The Z List

Move over, Millennials – a new class of young music trailblazers are set to take over the spotlight with their chart-topping achievements. Meet the voices of Generation-Z.

billie eilish

crowning glory:

If you feel like Billie Eilish is everywhere these days, that’s because she is – in all the best places. When 15-year-old Billie first dropped ‘Ocean Eyes’ on Soundcloud a few years back, no one expected the teen wunderkind to amass such a devoted cult following. But boy were we glad she did.

Her claim to fame? Besides her penchant for churning out chart-topper after chart-topper, it’s also her quirky personality and sense of humour that makes her seem so much more relatable. “I’m really weird, and you know what? I like it,” she tells Teen Vogue. “It’s special to me and it’s fun to be weird. I also hope to show people that they shouldn’t care about what others think of them. It’s you and your life. Do what you want.”

And that’s exactly what she does – she lives life and makes music on her own terms. The result: a swelling repertoire of work that includes two hugely successful EPs, several viral singles, as well as high-profile collaborations with the likes of Vince Staples and Khalid.

Just when you thought the Billie mania has reached its peak, she drops her long-awaited debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? to much fanfare. An eclectic blend of genre-defying tunes crafted almost entirely by herself and her brother (whom you might know as singer-songwriter and producer FINNEAS), it’s one of those few albums where every track is a standout. Which is why it’s of no surprise that it shot straight to the top of the charts, making Billie the youngest female artiste – who is, for the record, still only 17 years of age – to notch the number one spot since Demi Lovato in 2009. Talk about literally living the teenage dream!

Just recently, the rising pop star hit yet another career milestone with her first ever Coachella gig, sharing the spotlight with bigname headliners such as Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino and BLACKPINK. Fresh off her festival debuts, the young songstress is also in the midst of her When We All Fall Asleep World Tour and we have no doubts that her impending shows will draw massive crowds.

While Billie has yet to fully take over the reigns of her predecessors, it’s clear she has the poise, talent and attitude to go far in her career.

And here’s the craziest part: she’s only just getting started.

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• She currently has seven gold and two platinum singles to her name.

• She’s the first singer born in the 2000s to have a number one album with When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.

• Her debut EP Don’t Smile At Me has surpassed more than 750 million streams worldwide.

• She boasts more than 40 million monthly listeners on Spotify, ranking 6th in the world!

• A social media force to be reckoned with, she has nearly 25 million followers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook combined.

We’re not the only ones in the Billie Eilish fandom – these celebs also happen to be huge fans of hers!

In a recent interview, BTS’ Jungkook expressed his desire to work with her – and even named ‘Bad Guy’ as his current favourite track. A BTS x Billie Eilish collab, anybody?

BLACKPINK’s Jennie uploaded a post-Coachella picture of her enveloping the singer in a tight hug along with the caption, “My crush”. Super adorable!

It’s no secret that Billie is a major Justin Bieber diehard, so imagine her excitement when Biebs turned the tables around by sliding into her DMs. The longtime Belieber even got to meet him over the Coachella weekend!

Last June, Shawn Mendes tweeted at her saying, “I think you are just really crazy talented and everybody who hasn’t listened to your music is seriously missing out”. Excuse us while we swoon...

ITZY

the it girls:

On the other end of the music radar, we have a new batch of young pop mavens poised to lead the next era of K-pop. Made up of five immensely talented ladies with an average age of 18, JYP Entertainment’s new flagship act has since ear wormed their way onto the charts with their record-breaking debut single, ‘DALLA DALLA’ – an empowerment anthem that encourages fans to embrace what makes them different.

Unlike TWICE’s usual brand of bubblegum pop, ITZY plays into the lesser-explored girl crush concept that seemingly draws influences from Wonder Girls and Miss A – a formula that works wonderfully in their favour. Besides becoming the fastest K-pop outfit to hit 100 million views on a debut music video, they also achieved the incredible feat of being the quickest girl group to take their first win on a music show. If these numbers are any indication, they are well on their way to becoming the next big thing.

