T wo years ago, we took lockdown-trapped readers on a musical voyage around the world with a playlist of 40 acts from outside the U.S. that they should hear so they could at least travel via sounds and rhythm. In 2022, much of the globe has re-opened but it still can be hard to keep up with what’s happening musically across the planet. In that spirit, here are 25 performers, in no particular order, from six of the seven continents making noteworthy pop music that’s worth exploring. To hear a curated Spotify playlist of these acts and many, many more from around the world, including the new track that Ed Sheeran just released with Ukrainian band Antytila, click below.
The continental European rock’n’roll success story of the past year, Maneskin went from anonymity outside Italy to winning the Eurovision song contest to having global radio hits with “Zitti e Buoni,” “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” and “Beggin’,” becoming the most successful Italian rock band ever. The group’s glammy hard rock, with slinky frontman Damiano David at the center of the maelstrom, was a hit at this year’s Coachella. The rest of the U.S. gets to experience the band with a fall tour, including a show at 713 Music Hall Dec. 12.
If you like: Aerosmith, The Struts, The Darkness
Recommended tracks: “Zitti e Buoni,” “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” “Beggin’,” “Coraline”
Hester Chambers and Rhian Teasdale of the band Wet Leg.
Hometown: Isle of Wight, England
Wet Leg’s tongue-in-cheek indie hit “Chaise Longue” is a throwback to the likes of such ‘80s new wave acts as The Waitresses and Cristina. Now, the duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers has just released a debut album of hooky indie-pop, also called “Wet Leg,” that has shot to the top of the charts in the UK and Australia and is gaining traction here. It will be followed by an American tour this summer, including dates opening for Florence + the Machine.
If you like: The Breeders, CCS, Weezer
Recommended tracks: “Chaise Longue,” “Wet Dream,” “Too Late Now”
The singer with the mellow, suave and sinewy Afro-pop sound is following in the footsteps of Wizkid, Fireboy, Burna Boy and Davido of being the next big star out of Nigeria. The many versions/remixes of “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah)” became hits across Africa, Europe, Australia and North America and the song just came in at No. 1 on Billboard’s new Afrobeat chart after climbing to No. 2 on Billboard’s Global 200.
If you like: Sun-El Musician, Wizkid, Habib Koite
Recommended tracks: “Love Nwantiti (Ah Ah Ah),” “Emiliana,” “Oliver Kahn”
This singer, multi-instrumentalist and Berklee College of Music grad has been making a splash in the industry by teaming with a variety of artists, from Eric Clapton to Jacob Collier and the chillout duo Odesza for this year’s hit “Better Now.” But her best work remains her own, an intoxicating blend of folk, global-music, electronic and native Portuguese textures, sung in both English and Portuguese, and topped by her warm and slightly husky vocals. Her track, “Saudade Saudade,” is Portugal’s entry in this year’s Eurovision contest though she now lives in L.A. and is managed by Quincy Jones’ management team.
If you like: Esperanza Spalding, Madredeus, Billie Eilish, Natalia Lafourcade, Julieta Venegas
Recommended tracks: “Saudade Saudade,” “Nao Faz Sentido,” “We’ve Been Loving in Silence”
It took Gang of Youths’ frontman Dave Le’Aupepe five years to craft the band’s recently released masterwork, the haunting “Angel in Realtime,” a sweeping meditation on death and grief that was worth the wait; it is one of the best albums of 2022. Stung by the passing of his father, who was Samoan, the mixed-race Le’Aupepe climbed into his family tree and began to explore his dad’s life and roots. The result ranks with Nick Cave’s “Ghosteen” and the Arcade Fire’s “Funeral” as one of the best rock albums to emerge from personal loss. The band tours the U.S. this month.
If you like: U2, The National, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, The Arcade Fire
Recommended tracks: “The Man Himself,” “The Angel of 8th Ave.,” “In the Wake of Your Leave”
Music is often born in tough times but times for the ensemble Lakou Mizik have been especially hard. The group has survived hurricanes, an earthquake and political violence to make infectious, melodic and upliftng fusion of vodou drumming and other traditional styles with electronic and rock touches. The 2019 album, “HaitiaNola,” reflects the cultural ties between Haiti and New Orleans and a just-released remix of the 2021 album “Leave the Bones” puts their music in a new, club-ready context. Plus, their videos are stunningly cinematic.
If you like: Boukman Esperyans, Geoffrey Oryema, Not Drowning Waving
Recommended tracks: “Kite Zo A,” “Iko Kreyòl,” “Ogu (Pran Ka Mwen)”
The Mongolian band The HU, a hit at Coachella this year, is nothing if not unique. These guys slam together the drone of Central Asian throat singing with traditional instruments such as the morin khuur, Genghis Khan’s fashion sense and metal riff-o-rama. The result — on such tracks as “Wolf Totem” and a cover of Metallica’s “Sad But True” — is both a brutal assault and what you might expect if all the Klingons on “Star Trek” formed a band.
