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A pop singer/songwriter whose music is informed by R&B, hip-hop, and country, Bailey Bryan stands out with her intricate wordplay and throaty voice. Her early work, such as 2017's single "Own It," had an acoustic lilt to it. However, later releases like 2019's Perspective EP and the following year's "play w/ me" and "Roster" were polished, state-of-the-art pop that fit in with the likes of Post Malone, Kehlani, and Ella Mai. Bryan leaned hard into her R&B influences on her first full-length effort, 2021's Fresh Start.

Born in Sequim, Washington, in 1998, Bryan developed an early interest in music. She started performing in church when she was seven, and began writing her own songs at age 12. She was spotted by Becki Devries, who worked in music publishing and eventually became her mentor. When Bryan was 15, she took part in a songwriting workshop held by Devries, who was impressed with the teen's skills as a writer and as a vocalist. Before long, Bryan posted videos online of herself performing original material and covers of pop and country favorites.

By the time she was 18, Bryan moved to Nashville, where she landed a publishing contract with Warner Music Nashville. She signed a recording deal with 300 Entertainment and released her debut single, "Own It," in September 2016; the song debuted at number 60 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart. A few months later, Lady A's Hillary Scott nominated her as a Grammys Artist of Tomorrow. Bryan's debut EP, So Far, which featured "Own It," appeared in April 2017. That October, she issued an acoustic cover of Drake's "Too Good." Over the next couple of years, she continued to release a steady stream of music. This included November 2018's "Songbird"; a May 2019 cover of Drake's "One Dance" with Kyla, the artist he sampled on his version of the track; and October 2019's Perspective EP, which boasted some of her most pop-oriented music to date.

In 2020, Bryan's music moved further in the direction of pop and R&B. That June's single "play w/ me" was produced by the production team Monsters & Strangerz and drew inspiration from Destiny's Child and TLC. She returned that September with the similarly sleek "Roster." Both tracks appeared on her 2021 full-length debut, Fresh Start. ~ Heather Phares & Mark Deming

Bay Area rapper 24kGoldn delivers melodic flows inspired by a love of both high-end fashion and his music-industry lifestyle. He achieved platinum success before his 18th birthday, thanks to the viral success of his 2019 single "Valentino." He rose quickly from posting his songs online to a major-label deal, bringing a passionate rap/singing hybrid style and ample amounts of pop accessibility to the chart-topping 2020 single "Mood" and releases like his gold-certified 2021 debut studio album, El Dorado. His second EP, Growing Pains, appeared in 2024.

24kGoldn was born Golden Landis Von Jones in 2000. Growing up in a lively neighborhood in the Bay Area, he was exposed to different cultural perspectives early on, which would later inform his versatile approach to music. He began singing, but during his formative years he was more interested in fashion and sneakers than music. When he started rapping at age 14, his musical persona took shape quickly. By 2016, he had begun posting songs online, and early singles like "iPhone" and "Trapper's Anthem" attracted moderate attention. He steadily released new songs, and it was 2018's "Ballin' Like Shareef" that broke through to wider audiences. At this point, 24kGoldn was attending University of Southern California and signed to Columbia affiliate Records LLC while working toward his degree. From there, he recorded several songs that would become viral hits, beginning with the danceable and hooky "Valentino" in late 2018 and continuing in 2019 with "Games on Your Phone" and "A Lot to Lose."

24kGoldn's first EP, Dropped Outta College, was released in November 2019 and charted in the Billboard 200. The song "Mood" featuring Iann Dior arrived in July 2020 and topped the Billboard Hot 100. The track reached the number one position in multiple countries and was popular enough to merit a remix featuring Justin Bieber and J Balvin. His debut studio album, El Dorado, arrived in March 2021 and featured appearances from Future, DaBaby, and Swae Lee. It was a significant success for 24kGoldn, reaching number 24 on the Billboard 200 and, rather appropriately, going gold. He returned later in the year with the single "Prada" featuring Lil Tecca. In 2022, 24kGoldn released the singles "In My Head" (with Travis Barker) and "Overthinking" (with Mabel). After a deluxe edition of El Dorado was issued, he released "Mistakes" and "Checkers" (with Bandmanrill). "Bite" and "My City" (with Kane Brown and G Herbo, from the Fast X soundtrack) appeared in 2023. The EP Growing Pains was released in 2024, with an appearance by Leikeli47. ~ Fred Thomas