The music industry is forever shifting and changing, which makes for an interesting observation as a music lover. Whether you lived through the 60s music, partied during the 80s, or were born in the 00s, there are always those artists who stand out during the decade itself but beyond that period of time too.
A lot of the music artists we’ve seen and celebrated are down to the likes of Clive Davis for example, a big wig in the world of music producers. As one example, he’s helped artists who have become household names such as the legendary Whitney Houston, Pink, Ushe,r and Aerosmith to name but a few.
There are some highly influential music artists out there currently and this list celebrates just a small fraction of them. Here are six of the most influential artists in the music industry right now.
1. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is quite possibly the biggest artist out there right now. Born in 1989, Taylor Swift has been recognized as one of the best, breaking numerous records including the first woman to win the Grammy Award twice for Album of the Year.
The recent Eras tour has been a firm favorite for fans across the world and is likely to have surpassed the $1 billion mark, making it bigger than Elton John’s $939 million Farewell Tour. Considering EJ has been in the music industry for decades longer than Taylor Swift, it’s perhaps a testament to just how big she has become.
Tickets to see Taylor Swift sell out fast and it’s no surprise seeing as she is an incredible performer and has released many number-one and top-ten hits during her music career so far.
From an influential standpoint, not only is she a great musician but she’s also a fantastic advocate, sharing her political and societal views without any embarrassment or shame for doing so.
Musically, she’s also battled the record label owned by Scooter Braun for owning the rights to her master recordings. Her sweet revenge was to re-record all of her earlier albums so that she owned the newest recordings.
2. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is a talented rapper whose appearance within the music industry was impactful and truthful from the onset.
Lamar’s lyricism and his unfazed approach to touching upon the most controversial topics have made him a great role model for those who follow him as an artist and for his music.
Drawing a lot of his inspiration for songs from social situations, politics, and racism discrimination, he’s an artist who is and will continue to document history through music. His music projects are of such high importance and are a great example of how music can be more than just lyrics and notes.
From tracks like Humble and Money Trees, he’s an artist who provides great tunes but also incredible home truths and lessons of life itself.
3. Beyoncé
Beyonce truly is a household name and if you’ve never heard of here, then it can only be assumed you’ve been living under a rock or music in general is not for you.
She’s a multiple Grammy Award winner and is probably considered one of the most successful artists when it comes to Contemporary music. Her songs have spanned over two decades now but before she went solo, she was also in the iconic girl band Destiny’s Child.
Beyonce has campaigned for many charities and organizations such as the LGBTQ+ rights and feminism movement. Not only that but she was particularly active during Black Lives Matter as well as being a strong advocate for Barack Obama and Kamala Harris during their presidential campaigns.
Not only is she an incredible performer, but she’s also performed at some of the biggest events in the world, including the 2016 Super Bowl.
4. Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars is a smooth operator when it comes to music and performance. Having stormed into the music business with Just The Way You Are, Bruno Mars has managed to create his own musical path by spanning a few different genres.
From funk, disco, reggae, and R&B, Bruno Mars has really curated his own type of music and as such, has made his hits incredibly unique and addictive to listen to.
He’s also a great songwriter, and he’s got the awards to show for it. Bruno Mars has an incredible array of accomplishments which include 11 Grammy Awards and 3 American Music Awards. He’s truly an artist that will be a part of the history books and who knows what he’ll release in the future.
5. Charlie XCX
Charlie XCX is definitely one of the more current artists of this generation and is very much celebrated in current music and has a big following via social media alone.
When it comes to the modern day definition of influential, you can certainly put Charlie XCX as one of those artists who has mastered the use of social media for success.
She’s connecting with fans regularly, keeping up to date with the latest trends and memes in order to make her content and her performances more relatable. She’s another artist known for bridging genres together and influencing the pop culture in general.
Her live performances are an immersive experience and have certainly captured the attention of many of her fans, an example being her latest tour celebrating her BRAT album.
6. Doja Cat
And finally, one artist who had been trying to break into the industry for a while has had most of her songs go viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Doja Cat has had a lot of mainstream success since and her studio album Planet Her is the most streamed album by a female rapper in Spotify history. She’s won a Grammy Award, five American Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards and five MTV Video Music Awards.
She’s been listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to TIME magazine and is both unfiltered and daring in her music creation.
Who is your influential music artist? With so many out there, there’s an influence in every genre and decade of music to enjoy.