If you like: Metallica, Megadeth, Danzig
Recommended tracks: “Wolf Totem,” “Sad But True,” “The Great Chinggis Khaan”
French singer Yseult Onguenet aka Yseult
If you love Adele but think she would be even better (and sadder) in French, then Yseult is right up your alley. Her soulful, melancholy piano balladry has been tagged as part of France’s “nouveau chanson” movement but she makes it her own. As the site Frenchly said, put on Yseult’s music “to sing along to loudly in the shower while crying over a man you never dated.”
Recommended tracks: “Corps,” “Indélébile,” “Bad Boy”
If you like: Adele, Alicia Keys
Bruno Pernadas (with guitar on his head) and band
Not only does the musically inventive guitarist/composer Bruno Pernadas have a couple of cool album titles — “Those Who Throw Objects at Crocodiles Will Be Asked to Retrieve Them” and “How Can We Be Joyful in a World Full of Knowledge” — he is a musical savant who resists classification. He easily flirts with jazz, Brian Wilson, Braziliana, classical, twisted pop, psychedelia, prog, film scores and Afrobeat all the while engaging side projects such as one devoted to the music of jazz avant-gardist Sun Ra. As Spin magazine said of Pernadas last year, “embrace the chaos.”
If you like: Stereolab, The Polyphonic Spree, Snarky Puppy
Recommended tracks: “Spaceway 70,” “Family Vows,” “Lafeta Uti”
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This singer, the queen of Brazil’s “baile funk” scene, represents a new generation of Brazilian pop music. Her songs often reverberate with Brazilian Portuguese slang and in the track “Girl from Rio,” she sings “the streets have raised me, I’m favela.” But, these days, she is also a wider global consciousness. She just performed at Coachella, her Spanish-language track “Envolver” had the distinction this spring of being the most streamed song in one day and her just-released “Versions of Me” album features collaborations with Saweetie, Cardi B and Khalid.
If you like: Shakira, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Katy Perry
Recommended tracks: “Girl from Rio,” “Envolver,” “Boys Don’t Cry”
Cody Bowles and Kevin Comeau of the band Crown Lands
Winning Canada’s 2021 Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the year, this duo of Cody Bowles and Kevin Comeau crafts a metal/prog-rock blend with a twist, one that includes gender fluidity and Native American identity. The group is touring the U.S. this year with Greta Van Fleet, with two dates (San Antonio and El Paso) set for Texas in the fall.
If you like: Rush, Greta Van Fleet, Led Zeppelin, Redbone
Recommended tracks: “White Buffalo,” “Mountain,” “Waterfall”
Hometown: Sant Cugat del Vallés, Spain
The singer has run into some controversy for her flamenco and reggaeton-influenced pop, with some accusing her of appropriation since she is neither Romani nor Latin American but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming extremely popular in Spain and now elsewhere. That fame has spread outside her home country with her third album, “Motomani,” featuring a collaboration with The Weeknd. She’s also touring the U.S. this year including a Houston date Oct. 12 at 713 Music Hall.
If you like: Karol G, Shakira
Recommended tracks: “La Fama,” “Malamente,” “Di Mi Nombre”
Now that South African DJ/producer Black Coffee has broken through with his brand of melodic Afrotronica and deep house, it’s time to realize there’s a lot more where that came from. At his best, Prince Kaybee conjures a blissfully melancholic mood with his blend of smooth beats, skittering African guitar, harmonized vocals and haunting melodies.
If you like: Black Coffee, Sun-El Musician, Nora en Pure
Recommended tracks: “Breakfast in Soweto,” “Fetch Your Life,” “Uwrongo”
Budjerah Slabb, who just goes by his first name, is a 20-year-old singer who has a strong, R&B-influenced voice and a musical style that straddles genres from indie to hip-hop and dance. In 2021, he won the Breakthrough Artist award at the ARIA Awards, Australia’s Grammys and he just released the “Conversations” EP. Following in the footsteps of The Kid Laroi, who has recorded with Justin Bieber, he could be the next performer of Australian Aboriginal descent to break through outside Australia.
If you like: Shawn Mendes, Miguel, Jacob Collier, Leon Bridges
Recommended tracks: “Missing You,” “Talk,” “Stranger Love”
This isn’t your parents’ Nordic pop culture. The self-proclaimed feminist hip-hop collective Daughters of Reykjavik seems more inspired by “WAP” than ABBA, Megan Thee Stallion than “Midsommar.” That’s evident in the songs, a mash-up of Icelandic and English, with such titles as “Hot Milf Summer,” “Thirsty Hoes” and “Drusla” (Slut). Unsurprisingly, the group has been the subject of much controversy at home. Appropriation or appreciation? You decide.
