MANILA, Philippines – Spotify today revealed its list of the top 25 most influential young artists under the age of 25 who are taking the music industry by storm. 24-year-old UK singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran tops the list, holding the title of most-streamed artist of 2014 and most-streamed song of all time – Thinking Out Loud – and the record for being the first British artist to reach two billion streams on Spotify.
To determine the 25 under 25 list, Spotify looked at a variety of factors including number-one hits, volume and growth of streams over the past year, as well as their performance on the Spotify viral chart.
Ariana Grande, Sam Smith, Miley Cyrus and One Direction round out the top five. The list was dominated by popstars like Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Meghan Trainor, alongside both well-known and emerging EDM and hip-hop talent.
In the Philippines, the list also features regional K-pop acts EXO and CL alongside young rappers Abra and Shehyee, as well as teen idols Daniel Padilla, James Reid and Nadine Lustre. Rounding out the list are KZ Tandingan, winner of The X Factor Philippines season one and first runner-up of The Voice Kids Philippines, Darren Espanto.
“Pinoy music fans have very diverse music tastes, and it is reflected in this list of young artists that they are listening to. We’re thrilled to reveal that Daniel Padilla and KZ Tandingan are fast becoming household names in the Philippines,” says Sunita Kaur, Managing Director, Spotify (Asia). “We’re always looking to support local artists by showcasing their talent on the global stage.”
“Spotify’s 25 under 25 list for 2015 reflects the future of the music industry,” said Shanon Cook, Spotify’s Digital Trends Expert. “The popular Ed Sheeran leads the pack, but it’s also exciting to see an abundance of female artists featured with 11 of the top 25 spots, which is a nice increase from last year’s list.”
Spotify’s 25 Under 25 (Philippines):
1. Ed Sheeran
The UK singer-songwriter was not only Spotify’s most-streamed artist of 2014, but holds the title of most-streamed song of all time with his ballad Thinking Out Loud.
2. Ariana Grande
Averaging three million streams a day and with more than 2.5 million followers on Spotify, it’s safe to say this diminutive power-singer has a grande-sized presence.
3. Sam Smith
His stunning debut album, In The Lonely Hour, might have been released more than a year ago, but Spotify listeners refuse to leave this UK singer-songwriter alone; his song Stay With Me has streamed more than 350 million times.
4. Miley Cyrus
It doesn’t matter whether she’s between albums or between daring poses, Spotifiers listen to Miley’s music in consistently high numbers and she boasts a following of nearly 1.5 million on Spotify.
5. One Direction
The boy band might be down one member, but streams are up. In fact, when Zayn Malik’s exit from 1D was announced in March, streams increased by 796% percent in the US. Also, their new song, Drag Me Down, set a number of Spotify records, including greatest number of streams on a single day (4.75 million on release day).
6. EXO
The Chinese-South Korean pop group broke almost half a million streams on debut day with the release of their highly-anticipated sophomore album, EXODUS.
7. Selena Gomez
Listeners have responded positively to the sultry turn Selena takes on her new track Good For You from her upcoming album Revival, and her popularity with our listeners puts the singer up there as a top pop force.
8. Darren Espanto
Rising to fame as the first runner-up in The Voice Kids Philippines season one, the young Fil-Canadian singer is now ruling the airwaves with his hit In Love Ako Sa ‘Yo.
9. Demi Lovato
When Demi’s track Cool For The Summer dropped last month, it generated a song of the summer buzz and rightly so; it’s surprisingly-rocking chorus has it racking up streams in a big way.
10. Fifth Harmony
Their track Worth It is one of the top jams this summer and has appealed to listeners worldwide, bringing this vivacious all-girl group massive ‘worth it’ status.
11. Meghan Trainor
The singer-songwriter has followed up the runaway success of All About That Bass with a string of hits, including our listeners’ current favorite, Dear Future Husband.
12. Daniel Padilla
Starting as a TV and movie actor in his early showbiz years, Daniel Padilla is now also a top recording artist with own renditions of Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now, Pangako Sa’yo and Isn’t She Lovely on Spotify.
