50 Most influential Artists – 2020. A MelodyInsider Exclusive

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell, born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained attention in 2015 when she uploaded the song "Ocean Eyes" to SoundCloud, which was subsequently released by the Interscope Records subsidiary Darkroom. The song was written and produced by her brother Finneas, with whom she collaborates on music and live shows. Her debut EP, Don't Smile at Me (2017), became a sleeper hit, reaching the top 15 in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Eilish's debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), debuted atop the Billboard 200 and became the best-performing album of 2019 in the US.

Ariana Grande-Butera, born June 26, 1993) is an American singer and actress. Born in Boca Raton, Florida, Grande began her career at age 15 in the 2008 Broadway musical 13. She rose to fame for her role as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon television series Victorious (2010–2013) and Sam & Cat (2013–2014). She subsequently signed with Republic Records in 2011 after the label's executives discovered YouTube videos of her covering songs. Her 1950s doo-wop-influenced pop and R&B debut album, Yours Truly (2013), topped the US Billboard 200 chart, while its lead single, "The Way", charted in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100.

Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor signed to Sony Music Colombia, Sony Latin and Fox Music. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, and began recording songs at the age of 16. He released his debut album, Magia, a year later in 2012. However, his breakthrough album was 2015's Pretty Boy, Dirty Boy, which led to successful collaborations with several artists. He released F.A.M.E. in 2018, to further commercial success. He followed it up with 11:11 in 2019, and Papi Juancho, released without further announcement in 2020.

BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a seven-member South Korean boy band that began formation in 2010 and debuted in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet composed of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook co-writes and co-produces much of their own output. Originally a hip hop group, their musical style has evolved to include a wide range of genres. Their lyrics, often focused on personal and social commentary, touch on the themes of mental health, troubles of school-age youth, loss, the journey towards loving oneself, and individualism. Their work features references to literature and psychological concepts and includes an alternative universe storyline. The group has released several albums and performed on several world tours.

Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar (born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actress.[2] Born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, New York City, she became an Internet celebrity after several of her posts and videos became popular on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York, which depicted her pursuit of her music aspirations. She released two mixtapes—Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, before signing with label Atlantic Records in early 2017.

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Noted for his falsetto and eccentric music style, Tesfaye is recognized for heavily influencing contemporary R&B and inspiring multiple artists. He began his recording career in 2010, anonymously uploading several songs to YouTube. A year later, the Weeknd released the mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence, and quickly earned a following and critical recognition from several mainstream publications due to his dark style of R&B and the mystique surrounding his identity.

Justin Drew Bieber, born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.[4][5] Discovered at age 13 by talent manager Scooter Braun after he had watched his YouTube cover song videos, Bieber was signed to RBMG Records in 2008. With Bieber's debut EP My World, released in late 2009, Bieber became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100. At 16 years old, Bieber released his debut studio album My World 2.0 (2010), which contained the hit single ""Baby"". The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200, making Bieber the youngest solo male act to top the chart in 47 years.

Dua Lipa (born 22 August 1995) is an English singer and songwriter. After working as a model, she signed with Warner Music Group in 2015 and released her self-titled debut album in 2017. The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart, and produced nine singles. In 2018, Lipa won the Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.

Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series The X Factor. Following his elimination early on, he was brought back to join the boy band One Direction, which went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Noted for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans a range of styles, from pop and country pop to hip hop, experimental and rock. Cyrus is the best-selling female artist born in the 1990s, and has attained the most US Billboard 200 top-ten albums in the 21st century by a female artist, with a total of thirteen entries.

Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, and signature use of the whistle register, she is referred to as the "Songbird Supreme" by Guinness World Records. She has also been referred to as the "Queen of Christmas". She rose to fame in 1990 with her eponymous debut album, released under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, who married her three years later. Carey is the first artist in history to have their first five singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from "Vision of Love" to "Emotions".

Jonathan Lyndale Kirk (born December 22, 1991) better known as DaBaby (formerly known as Baby Jesus), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina. After releasing several mixtapes between 2014 and 2018, DaBaby rose to mainstream prominence in 2019. His debut studio album Baby on Baby (2019) peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200, while his second studio album, Kirk (2019), debuted at number one.

Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur. A prominent figure in popular music, Drake is credited for popularizing the Toronto sound. He first gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2007); intent on pursuing a career in music, he left the series after releasing his debut mixtape Room for Improvement. He released two more independent projects, Comeback Season and So Far Gone, before signing to Young Money Entertainment.

Lewis Marc Capaldi (born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. He was nominated for the Critics' Choice Award at the 2019 Brit Awards. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" topped the UK Singles Chart where it remained for seven weeks, and in November 2019, reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, it was nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and won the 2020 Brit Award for Song of the Year.

Shawn Peter Raul Mendes (born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. He gained a following in 2013, posting song covers on the video-sharing application Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manager Andrew Gertler and Island Records A&R Ziggy Chareton, which led to him signing a deal with the record label. He has since released four studio albums, headlined three world tours, and received several awards.

