Amidst all of the chaos of this year, the music industry has had countless new artists make their way into the limelight, all reaching for fame. Increasingly popular social media apps have given a chance for smaller artists to gain popularity; some have taken advantage of that and are now predicted to go big in 2021.

Conan Gray, is an American singer/songwriter from Georgetown, Texas. In 2018, he released an EP, “Sunset Season,” and in 2020, an album that has become extremely popular, Kid Krow, among singles with other artists throughout the years. Gray began his rise to stardom by posting covers of other artists’ songs on YouTube, where he quickly gained a fandom. Junior Lily Cohen, an avid member of the fandom, said, “I mainly found out about Conan Gray through Instagram and just exploring on Spotify.” On the popular social media app TikTok, two of his songs, “Heather” and “Maniac,” have gained lots of positive attention as a result of trends that arose during quarantine, further increasing his fame. 

The two singles from Gray’s album went RIAA certified platinum on the same day, which is a rare instance in the music industry. Both songs, expressing very different emotions and stories, had rightfully deserved their recognition throughout the year. The album reached #5 on Billboard’s Top-200 list, #1 Pop Album, and #2 Billboard Top Album, all within recent months. As the year comes to an end, it seems as if Gray’s popularity and fame are increasing, making him an artist predicted to make it big in 2021. 

The band Wallows formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2017 and included members Braeden Lemasters, Dylan Minnette, Cole Preston, and Kurtis Conner. This indie pop/rock band released the album Nothing Happens along with the EP “Remote” and various singles all throughout the year. The band has gained popularity due to its lead singer, famous actor Dylan Minnette, with the help of other social media apps to gain publicity. 

Junior Sophia Napolitano said, “I’m pretty sure that I heard Wallows first from TikTok, as they are pretty popular there.” A few hit Wallows songs from this year are “Virtual Aerobics,” “Are You Bored Yet?” (feat. Clairo), “Scrawny,” and many more. The well-liked band has grown tremendously liked, and can be assumed to only gain more fans in the new year.

Chloe and Halle Bailey, also known as Chole x Halle, are an R&B duo taking the music industry by storm. Not only are these sisters known for their music, but both have starred on the show Grownish and are going to act in an upcoming movie, The Georgetown Project. The duo started by posting covers of artists’ songs and have now landed themselves several acting opportunities, all while producing a hit album this year called Ungodly Hour. In addition to their hit album, they have also collaborated with other artists such as Doja Cat and City Girls. The young artists have gained a huge following and are increasingly popular.

Junior Amelia Pollicino said, “I think that all of these artists have gained a lot of popularity recently for a good reason. These groups are super talented, and I can see the star qualities in each of them.” Pollicino said she loves to keep up with the various artists and to listen to their discographies. 

As the year ends, Conan Gray, Wallows, and Chole x Halle have proved that great things are coming from them; hopefully, they will have some intriguing news coming as 2021 quickly approaches.