Top 10 Best Gen Z Pop Stars
There's new talent popping up every day! Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Zoomer pop stars born no earlier than 1997, including their future potential.
Transcript
00:00 "Do you read my interviews?"
00:05 Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Zuma Pop Stars
00:10 Born No Earlier Than 1997, including their future potential.
00:15 "Sidewalks, we crossed..."
00:19 10. Ice Spice
00:22 "You thought I was feeling you? No!"
00:24 You thought we were feeling her? Then you'd be correct.
00:27 Like many Gen Z artists, Ice Spice started out as a viral TikTok sensation.
00:32 After her solo songs like "Munch," "Feeling You," blew up in 2022,
00:37 she scored a collab with fellow up-and-comer Pink Pantherus that pushed her to further heights.
00:42 "So I tell him it's one of me, he making fun of me,
00:45 his girl is a bum to me, like that boy is a cap, saying he home but I know where he at, like..."
00:50 Soon enough, the rapper joined forces with industry titans like Nicki Minaj,
00:54 Taylor Swift, and Ben Affleck.
00:56 "How are people gonna connect you with Duncan?"
00:58 "Yeah, I'm a Duncan guru."
00:59 "I'm not seeing it."
01:00 "Ice Spice, my fans are the Munchkins."
01:02 Beyond her distinct look and memeable lyrics,
01:06 Ice Spice has been praised for her positive vibes and likable attitude.
01:10 Some have even dubbed her the "People's Princess."
01:13 Despite accomplishing so much already, she still has further to go.
01:17 How can she lose when she's already chose?
01:20 "My name Ice but I always stay hot."
01:21 9. Tate McRae
01:23 "And she's all I wanna be, all I wanna be so bad."
01:29 If you miss the days of pop stars with real choreo, this Zoomer is making up for lost time.
01:34 Tate McRae is a double threat, starting dance lessons at 6 years old and perfecting
01:39 her craft long before picking up a microphone. "You Broke Me First" became her first hit single
01:45 in 2020, and her star has only brightened in the meantime.
01:48 "Now suddenly you're asking for it back, could you tell me where'd you get the nerve?"
01:56 Her viral TikTok song "Greedy" is shaping up to be her biggest hit yet,
02:01 serving up a slinky throwback to 2000s-era Nelly Furtado and Timbaland.
02:06 "I would want myself, baby please believe me, I'll put you through hell."
02:12 The switch in McRae's sound bodes well for the future, and she's sure to deliver more bops.
02:18 "Baby don't be greedy, that shit won't end well."
02:23 8. Willow
02:25 While Willow Smith's debut "Whip My Hair" was a standard Rihanna-esque track,
02:36 she matured and found her own lane in the decade-plus since.
02:40 "I'm just climbing on trees and skipping my class now."
02:45 Five studio albums and multiple genres later, she's far surpassed most people's first
02:50 impressions. From exploring alternative R&B to riding the pop-punk revival wave,
02:56 Willow has managed to shed the "Neepo Baby" stigma and prove herself as her own artist.
03:02 "Tryin' to treat me like royalty, but is it just a mask?"
03:06 She's also scored collabs with the likes of Blink-182's Travis Barker,
03:10 earning the respect of her musical predecessors.
03:13 Willow has opened doors in the alternative space for countless other artists,
03:17 and continues to shapeshift her sound.
03:19 "Round you so you know."
03:26 7. Chloe x Halle
03:28 How do they do it? The latest in a succession of R&B sister acts that include the Braxtons and
03:39 Knowles, Chloe and Halle Bailey have already made their mark.
03:43 "And that's just how we do it, and that's just how we do it, and you can do it too, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh."
03:50 First getting their start on a YouTube cover channel in the early 2010s,
03:55 they soon made TV appearances and got signed to Beyonce's label, Parkwood Entertainment.
04:00 Like their famous mentor and Janet Jackson before her, Chloe and Halle have navigated
04:06 the wholesome teen idol to full-fledged pop star pipeline.
04:10 "When you're a little bit cool, and I'll be happy, I'm not the hour."
04:15 And after their acclaimed sophomore album, Ungodly Hour, they've pivoted their angelic
04:20 vocals to equally satisfying solo careers and acting roles.
04:25 Still, we can't wait to hear them harmonize together once again.
04:29 "Can't you ever resolve, like, la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la-la."
04:35 6. Khalid
04:36 "Can't we just talk? Can't we just talk?"
04:41 Can we just talk about this artist's amazing vocals?
04:45 Khalid first rose to fame in 2017 with his album, American Teen, which perfectly captured
04:50 the Gen Z experience. He nabbed collabs with stars like Logic and Billie Eilish,
04:56 further propelling him up the charts, and released his second album, Free Spirit, in 2019.
05:01 "Should we bring it right back? Honestly, it's better like that. I know we've been falling off
05:06 track."
05:06 Best known for his buttery smooth delivery and chill production,
05:10 Khalid has held down the fort for awesome male R&B ever since his debut.
05:15 "So you're still thinking of me, just like I know you should."
05:22 And while he's far surpassed the label of "Young, Dumb, and Broke,"
05:26 the song's lyrics are still relatable to a significant portion of Zoomers.
05:31 "Young, young, dumb, and broke. Young, dumb, young, young, dumb, and broke."
05:37 5. Camila Cabello
05:39 "Something must have gone wrong in my brain. Got your chemicals all in my veins."
05:46 Once she left her fellow harmonizers, things would never be the same.
05:51 Camila Cabello was the first member of Fifth Harmony to go solo,
05:55 and her head start definitely paid off.
05:57 "Knew it when I met him. I loved him when I left him."
