Get To Know Your 2021 VMA Best New Artist Nominees
Immediately after
Doja Cat walked away with the honor of
Push Best New Artist at the 2020
Video Music Awards, she catapulted to even greater success. Back in November, she went on to win Best New Artist at the People’s Choice Awards, and then in June, she released her critically acclaimed second studio album
Planet Her. And right now, she’s returning to the VMAs awards ceremony, this time as host plus a performer.
That’s the importance of this category: It’s both a celebration of banner year along with a projection of more impactful artistry to come. At the 2021 VMAs, which return to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on September 12, the long-established Best New Artist category is back, while the Push Efficiency of the Year has
its own bracket, highlighting breakout talent through their exclusive performances.
This year’s Best New Artist category is packed with all-star artists, each of whom has had per year of wild successes. There’s
Olivia Rodrigo, who has been topping charts worldwide with her debut album
Sour, and Giveon, who earned his first No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 networking with with Justin Bieber and Daniel Caesar on “Peaches.” Nevertheless that’s only the starting, and there can only be one winner who will take residence the Moonperson. So before you
vote for your faves, get to know all of The ideal New Artist nominees below.
24kGoldn
Who knew that “Mood” could be created by two rappers playing
Call of Duty? While gaming,
24kGoldn and Iann Dior crafted their mega-hit with producers
Omer Fedi and KBeaZy. Lead artist 24kGoldn first hit the mainstream right after 2019’s “
Valentino” went viral on TikTok, nevertheless with an assist from Dior, “Mood” became one of the big smashes of 2020. The song, about a hot-and-cold relationship and featuring pop guitars courtesy of Fedi, peaked at No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot 100. It was with little effort one of the primary songs of last year, and 24kGoldn has been raking in bricks immediately after releasing his debut album,
El Dorado, in March.
Giveon
Right after being featured on Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle,” featured on last year's
Dark Lane Demo Tapes,
Giveon’s name was speedily heard. His EP
Take Time peaked at No. 35 on the
Billboard 200 and even obtained a nomination at this year’s Grammys. Lead single “Heartbreak Anniversary,” a downtempo piano ballad in which the singer mourns the loss of a relationship, became a sleeper hit. Recently, Giveon was featured on Justin Bieber’s smash “
Peaches” alongside Daniel Caesar, bringing his relaxing baritone vocals to the masses.
The Kid Laroi
Soon after gaining widespread attention with his funky trap song “Let Her Go” in 2019, teenage Australian hip-hop artist
The Kid Laroi really mentioned
F*ck Love with his debut emo-rap mixtape the next year. He procured an assist from his mentor Juice WRLD on lead single “
Go,” which was released posthumously immediately after Juice’s death. The mixtape reached No. 1 on both
Billboard 200 and the Australian ARIA charts, making Laroi the youngest Australian solo artist to do so. Staying true to his passion for group effort, his synth-pop single with Justin Bieber, “Stay,” has catapulted him further in his career.
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo captured the hearts and minds of Gen Z with her relatable alt-pop tracks and realistic lyrics in her debut album
Sour. Songs like “Drivers License,” “Good 4 U,” and “Deja Vu” distilled the angsty feels of breakups, while “Brutal” expressed the harsh truth that teenage dreams don’t routinely come true. She brings versatility in her music, incorporating alt-rock, pop-punk, grunge, folk, and nation elements. Rodrigo cites Taylor Swift, one of her preference artists, as a major inspiration for the album, and
she says most of the songs are based on "everything that I had that was, like, really awesome and good in my life went really sour."
Polo G
Polo G popped out of obscurity any time “Pop Out” peaked at No. 11 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in 2019. Right now, because the title of his third studio album suggests, he’s made his way to the Hall of Fame by rapping about his personalized life, ranging from his tough upbringing in Chicago, relationships, and his newfound fame. He’s a true collaborator, accruing features from such iconic hip-hop names as Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, and Lil Wayne. Polo has invoked Wayne as one of his biggest influences, so he couldn’t contain his joy that the rap legend hopped on his song.
Saweetie
Saweetie is your new “Best Friend,” which is the title of her fun, uptempo track on which last year’s Push Best New Artist winner Doja Cat appears. Saweetie’s debut
High Maintenance released in 2018, peaking at No. 32 on the
Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales chart. Her song “
Icy Girl” — a spiritual freestyle successor to Khia’s classic hit “My Neck, My Back” — went Platinum along with became the title of her second EP, which gave the world the iconic rap-dance lead single “My Type.” The song went on to spawn a popular TikTok challenge. Saweetie is set to drop her debut studio album,
Pretty Bitch Music, sometime this year, so ensure to tune in.
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