The Top 25 Rookies Artists of 2021: 10-1

It has been about a year since I did the rookies countdown, so I guess it is a good time to do the rules refresher, and thank all my new viewers. Thanks for joining this site's community! Thanks to all old viewers too, you have all stuck around for a long time!

I love rookie artists. They are the musical future, and thus their feature is one of the biggest for this site and starts several weeks before the rest of my end-of-year lists. Before we get to the list, let us go over some rules.

• Rookies don't really get time to show their skills within a month, so I go from December 1, 2020, to November 30, 2021, for all the artists available in this countdown. That means Rolling Quartz is eligible, but IVE is not.

• This is based on debut, not breakout. As a result, Arooj Aftab and Brave Girls are excluded.

• This counts an artist's single or album debut. Whichever came first. As a result, Morgan Wade and aespa are excluded.

• Your first debut internationally is what counts. Twice don't count as they made their Korean debut years before their international one.
• I also eliminated artists who released great material but lack the funding to become influential.

• No disbanded artists count.

Now let us start the list!

10. Lim Seo Won

Lim Seo Won has something both amazing yet terrifying for her career; her age. At 10 years old, her performances are charming, innocent, yet full of energy. She has the chance to make errors and only improve from them. At the same time, she is way too young to be a singer, regardless of genre. Young pop stars rarely ever end up well, but I sincerely hope that this time it will be different. Shoulder Dance still remains one of the best songs released this year.

9. Billlie

Billlie may have a name that looks like a misspelling of Billie Eilish purposefully created for misspellings, but their debut turned out to be one of the most polarizing songs this year, with a wild, chasing, and atmospheric feel. With an additional member now from Girls Planet 999, it is likely the group will gain even more popularity.

8. Purple Kiss

Despite constantly switching styles throughout each of their releases, Purple Kiss constantly provided the goods with their releases. Zombie remains a quirky highlight, with one addictive refrain after another. With a particularly strong agency backing them in RBW entertainment, their future looks bright.

7. PIXY

As I said before, the best artists are those who know what their style is, and what they want to do. Love them or hate them, PIXY are certainly that. They have a horror-tinged electronic sound, with stunning and eery performances. Each of their releases ends up better than the last, and every single song on their latest EP is worth a listen.

6. Silk Sonic

Silk Sonic technically doesn't really count, as it is a supergroup made up of Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars. I am not exactly sure how permanent the fixture is supposed to be, but with a full-length album under their belt already, it was hard to ignore them! The 70s R&B style fits Mars and Paak like a glove, though I wish they'd hire a new lyricist, there are only so many barbeques and Hercules lines I can take!

5. Kingdom

Kingdom have set lore already, with each and every release being themed after a famous monarch from history. I already wrote a pretty incredible post, if I dare say so myself, on the subject, for those curious. The theatrical releases they have released have all been quite incredible, and if they play their cards wisely, they can conclude one of pop music's most ambitious series, and move on from there.

4. B.I

Few K-Pop artists can claim to have as much talent as B.I, and fewer still can have went through as many ups and downs as he as by the age of 25. From writing one of the biggest hits in his home nation of all time, to being kicked out of his group for a drugs controversy that nearly brought down some of K-Pop's most powerful executives (most escaped unscathed), it is no surprise that his music has been so personal. A mighty fine lyricist in his own right, B.I has been one of the year's strongest soloists.

3. Yurina Hirate

Despite not even being 20, Yurina Hirate has already had a successful career in what is now Sakurazara46, and her solo debut single, Reason for Dance, one of the best songs of 2020. This alone guranteed a spot on the list for young Techi, and that helped, given her otherwise silent year. She did release another single, but it was more of an assist than a leading track.

2. Rolling Quartz

Despite them also maintaining radio silence for much of 2021, Rolling Quartz easily waltzed into second place in this countdown via debut single Blaze, a song still invigorating. In many ways, Rolling Quartz have been trailblazers. They are the first fully female rock band from South Korea to gain much attention, and their self-written material stands strong.

They also seem to have a genuine plan for their future. They know their sound and their indie releasing style. The demo for Holler sounds really good, and via covers and collaborations, they have become known to fans of AleXa and Maneskin. Expect them to break out soon.

1. Olivia Rodrigo

In a year that underwhelmed for debuting artists, this young Filipino-American artist stood out from the pack. Not even an adult when she made her debut, Olivia Rodrigo soon surged to the top of the charts with hits like Drivers License and Good 4 U. While rumors, heavy promotion, and a young fandom helped, the quality of these releases was a driving factor.

Sour remains one of the year's best full-length albums, riding on the waves of the pop revitalization, her releases defined angst and euphoria from the Generation Z populace. Keep an eye on Rodrigo, she has a genuine chance to become next-generation's defining artist. Even if that does not happen, though, her 2021 will be remembered as surprisingly strong.