06:02 Her 2017 breakout single "Havana" topped the Billboard Hot 100,
06:08 and she did it again in 2019 with then-boyfriend Shawn Mendes on "Señorita."
06:13 "I love it when you call me señorita."
06:17 Cabello has also crossed over to film and TV,
06:21 starring in Cinderella, and becoming a judge on The Voice in 2022.
06:25 The gig came a decade after competing on The X Factor with Fifth Harmony,
06:29 putting her among the lucky few to cross over from contestant to coach.
06:34 Opening for Taylor Swift's Reputation Tour and collaborating with Ed Sheeran,
06:38 it's safe to say Cabello has A-list approval.
06:41 "I still love me that C. It lasts just like baby."
06:47 4. Shawn Mendes
06:48 "As long as you love me, we're un-affectionate."
06:53 A Canadian teen heartthrob who got famous for his viral song covers.
06:58 Sound familiar?
06:59 Thankfully, Shawn Mendes outlasted his peers from Vine,
07:02 and eventually stepped out of the Biebs' shadow.
07:05 First getting airplay with 2015's "Stitches," he followed it up with "Treat You Better"
07:11 and "There's Nothing Holding Me Back."
07:13 "Baby, there's nothing holding me back."
07:15 But the biggest turning point in Mendes' career came with 2018's "In My Blood,"
07:20 which showcased his vulnerable side and hinted at his artistic potential.
07:25 "It is in you, my blood."
07:28 By 2020, things came full circle when Mendes made the Top 10 with "Monster,"
07:34 a duet with Justin Bieber.
07:36 It's rare that a newer artist works with the earlier one they're accused of copying,
07:40 but it's a testament to how much he's evolved.
07:43 "That I'm never monster, never monster. Just let me go."
07:49 3. Olivia Rodrigo
07:51 "Got my driver's license last week, just like we always talked about."
07:57 As soon as she got her driving license, the "Sour" singer became a household name.
08:02 After shedding her Disney roots, Olivia Rodrigo made a seamless transition to
08:06 singer-songwriter ballads and pop-rock throwbacks,
08:10 including the Paramore-pastiche "Good 4 U."
08:13 "Good for you, you're doing great, I'll do it though.
08:16 Baby, you gotta wish that I could do that."
08:19 Winning Best New Artist at the 2022 Grammys,
08:22 she went on to avoid the sophomore slump with her 2023 album, "Guts."
08:27 Thanks to her relatable lyrics about first loves, breakups, and general teen angst,
08:31 Rodrigo quickly established herself as one of Gen Z's leading voices.
08:35 "You only come out at night."
08:39 It's worth noting that she's so popular with the demographic that she was invited to the
08:43 White House in 2021 to help promote life-saving vaccines. Although she's accomplished so much
08:50 already, Rodrigo is clearly just getting started.
08:53 "Bleeding me dry like a goddamn vampire."
08:57 2. Lil Nas X
08:59 "I got the horses in the back, horse tack is attached."
09:04 Has an artist ever shattered the one-hit-wonder label so hard? Lil Nas X's 2019 country rap
09:11 smash "Old Town Road" almost seemed too massive to replicate, but with the release of his 2021
09:17 full-length album, he proved he wasn't just a novelty fluke, and has continued to make pop
09:23 history. "Call me when you want, call me when you need, call me in the morning, I'll be on the way."
09:29 On the single "Montero" - "Call Me By Your Name" - the rapper danced for the devil and
09:33 broke the internet with his bold self-expression, but that wasn't all. He took a victory lap with
09:40 fellow Gen Z rapper Jack Harlow on the triumphant follow-up "Industry Baby,"
09:45 with both singles hitting the top of the Hot 100.
09:48 "I told you long ago, on the road, I got what you're waiting for."
09:54 With his striking visuals and his signature sense of humor,
09:58 Lil Nas X's next moves are sure to keep everyone talking.
10:02 "Can't nobody tell me nothing, can't tell me nothing."
10:09 Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:13 Pink Panther-ess - Her Y2K throwbacks are the future of pop.
10:17 "You're the only thing that I earn, I hear my bell ring, I'd earn the answer for you."
10:23 Conan Gray - Gen Z's male answer to Billie and Olivia.
10:27 "You look better, I wish I were ever."
10:34 The Kid LAROI - The Australian singer and rapper has topped the charts.
10:38 "Darling, you stay, you stay."
10:41 Gracie Abrams - The Eras Tour opener is breaking out.
10:45 "There's a part of me that wants you back, but I know it won't work like that."
10:52 Maisie Peters - The Good Witch's voice casts a spell.
10:55 "I can't help thinking that she's got a better body, oh she's got a body better than mine."
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11:18 1. Billie Eilish - The Ocean Eyes
11:25 Once she gave us those ocean eyes, it didn't take long for her to become the voice of a generation.
11:31 Billie Eilish's 2015 debut signaled a shift in the music industry,
11:36 from maximalist party songs to darker and moodier sounds.
11:40 "Girl, you know how to make me cry when you give me those ocean eyes."
11:46 From relationships to mental health, Eilish has explored issues relevant to Gen Z
11:51 in a way that feels like she's a friend or reading your diary back to you.
11:55 But despite that description, she can still dish out a delectable dance track.
11:59 "Bad guy anyone?"
12:00 "I'm the bad guy, duh."
12:04 And instead of recycling what worked the first time, her sophomore album
12:11 Happier Than Ever introduced a vintage pin-up aesthetic.
12:15 "I'm happier than ever."
12:19 With so much still ahead of Eilish, we can't wait to see what she was made for.
12:25 "What was I made for?"
12:27 Who's your favorite Gen Z-er in music? Let us know in the comments.
12:36 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms Mojo and be sure to subscribe
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12:48 [Music]