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• Two of the members, Ryujin and Yuna, starred in BTS’ music videos during their pre-debut days.

• They took home their first music show trophy just nine days after their debut.

• They scored a total of nine music show wins for their debut single ‘DALLA DALLA’, breaking a 22-year record previously held by first-gen group S.E.S.

khalid

smells like free spirit:

Much like his ‘Lovely’ collaborator Billie Eilish, Khalid’s whirlwind rise to stardom was very much fuelled by the power of the Internet – after all, he’s known as the second most-streamed artiste in the world for a reason. His 2017 debut effort American Teen was an instant hit, drawing in listeners with compelling lyrics that speak to the broody teenager in all of us. But everyone has to grow up some day, which brings us to his much-anticipated follow-up titled Free Spirit.

No longer the young, dumb and broke kid we used to know, the R&B crooner returns with a matured sound that showcases his progression as a songwriter – without losing his authenticity and childlike charms. “I love growing up,” Khalid shares with MTV News. “I can’t wait to see where I’ll be at 25 and what type of music I’m going to make. I know for a fact that I’m gonna be young forever; even if I’m 60, I’ll still have a little pep in my step.” Wherever his next move is, we bet the rest of the world will be watching.

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• He has a total of five Grammy Award nominations under his belt.

• He’s named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2019 by Time Magazine, alongside fellow pop icons Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande.

• His latest album Free Spirit skyrocketed him to the top of the Billboard Artist 100 Chart for the very first time.

sabrina carpenter

girl meets music:

Sabrina Carpenter needs no introduction. Fans might recognise the Disney darling from the hit series Girl Meets World, but the 19-year-old has been making remarkable moves in her budding music career as well. After lending her voice to several Disney projects, the aspiring singer decided to strike out on her own with her debut album Eyes Wide Open, which successfully marked her transition from teen actress to bonafide pop diva. Plus, she’s got the songwriting chops to boot.

Most of the tracks in her third studio album Singular are cowritten by the songstress, allowing her to really come into her own as an artiste. “I’ve been working on the record for the past two years and I really just started to get a greater understanding of what I was capable of,” she explains to Vogue about the creative process behind it. “I wrote the entire thing, so I decided to call it Singular because I want it to embody that confidence of being able to kind of accomplish what you want on your own.” We couldn’t be more proud!

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• Her extensive filmography includes notable roles in Girl Meets World, Milo Murphy’s Law and upcoming romcom Tall Girl.

• Besides opening for Ariana Grande on her Dangerous Woman Tour, she has also toured with The Vamps and New Hope Club.

• She just wrapped up her Singular Tour where she performed a total of 22 shows across North America and Asia.

ruel

ready to rule:

From busking along the Sydney’s beaches to performing in front of sell-out crowds, the young pop prodigy has come a long way since he was discovered by award-winning producer M-Phazes (“I lost my mind when I heard his voice!”). For a 16-year-old, Ruel’s credentials are admirable to say the least. He boasts numerous self-composed tracks under his belt including his earlier hit ‘Don’t Tell Me’, which was written when he was only 12. He shares, “When I write about something, it helps me figure it out in the process. I want people of all ages, whether they’re 15 or 50, to be able to relate to my songs.”

And it’s safe to say he succeeded in doing just that; Ruel’s debut EP Ready has since chalked up over 100 million global streams thanks to standout singles ‘Dazed & Confused’, ‘Younger’ and ‘Not Thinkin’ Bout You’. Rounding up his already impressive list of achievements is the title of 2018’s Breakthrough Artist by the ARIA Music Awards – and that’s certainly saying something.

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• He penned his first song ‘Don’t Tell Me’ when he was just 12 years old.

• At 15, he made his live radio debut on triplej’s Like A Version segment with a haunting cover of Jack Garratt’s ‘Weathered’.

• His smash single ‘Younger’ is now certified platinum!