13. James Reid
After winning 2010’s Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Clash, James entered the showbiz and music industry. Now, his well-loved single Huwag Ka Ng Humirit, is being enjoyed by millions of music fans on Spotify.
14. Nadine Lustre
Nadine started out as the lead vocalist of the now-defunct all-female group called Pop Girls. Embarking on a solo career proved to be a success as her hit single with showbiz love team partner James Reid, No Erase, is a current favorite on Spotify.
15. KZ Tandingan
Known as the grand winner of The X Factor Philippines season one, KZ’s acoustic jazz, R&B and soul grooves are best heard through her hit single, Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako.
16. CL
CL is also the leader, vocalist and rapper of South Korean hip hop girl group 2NE1. The 24-year-old is making waves in Hollywood with her latest single Doctor Pepper, which features familiar names like Diplo, Riff Raff, and OG Maco.
17. James Bay
Below the hat and long hair you’ll find a soulful voice that has brought this UK troubadour much attention on both sides of the Atlantic; his track Hold Back The River has streamed more than 140 million times.
18. Charlie Puth
Hailing from New Jersey, this gentle singer was introduced to the world as the featured artist on Wiz Khalifa’s chart-topping song See You Again, and now he’s breaking out on his own with rising ballad Marvin Gaye – with a little help from featured singer Meghan Trainor!
19. Martin Garrix (Age 19)
He got his start remixing Christina Aguilera songs, and now the 19-year-old Dutch DJ is a go-to for party playlists, and with a streaming average of one million a day, is an indisputable top player in today’s EDM field.
20. Abra
Young rapper, Abra, gained popularity after gaining millions of views in the music video for his single, Gayuma. Now, fans can plug in to Spotify and listen to all of his songs wherever they are.
21. Silento
Every once in a while a song comes along that inspires a dance craze and this summer that song is Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae), which has brought the Atlanta-based teen rapper Silento overnight success and a smooth ride (or nae nae) up the charts.
22. Shehyee
Shehyee first rose to fame via the FlipTop rap battles and gave Pinoy teens the upbeat hit Trip Lang. He is also the first Asian winner of Spotify Emerge, Spotify’s own digital talent hunt.
23. 5 Seconds of Summer
The lively Aussie pop-punk band just released new single She’s Kinda Hot and it’s… kinda hot; just ask female listeners under the age of 17 who form a key part of 5SOS’s Spotify fan base.
24. Echosmith
The LA-based indie band shook up listeners a year ago when their debut album Talking Dreams caught on in a big way. The catchy song Cool Kids has streamed more than 185 million times and counting.
25. Marion Aunor
Marion started her career after winning third place in the 2013 Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs where she debuted her first self-composed original song If You Ever Change Your Mind. She was also among the up-and-coming OPM artists who joined the first talent hunt in Asia, Spotify Emerge.
The global top 25 list also includes a variety of newcomers who are making their mark in the music world, including Silento, who at just 17 years old has listeners dancing to his summer jam, Watch Me. Other trending musicians include Detroit-born rapper/singer Dej Loaf, R&B crooner SZA (pronounced “sizza”), and colorful pop singer Halsey.
Spotify’s 25 Under 25 (Global):
- Ed Sheeran
- Ariana Grande
- Sam Smith
- Miley Cyrus
- One Direction
- Disclosure
- Selena Gomez
- Rae Sremmurd
- Demi Lovato
- Fifth Harmony
- Meghan Trainor
- Kygo
- James Bay
- Charlie Puth
- Justin Bieber
- Rita Ora
- Martin Garrix
- Vince Staples
- Hunter Hayes
- Silento
- 5 Seconds of Summer
- Dej Loaf
- Echosmith
- SZA (pron. “sizza”)
- Halsey
Listen to Spotify’s 25 Under 25 Global Playlist featuring the top 25 most popular and streamed artists and acts from around the world here:
