What were you doing when you were 18? IV Jay is putting us all the shame, becoming a voice of change for her generation with her soulful tone and down-to-earth charm. The R&B singer/songwriter from New York has been making waves with her smooth, emotional and easily relatable sound. Her new track “Love Song” is her first single of the year after her EP release in 2018 that inked her a deal with Atlantic Records.

The expressive and heartfelt song is accompanied by a music video showcasing various couples from all different backgrounds in love, and expressing how they feel about one another and what love means to them. We’re not crying, you’re crying.

Our favourite Mancunian is back with another banger. The independent British rapper and songwriter Aitch has just dropped his new song “MICE”. After a massively successful 2019, the rapper refuses to slow down, and is showing us that he is going to dominate 2020. And with co-signs from the veterans of the UK music scene, Wiley and Bugzy Malone, Aitch is ready to take over.

On the cards? Heavy bass and his signature cheeky flow. After his huge hit with Nottingham duo Young T and Bugsey in “Strike a Pose”, it is clear to us that artists from the Midlands are here to shake up the scene.

Have you ever heard a song that just transports you back in time? Back to where Baby Phat and Pastry shoes were all the rave? That is how south east London singer Tiana Blake has us feeling with her debut single “Cut Ties”. Honed from her love of 90s and 00s soulful R&B flow, the singer delivers a soft and expressive song about lost love and youthful ambitions. Tiana’s honeycombed vocals and bold delivery mark her as an exciting one to watch for 2020.

Mr “Jetski Wave” Sneakbo and Afroswing rapper Kida Kudz have teamed up for the first time to tell us “Love is a Gamble” with their latest single. The chilled laid-back record is giving us late-night summer vibes with your love interest. The afrobeat rhythm and flow guides you through the ups and downs of a romantic relationship with the London artists telling us how love really, and truly is, a gamble. The song follows up from Kida Kudz’s debut album Nasty which was released earlier this month.

East London rapper and songwriter Baba Crunch has moved from strength to strength in his music over the years and this year he’s back with a new single “Bone, Drugs-N-Harmonies”. The song is a departure from his former afroswing style, and pushes forward the hip-hop backbone. Baba Crunch is known to cross over his experiences and inspirations, translating the two into his songs and visuals.

She’s had a Grammy-nominated album and has been nominated for three MOBO Awards. The “Unstoppable” singer Lianne La Havas is back with her new single “Bittersweet”. Hailing from London, Havas has been relatively quiet over the years with her last release being “Blood” in 2015.

Her return marks a strong start for the indie-pop singer, as the song has us feeling like it’s a lazy Sunday and you’re doing nothing but self-care and eat home-cooked food. The chorus builds to a soaring crescendo, with the song expecting to feature on her forthcoming third album.

The Florida-based nine-piece seeyousoon are making a grand entrance with their memorable debut song “Steamy”. The hip-hop group are giving us bundles of energy and vibes from the start. Speaking on the release, seeyousoon said: “Steamy was the first song we created as seeyousoon and it feels right to have it be the first song the world hears. it’s exciting to think about how our listeners are going to be front row to an audible experience that will continue to evolve and inspire.” The collective met in 2018 over their love of Jadakiss and Mars Volta, and their debut album is hotly anticipated for release this year.

Off her upcoming debut EP “Teenage Angst”, comes 17-year-old singer-songwriter Ren with her latest single “I Drive Me Mad”. The track follows her previous releases of the genre-bending EP “idc”. On writing the song, Ren explained: “’I Drive Me Mad’ is a really important song to me because it’s really a look inside my brain and the anxiety and panic I deal with nearly every day. I wrote this song after having a really bad panic attack and it made it so honest and easy to write. It’s the first song I’m putting out that I feel like has a really important relatable message and I’m super excited about this one!”

Her smoky Billie Eilish vibes have us gripping for more, as she secures herself amongst the next generation artists ready to claim the crown.

“I wanted the video for ‘Cold’ to tell the story of abuse in relationships,” explains Lilla Vargen. “This is a story that thousands of women are living every day. I’ve had similar experiences and wished that I could have looked at that relationship more objectively. Even if things look okay on the surface, it doesn’t mean they are.” Ireland’s fastest rising star has dropped yet another track, and as usual, expect soaring vulnerability and rawness, this time observing the turmoil of a woman trapped in a controlling relationship – and the conflicting emotions at play. Listen and weep.