describes his music as being Kentucky Latin art pop. He recently released “occulto 001“, the album follow up to 2024’s “O ω O ” EP. His music ranges from deep, pumping bass and raspy vocals to lighter, more heartfelt and softer vocals with a pop twist on a ballad. Cain Culto sings in both Spanish and English, often combining the two.

His most recent release, the single “Chiquilinda”, is about the relationship with his estranged sister. He also released “Brujeria” and “KFC Santeria” in 2025, as well as his debut album “occulto 001“.

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Luke Black

London based Serbian artist Luke Black is reinventing the idea of dark, moody electro pop. As an artist, Black has always tried to remain true to himself and his creative inspirations. His use of poetic lyricism captures a gothic feel, combined with deep electronic beats.

In a 2019 interview, he spoke about how growing up, life in the town of Čačak meant he had to be creative to keep himself occupied. He gravitated towards music as his father was a funk DJ. In more recent years, Black has been expanding and exploring his creative side with his music. His 2025 release “Roses in the Concrete” was dedicated to the student protests in Serbia. These protests are against corruption and for taking accountability after the 2024 Novi Sad train station canopy collapse.

“Chainsaws in Paradise”, his 2024 album release, has seen some of his biggest musical growth so far. This album really highlights his stunningly haunting vocals and lyrical ability, combining it with Gaga-esque anthems and deep, velvety electrobass.

Luke Black’s new album is due to drop in 2026, and it is one to make sure you keep an eye on. His most recent release, “Alchemy” is available on most streaming platforms.

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João Borsch

From Funchal in Portugal, João Borsch is the final one of a trio of artistic, moody, dark and alternative pop breakout artists that will be featured in this article.

They released their first album along with their brother age 9, as part of a heavy metal project. They later released their first EP aged 11. Borsch was a student at Lusíada University, and studied Jazz and Modern Music there. Despite having started out as a thrash metal drummer, Borsch moved to a different direction for their solo music.

Borsch has said that a lot of their musical inspiration comes from many of the emo and metal bands that they listened to growing up, including My Chemical Romance and System of a Down. Borsch’s blended musical sound is something that has always interested them.

They’re able to merge jazzy riffs with elements of a darker, more rock sound. What Borsch has created is delicious, emotional and moody alternative pop that borders on the theatrical and holds onto many of its Portuguese roots.

2025 saw Borsch release the single “Armagedão”, and is a fresh sound to make sure you enjoy in 2026. Borsch sings almost exclusively in Portuguese.

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RØRY

RØRY is also known for her work as an advocate and influencer that creates content about neurodivergence. Originally from Southhampton, England, RØRY began her career under her birth name, Roxanne Emery. She has been open about the fact that she released an album, and then her music career stalled and never took off.

In 2021, she released her first single under the name RØRY. Her album, “RESTORATION“, was released in 2025. At 41, RØRY wants to prove that there’s no such thing as being ‘too old’ to start a music career.

Her lyrics and music focus largely on the experiences she has faced in her life, from the loss of her mum to her journey and struggles with addiction and sobriety, to her experience living with ADHD and her return to the music industry as an older artist. If you’re a fan of In This Moment, Avril Lavigne, Wargasm and even early Fall Out Boy, then RØRY is an artist you should definitely check out.

Her latest single, “DEAD GIRL WALKING“, was released on November 21st, 2025. It combines her unique, 90s eurodance vocals with much heavier metalcore. She is currently touring, and has been announced as part of the Download Festival lineup for 2026.

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MOLODI

Ukrainian alt-pop duo MOLODI have one of the most impressive, modern and current sounds. Originally a trio, MOLODI is currently made up of Kyrylo Rohovyi and Ivan “Vanya” Stepanishchev. They began performing together in Mariupol in 2020, and currently live in Kyiv. Rohovyi and Stepanishchev met as students, and completed the same electrical engineering course together.

They moved to Kyiv in 2021, and named themselves MOLODI and state they were officially founded in 2022. They have stated that their music aims to be the voice of a younger generation and a deeper understanding of the world around themselves. A combination of silky vocals and reinvention of what some would call throw back beats and musical ideas, MOLODI are young, up and coming and absolutely not to be missed,

Their first album “Душею та тілом” (soul and body) was released in April 2025. They have also released several collaborative singles in 2025, including “Римська Імперія” (Roman Empire) with singer Grisana. MOLODI have also been announced as competitors in the 2026 edition of the Ukrainian Vidbir music contest.

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Bashar Murad

Bashar Murad finds it hard to describe himself as just a pop singer. Murad currently resides in Paris. He previously lived in Iceland, where he worked with the Icelandic group Hatari. Murad’s music is one that tells the story of his own life as a queer Palestinian.

Born and raised in East Jerusalem, Murad’s father was the founder of the musical group Sabreen. Sabreen became the first group of its kind to combine Palestinian and Arabic music with more westernised music.

By using music as a way of expression, Murad is able to perfectly capture exactly what is meant by ‘art is protest. He also has been able to help promote change when it comes to the gender roles and attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ communities within Palestinian and wider society. He has worked with the United Nations to promote the UN Women project, “Men and Women for Gender Equality Regional Programme”.

His most recent release in 2025 is “On The Run”, a collaboration with Apo Sahagian. He has been touring throughout 2023 and 2025.

