2021 CHICAGO ARTISTS TO WATCH FAN VOTING

It’s that time of year again, you know that time when we drop our “List” of the Chicago artists to watch for the upcoming year. The list that gets everyone talking, the list that has helped many of Chicago’s talent get notoriety from prominent executives, labels, and national platforms. Names such as Juice WRLD, Calboy, Lil Zay Osama, Polo G, Tobi Lou, and more!

ALL PREVIOUS CHICAGO ARTISTS WATCH LISTS ( 2018 – 2020 )

This year WHATS THE WORD wanted to get the fans involved. Each year we get feedback saying that we didn’t get it right; well, let’s see if the people have a better ear for talent than our staff and trusted industry consultants. Below you will find a list of potential candidates that we’ve been reviewing. Choose an artist you think we should consider. As you can see, Chicago has so much talent this year; let’s get it right together!