If you like: Megan the Stallion, Iggy Azalea, Cardi B
Recommended tracks: “Thirsty Hoes,” “Hot Milf Summer,” "Turn This Around"
Singapore isn’t known to the outside world as a hip-hop hot spot but Yung Raja, a Singaporean-Tamil rapper, might change that. His tracks “Mustafa” and “Mad Blessings” were online hits that attracted the attention of Def Jam Records in Southeast Asia and Alamo Records in the U.S., home of Lil Durk, who signed him. He also rapped with Snoop Dogg on the the song “Qualified” from the latter’s most recent album, “Algorithm (Global Edition).”
If you like: J. Cole, Drake, DaBaby
Recommended tracks: “Mad Blessings,” “Mustafa,” “The Dance Song”
Sugar Bones and Janet Planet of Confidence Man
This foursome — fronted by Janet Planet and Sugar Bones with the masked Clarence McGuffie and Reggie Goodchild playing drums and keyboards — makes a celebratory, party-hearty brand of old-school club music is making waves in the world of dance music. The group’s sense of humor is all over the just-released album,“Tilt.”
If you like: LCD Soundsystem, The Presets, Deee-Lite, Scissor Sisters, early Madonna
Recommended tracks: “Holiday,” “Boyfriend (Repeat),” “Does It Make You Feel Good?”
Blending traditional Brazilian styles such as samba, axé and pagode with sounds from around the world including reggae, dub, hip-hop and electronic, Baina System crafts sinewy, infectious grooves that are irresistible.
If you like: Manu Chao, Thievery Corporation, Bosscacucanova, Suba, Buraka Som Sistema
Recommended tracks: “Bola de Cristal,” “Sulamericano,” “Lucro (Descomprimindo)”
One of the best of the rising young singer-songwriters from England, Fender is an arena-level star with a few hits under his belt in England. He now lives in a world where Elton John invites him to perform at his yearly AIDS Foundation Oscar after party. And now he’s quickly gaining a reputation in the U.S. as well where he’s touring later this year.
If you like: Hozier, Kaleo
Recommended tracks: “Seventeen Going Under,” “Hypersonic Missiles,” “Will We Talk?”
This 22-year-old singer born Mikayla Simpson makes a brand of dancehall-splashed reggae that belies her young age. There is a throwback, old-school island feel to tracks like the lovers-rock “Lonely” and the swaying “Shine.” Two years ago, she became the first woman to win a best-reggae album honor at the Grammy Awards. She has a new album, “Gifted,” and tours the U.S in May.
If you like: Sean Paul, Damian Marley
Recommended tracks: “Lonely,” “Toast,” “Shine”
Along with the duo Parekh & Singh, Prateek Kuhad is at the forefront of the indie India scene. His hooky, English-language folk-pop has a quiet power. His track "Cold/Mess" appeared on former president Barack Obama's "Favorite Music of 2019" list. He has a new album, “The Way That Lovers Do,” and a tour that brings him to Houston’s White Oak Music Hall June 3.
If you like: Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, When Chai Met Toast, Parekh & Singh
Marie Ulven records under the name girl in red
Much like England’s Arlo Parks, girl in red — real name Marie Ulven Ringheim — makes intensely personal music that deals openly with such issues as depression and being gay from a young person’s perspective. She has been all over alt-rock radio in the last year with the songs “Serotonin,” “Bad Idea” and “I’ll Call You Mine.” She just finished a U.S. tour which brought her to Houston in early April.
If you like: Arlo Parks, Clairo, Jay Som
Recommended tracks: “Serotonin,” “Bad Idea,” “I’ll Call You Mine”
NK-OK and Mr DM of Blue Lab Beats
Now signed to legendary Blue Note Records, this jazztronica twosome — who were just nominated for Grammy for their production work with Angelique Kidjo — mixes low-key jazz and electronic grooves on their just-released album, “Motherland Journey.”
If you like: US3, Moonchild, Guru, Robert Glasper
Recommended tracks: “Motherland Journey,” “Skybox,” “Dat It”
Sumi Choi of Say Sue Me
K-pop may be the music for which South Korea is best known but there’s also a burgeoning indie scene. Case in point is this alternately dreamy, jangly and noisy quartet that makes a brand of hooky guitar-pop that’s gaining international traction. The group has a new album, “The Last Thing Left,” out in May and tours the U.S. in the fall with stops in Austin and Dallas.
If you like: Beach House, Alvvays, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Recommended tracks: “So Tender,” “Old Town,” “To Dream”
The group, named after the three main members, has been one of the most successful rock bands to come out of Germany in recent years with its remake of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” — topped by singer Henning May’s roughhewn vocals — becoming a hit in the U.K. earlier this year.
If you like: Kaleo, Hozier
Recommended tracks: “Tom’s Diner,” “Ozean,” “Ausgehen”
Cary Darling joined the Houston Chronicle in 2017 where he writes about arts, entertainment and pop culture, with an emphasis on film and media. Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, he has been a features reporter or editor at the Orange County Register, Miami Herald, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. In addition, he has freelanced for a number of publications including the Los Angeles Times and Dallas Morning News.