Camilo Echeverry (born March 16, 1994), who records as Camilo, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born in Medellín, Camilo is known for his singles "Favorito", "Tutu", alongside Pedro Capó and Shakira, and "Desconocidos", with Mau y Ricky and Manuel Turizo. His music is generally categorized as Latin pop with a mix of urbano and is noted for his romantic lyrics and tenor voice.

Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the lineup for their self-titled debut album. Danny Kirwan joined as a third guitarist in 1968. Keyboardist Christine Perfect, who contributed as a session musician from the second album, married McVie and joined in 1970.

Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. They rose to prominence in October 2012 after being featured on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. Smith was subsequently featured on Naughty Boy's "La La La", which became a number one single in May 2013. In December 2013, they were nominated for the 2014 Brit Critics' Choice Award and the BBC's Sound of 2014 poll, winning both.

Montero Lamar Hill (born April 9, 1999), known as Lil Nas X, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his country rap single "Old Town Road", which first achieved viral popularity on the social media app TikTok in early 2019 before climbing music charts internationally and becoming diamond certified by November of that same year.

Edward Christopher Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, and businessman. After first recording music in 2004, he began gaining attention through YouTube. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project. He signed with Asylum Records the same year.

Austin Richard Post (born July 4, 1995), known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his introspective songwriting and laconic vocal style, Malone has gained acclaim for bending a range of genres including hip hop, R&B, pop, trap, rap rock, and cloud rap. He first attained recognition in 2015 following the release of his debut single "White Iverson".[4] He subsequently signed a recording contract with Republic Records.

Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (born March 13, 1992), known simply by his surname Ozuna, is a Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer. All of his studio albums have reached the top of the Billboard Top Latin Albums, with Aura charting at number seven on the Billboard 200. His musical style is primarily reggaeton and trap, but he has collaborated with artists spanning a variety of genres, including reggae, bachata, and EDM.

Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn (born November 20, 1983), better known by his stage name Future, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he first became involved in music as part of the Dungeon Family collective, where he was nicknamed "the Future". After amassing a series of mixtapes between 2010 and 2011, Future signed a major record label deal with Epic Records and Rocko's A1 Recordings, which helped launch Future's own label imprint, Freebandz. He subsequently released his debut album, Pluto, in April 2012 to positive reviews. Future's second album, Honest, was released in April 2014, surpassing his debut on the album charts.

Conan Lee Gray (born December 5, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter and social media personality. He started out uploading vlogs, covers and original songs to YouTube as a teenager from Georgetown, Texas. Gray signed a record deal with Republic Records in 2018, where he released his debut EP Sunset Season (2018). His debut studio album Kid Krow (2020) debuted at number 5 on the US Billboard 200, making it the biggest US new artist debut of 2020. Kid Krow also spawned the commercially successful singles "Maniac" and "Heather".

Lele Pons (born June 25, 1996) is an American Internet celebrity, YouTuber, singer, and actress. She stars in The Secret Life of Lele Pons, a YouTube Original docuseries providing a look at her personal life, and hosts her own Spotify-exclusive podcast titled Best Kept Secrets with Lele Pons.

Blackpink is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The group debuted in August 2016 with their single album Square One, which featured "Whistle" and "Boombayah", their first number-one entries on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, respectively.

Luke Albert Combs (born March 2, 1990) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Combs has released two albums for Columbia Nashville, which have combined to produce 10 singles, nine of which reached number one on Billboard's Country Airplay chart: "Hurricane," "When It Rains It Pours," "One Number Away," "She Got the Best of Me," "Beautiful Crazy," "Beer Never Broke My Heart," "Even Though I'm Leaving," "Does to Me," and "Lovin' on You."

José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born May 7, 1985), better known as J Balvin, is a Colombian reggaeton singer. He has been referred to as the "Prince of Reggaeton" and is one of the best-selling Latin music artists with sales of more than 35 million records (albums and singles) worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín, Colombia. At age 17, he moved to the United States to learn English, where he lived in both Oklahoma and New York. He then returned to Medellín and gained popularity performing at clubs in the city.

Christopher Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. Having signed with Jive Records in 2004, Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year, which became certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be one of the most influential rappers of his generation, with his music having heavily shaped contemporary trap music and inspired numerous artists. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he first received attention for his collaborations with rappers Birdman and Gucci Mane. Thug initially released a series of independent mixtapes beginning in 2011 with I Came from Nothing. In early 2013, he signed with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records, and later that year he released his label debut mixtape 1017 Thug to critical praise.

Dj Khaled first gained prominence as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station 99 Jamz, and translated his popularity by working with Terror Squad as a DJ for their live performances. After gaining production credits on the group's material, Khaled released his debut studio album Listennn... the Album in 2006, which earned gold certification. He followed it with the album We the Best (2007), which contained the top 20 single "I'm So Hood". His subsequent two releases — We Global (2008) and Victory (2010) — were released after he founded the record label We the Best Music Group. Both albums charted in the top ten on the US Billboard 200, with the latter containing the single "All I Do Is Win", which was eventually certified triple platinum.

