We’ve had a short break from our breakthrough playlists, but we’re back and ready to launch back into it for 2016. These tracks have been sourced from around the musical globe, with each track coming from an upcoming, independent act. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do, as nothing makes us happier than providing a platform for breakthrough artists who more than deserve the spotlight.
This playlist covers every genre we talk about, from hip-hop to indie, to garage to house. We recommend listening on shuffle, and click on the artist’s names to head to their SoundCloud pages.
If you’re an independent artist who wants to get featured on next week’s Breakthrough playlist, please send us your songs via SubmitHub.com.
- Bienart, Surgeon
This track immediately opens into a scratchy and intriguing atmosphere and a catchy melody. There’s a lot to love – more than meets the eye. - Moustache Chat, Walk Alone ft. A1000 times & Dikaiko)
I love how the vocal line is essentially used as another instrumental layer, intertwining with the bouncy rhythm before before breaking into a bright, falsetto-led chorus. - Melodi, The Melodi Road (prod. Riq.hard)
Emotive and soulful electro-R&B that nods to artists like Mary J Blige and Jill Scott. I LOVE the melody, and that vocal tone is so lush. - Tyler Coolidge, Nectar
I really, really like this track. Shady, understated and sexy as hell (and I’m not even talking about the graphic lyrics,) especially with those guitar undertones, this glides under the radar, and I love it. - Spines, Hands High
I love this kind of pop-punk indie blend, I love the vocals – equally angelic and powerful, I love how rich the instrumentation is, how huge it becomes. Massive thumbs up from me! - Smear, Thionin
A sexy middle eastern vibe and a coolly syncopated rhythm make this worthy for any instrumental hip OR trip-hop fan. I’d love to hear a hazy Earl Sweatshirt-esque verse above this. - T.R.A.N.E Spitta, Prophet’s Profits
This is really sick, very early-Mos Def-meets-Gambino. Confident, aggressive and gorgeously executed flow, atop riveting production and a deeply compelling beat. I’m hoping to hear a lot more from this artist! - The Modern Strangers, Margarita
This is fun, catchy and tinged with a funky psychedelia. An impressive debut track! - GRiZ, Stop Trippin’ (Chill Harris remix)
This is huge, and a remix I much prefer to the original! A slinky electro beat, followed by a satisfyingly massive drop, this track toys with that back-and-forth really well. - Aly Elmasry, Segada
Another cool, slinky piece of instrumental electronica, it plays around with eastern string melodies, shuffling rhythms, space and rhythm. - Saint Wknd, Lost (ft. Inglsh) (Dimond Saints remix)
A chilled electronic track with pristine production and smooth, understated drop that transforms, rather than blows up. - Danielle Grubb, Ooh Ah
I LOVE the rhythm of this spritely and sassy pop track, and the way the beat, melody and harmonies intertwine so perfectly. - Blak Madeen, Guerrilla Soldier (ft. Planet Asia)
A classic beat, trill synths, and a hard-hitting flow that’s totally on point the whole time. This is really slick, really well produced, really cool. - PozLyrix – Water for Horses (prod. Rediculus)
A catchy track with wicked organ and guitar backing layers, and an inflection and unique rhythm that sounds like this Chicago-based rapper has spent a lot of time listening to Aesop Rock. Choice lyric: “Can you imagine no makeup in pageants, Michelin chefs forced to use canned salmon?” - Ursa Major, Dusk
A seductive song that toys with a wompy bass and a fluttering flute, for fans of The Weeknd and Miguel. - Ghost & The City, Mosaic
A seductively slick track that’s full to the brim with melodies and a myriad instrumental layers, this is catchy and cool from start to end. - Shuhandz & High Flown, Let Me Love You
A really immersive, imaginative, progressive track that plays with minimalism and maximalism all at once. - Loveland, Aloe Hotel
Mmmmmmm. Bluesy and rich, with a slow beat and an incredibly soulful vibe and an obvious Prince influence. Weird and beautiful. - Kendoll Brinkley Brown, Outside – Kenfolk’s Anthem
The vocals on this track are stunning. The track is catchy, but I’m specifically talking about how incredible Brown’s voice is. I’m thinking about it in a more D’Angelo, BJ The Chicago Kid type place, and I’m loving it. The SoundCloud caption also details that the track is about the “self-forgiveness and personal sacrifice” Kendoll has experienced as an LGBT artist. - Nabiha, Weapon
Ending the playlist on a huge, soaring electro-R&B-pop track. Catchy, clean, and gorgeous, this is my absolute favourite kind of pop music.