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Carson Coma

Hungarian alt-rock band Carson Coma have been breaking into the Hungarian music charts, and now they’re out to tackle Europe. This 6 piece band from Budapest have won several music awards, and as 2026 approaches it looks as if they are stars on the rise.

Their music is described as being similar to the types of rock music that is found in the 1960s and 70s, and there’s certainly a brilliant, nostalgic feeling that their music brings. With songs in both Hungarian and English, they’ve played concerts all over Europe in the last few years.

If you’re a fan of what can only be described as the ‘modstalgia’, then make sure you check out Carson Coma. The way the band uses vocal layering, synths and other instruments with more modern structuring, heavier elements and more modern vocal styles makes them an absolute delight to listen too. There’s a reason they’ve won several Hungarian awards.

Carson Coma’s third album, “Purgatórium” was released on November 27th, 2025. They will performing in March 2026 in Budapest and following the release of their new album, you can bet a tour will soon follow.

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Phantom Siita

Phantom Siita are a Japanese idol girl group, and they’re here for good reason. For those unfamiliar with idol groups, they generally are a combination of singing, dancing and overall performance that makes an all-round entertainment group.

Phantom Siita were founded in 2024. The group originally had 5 members, and was put together through auditions held by the singer Ado. They became a quartet in May 2025. The idea behind the group was to create a change when it comes to the traditional idol image. The group combines the things that are seen as being essential to Japanese idol groups with nostalgia, and a ghost-like, horror-feeling to their music.

Whilst they retain many of the typical features seen in idol music, Phantom Siita have been able to combine more vocaloid styles with some truly impressive vocal abilities. Their music has elements from rock, pop and electronic music. The way they use their vocals and instrumentals together manages to give that ghostly feel that’s often used in a lot of horror-related media. It’s somehow reminiscent of the experience many had playing

Phantom Siita enjoyed their first world tour in 2025. Their most recent singe is “botばっか” (Bot Bakka), and they released two other singles in 2025.

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July Jones

British-Slovenian pop princess July Jones is arriving with music for pop divas. Originally from Ljubljana in Slovenia, Jones has lived in the United States as well as the United Kingdom since she was a teenager.

Her career so far is one that has been shaped by her own determination to make things happen. Her journey into music is one that has seen her involved in many different parts of the music industry. She has co-written songs for artists like Girli and K-Pop group BTS. She moved into her solo music in 2022. Since then, she has continued to co-write songs whilst also releasing two EPs and several singles.

Jones continues to develop her own sound, combining her vocals with heavy drum beats and what can only be described as music that absolutely should be club bangers. She fits into the realm of female-inspired dark pop, bringing her own unique artistry and artistic style

She released her latest single “Body Of Work” on November 26th, 2025. 2026 looks like it will bring in more new music from July, and it’s something absolutely not to be missed.

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yellowheart.

Indie singer-songwriter yellowheart. is from Yerevan in Armenia. Born as Lily Arakelyan, she chose the name yellowheart. as her brother always used to tag her with the yellow heart emoji. She began to make music when she was 12, and studied the classical guitar before moving into songwriting.

Her music blends traditional Armenian folk music with modern instrumentals and lo-fi beats. One of the things her music captures is a warm, relaxing feeling. There’s something comforting about the sweetness of her voice and how she uses guitars and ukuleles. When you combine these elements with the traditional Armenian musical sounds, it creates something so unique, soft and heartfelt it’s hard to stop listening.

All of her music is in Armenian, and she was the Armenian entry in the 2025 edition of ‘The Song’, an online musical contest, with the song ‘ղողա’ (“Dodgha”/”Shiver”). She released her second EP, “KANACH” in September 2025, and her latest single “VARDAGUYN” was a collaboration with well known TikTok singer Rosa Linn.

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Aysanabee

Aysanabee is an Indigenous Oji-Cree folk singer-songwriter. He is a member of the Sandy Lake First Nation, in Northern Ontario, Canada. Aysanabee takes his name from the Indigenous surname of his grandfather.

He started focusing on his own solo career during the COVID pandemic. In 2022 he released his first album, “Watin”, that was inspired by conversations between himself and his grandfather. Aysanabee uses his music as a way of communicating and storytelling, as well as activism and remembrance.

His song “We Were Here (It’s In My Blood)” was written about the Canadian residential schools. The Canadian residential schools were a Canadian government scheme that forcibly took First Nations children from their families as part of a government forced assimilation scheme. The song is one that celebrates the strength and resilience of First Nation Canadians, as well as the trauma and impact that residential schools had on their communities.

Aysanabee’s music is characterised by his rich, beautiful voice and the combination of indie, pop, folk and rock elements. If you’re a fan of folk-rock like Mumford and Sons, or a fan of other singers like Shawn Mendes, Benson Boone, Omar Apollo and Lewis Capaldi then Aysanabee should definitely be on your radar.

He released his third album, “Edge of the Earth” in June 2025, and will be touring Canada in 2026.

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How These Breakout Artists Will Shape 2026

Building on the momentum of their most recent releases in 2025, we can only predict that 2026 will see even bigger things for these rising international artists. With collaborations with other artists, new releases and tours, be ready for some fresh, defining, global sounds in 2026.

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If you have any other up and coming musicians that you would like to share, make sure that you leave them in the comments below this article. We would love to hear about your favourite songs, musicians and artists, especially those you’re excited to hear more from in 2026.

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