As we present our 2025 artists-to-watch list, it’s important to understand what this list means. Since curating this content in 2018, we have always aimed to highlight various sounds of the Chicago music scene. Drill might be the most popular, but it is not all that the City has to offer. Similar to how we are segregated by culture and ethnicity, music is also segregated. The Chicagoans who love Lil Durk and King Von might not even know Saba and Mick Jenkins exist. The Girls who love Tink, Sonta, and Ann Marie have probably never heard of Jean Deaux or Ravyn Lanae. The purpose of our Chicago Artists To Watch list is to de-segregate the music community here in Chicago.
Our staff was very intentional about including artists from all over the city. This list represents Chicago music and provides a preview of what to expect in the future.
