Today Spotify shared a list that they are calling the World’s 25 Most Influential Artists Under 25, led by Ed Sheeran. The global ranking was determined by volume and growth of streams over the past year, number-one hits and performance on Spotify’s viral chart.
1. Ed Sheeran (Age 24)
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 (Age 22)
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 (Age 23)
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 (Age 22)
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 (Ages 21-23)
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. Disclosure (Ages 21 and 24)
The EDM duo’s 2013 debut album Settle was a critical and Spotify smash, and buzz is building for their follow-up which lands in September – check out new track Omen which features our friend at #3 on this list.
7. Selena Gomez (Age 23)
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. Rae Sremmurd (Ages 20 and 21)
The brother duo from Atlanta are Spotify’s most popular hip-hop act under the age of 25, with multiple tracks from their album Sremmlife streaming in the millions.
9. Demi Lovato (Age 22)
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 (Ages 18-22)
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 (Age 21)
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. Kygo (Age 23)
This Norwegian DJ stepped into the limelight with his original tropical house sound on the mega-hit Firestone, and more recently, Stole The Show, which has been a scene-stealer near the top of our global charts for weeks.
13. James Bay (Age 24)
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.
14. Charlie Puth (Age 23)
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!
15. Justin Bieber (Age 21)
Averaging a million streams a day, Bieber remains one of Spotify’s most-beloved artists under 25, and his collaboration with Jack Ü on the song Where Are Ü Now has him scaling charts around the world at the moment.
16. Rita Ora (Age 24)
With her new song Poison taking off, this UK singer is poised to have a long, robust career, thanks to her impressive vocal chops, sass and loyal following. Check out her steamy new track, Body On Me.
17. 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.
18. Vince Staples (Age 22)
The west coast rapper enjoyed an impressive first week on Spotify with his debut album Summertime ’06, which was lauded by critics as one of the most promising hip-hop albums of the year.
19. Hunter Hayes (Age 23)
Streaming about half a million times a day, the Louisiana-born country singer is a perennial favorite with Spotify listeners; we’re liking his latest single, Someday Girl.
20. Silento (Age 17)
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.
21. 5 Seconds of Summer (Ages 19-21)
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.
22. Dej Loaf (Age 24)
This up-and-coming rapper/singer from Detroit just dropped her excellent EP #AndSeeThatsTheThing, which capitalizes on the momentum she’s enjoyed with our US listeners in recent months (check out track We Winnin’).
23. Echosmith (Ages 14-20)
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.
24. SZA (pron. “sizza”) (Age 24)
One of the most interesting artists to enter the R&B space in recent years, this talented singer-songwriter blends dream-like grooves with elements of hip-hop and soul, and the end result is incredibly alluring. Listeners have been streaming SZA’s music steadily since her debut album Z dropped in 2014.
25. Halsey (Age 20)
Her hair color may change frequently, but listeners are unwavering in their support for this 20-year-old’s dreamy pop songs; we think the track New Americana is going places, and look forward to Halsey’s full-length debut album Badlands to drop later this month.