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American singer, actress, and producer. Born and raised in Texas, Gomez began her career by appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004). In her teens, she rose to prominence for her role as Alex Russo in the Emmy Award–winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012).

Amanda Ava Koci (born Amanda Koci; February 16, 1994), known professionally as Ava Max, is an American singer and songwriter. After moving across several states to pursue a music career in her childhood, Max signed with Atlantic Records in 2016, where she released the song "Sweet but Psycho" in August 2018. It became her breakthrough single after peaking at number one in 22 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, and New Zealand. The song also peaked at number two in Australia, and number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Max released her debut studio album Heaven & Hell on September 18, 2020.

Twice, commonly stylized as TWICE, is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of nine members: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. Twice was formed under the television program Sixteen (2015) and debuted on October 20, 2015, with the extended play (EP) The Story Begins.[4] In 2019, they became the best-selling Korean girl group of all-time.

British singer and songwriter James Arthur has released three studio albums, twenty-six singles (including eight as a featured artist), and seventeen music videos. He won the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012 and released "Impossible" as the winner's single.

Kane Brown (born October 21, 1993) is an American singer and songwriter. Brown first came to the attention of the public through social media. He released his first EP, titled Closer, in June 2015 and followed it with a new single, "Used to Love You Sober", in October 2015. After Brown signed with RCA Nashville in early 2016, the song was included on his EP Chapter 1, released in March 2016. He released his first full-length album, the self-titled Kane Brown, on December 2, 2016. The single "What Ifs" came from this album, and in October 2017, Brown became the first artist to have simultaneous number ones on all five main Billboard country charts. Brown released his second album, Experiment, in November 2018, which became his first number one album on the Billboard 200.

Richard Colson Baker (born April 22, 1990), known professionally as Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His debut album, Lace Up, was released in 2012, and was followed up with four subsequent studio releases. As an actor, Baker made his film debut in the 2014 romantic drama Beyond the Lights. He has also appeared in several other films and had a recurring role on the Showtime series Roadies in 2016.

Christopher Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and grew up in Staffordsville, Kentucky, until moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2001 to pursue a career in music writing songs. Subsequently, Stapleton signed a contract with Sea Gayle Music to write and publish his music.

Sebastián Obando Giraldo (born 15 October 1994), known professionally as Sebastián Yatra, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. He began as a Latin pop artist and has recorded many ballads, but has released several successful reggaeton singles. Yatra is noted for his romantic lyrics, melding traditional lyricism with modern reggaeton influences. He rose to prominence in Latin America in 2016 when he released the hit "Traicionera". He has released two studio albums and recorded with artists from a diverse range of musical genres throughout his career.

Christian Nodal (born January 11, 1999) is a Mexican singer. Born and raised in Sonora, Mexico. His debut studio album, Me Dejé Llevar (2017), was met with critical acclaim and success. Nodal has won three Latin Grammy Awards, a Lo Nuestro Award, two Billboard Latin Music Awards, and a Latin American Music Award.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her consistent image reinventions and versatility in both music and entertainment. Gaga began performing as a teenager, singing at open mic nights and acting in school plays. She studied at Collaborative Arts Project 21, through New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, before dropping out to pursue a career in music.

Imagine Dragons is an American pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, lead guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman. The band first gained exposure with the release of their single "It's Time", followed by their award-winning debut studio album Night Visions (2012), which resulted in the chart-topping singles "Radioactive" and "Demons".

Symere Bysil Woods (born July 31, 1994), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Characterized by his face tattoos, facial piercings, eccentric hairstyles and androgynous fashion, his music is defined by often dark subject matters and imagery built on a melodic emo approach to trap. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Lil Uzi gained initial recognition following the release of the commercial mixtape Luv Is Rage (2015), which led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, to whom he signed to under DJ Drama's Generation Now imprint.

Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her narrative songwriting, which often centers around her personal life, has received widespread critical plaudits and media coverage. Born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 to pursue a career in country music. Her 2006 eponymous debut studio album was the longest-charting album of the 2000s on the US Billboard 200. Its third single, "Our Song", made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and sing a number-one song on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Credited with popularizing hip hop in Middle America, Eminem's global success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken racial barriers for the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the early 2000s made him hugely controversial, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass. He has been influential for many artists of various genres.

Kanye Omari West ( born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He has been influential in the 21st-century development of mainstream hip hop and popular music in general.

Jacques Berman Webster II (born April 30, 1992),[6] known professionally as Travis Scott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott's musical style has been described as a fusion of traditional hip hop, lo-fi and ambient.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (born March 10, 1994), known by his stage name Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and songwriter. His music is often defined as Latin trap and reggaeton, but he has incorporated various other genres into his music, including rock, bachata, and soul. He is also known for his deep, slurred vocal style and his eclectic fashion sense. Throughout his career, Bad Bunny has frequently collaborated with artists such as J Balvin,

Durk Derrick Banks, better known by his stage name Lil Durk (born October 19, 1992), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter.[5] He is the lead member and founder of his own collective and record label, Only the Family.