2026 has been a major year for music releases and pop culture with new albums from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Charli xcx, Ariana Grande, Karol G, Phoebe Bridgers and more. If you’re looking to discover new music and add niche/upcoming artists to your playlists, here are four small artists to listen to if you like these major artists.
1) If you like Imogen Heap, listen to julip
Combining computer coding with her musical artistry and production, julip is part of a new generation in the music industry embracing technology in an innovative and creative way.
Jewel Posniak, better known by her stage name “julip,” has traditionally been inspired by indie pop, especially in her songs like “Lobotomy” and “Ecothemic.” However, recently, she has been leaning towards a producer-heavy and alt-pop sound.
Posniak first gained a following in 2024 when she posted a TikTok covering Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” What immediately caught people’s attention was how Posniak was producing in real time as she sang, using hand gestures to manipulate instrumentals and her vocals. Viewers compared Posniak’s unique production style to Imogen Heap’s Mi. Mu Gloves — a wearable electronic musical instrument.
Posniak’s music is best described by her own words: “exploring the intersection of art and technology.” Since her initial cover video of Heap’s song, she’s released her own music such as “Anything at all” and “Saturday.”
Posniak’s music and artistry also emphasizes the fun in embracing all your interests and passions to create art.
“Your unique voice is formed by the intersection of all these things,” Posniak said in an interview with Ones to Watch. “Leaning into what makes you unique rather than pulling away from it is important.”
2) If you like Clairo, listen to girlsweetvoiced
As her name implies, girlsweetvoiced’s music is characterized by her soft, dreamy vocals and intimate songwriting. Reminiscent of Clairo’s discography, her songs explore themes of love, longing and the female experience. The Canadian singer-songwriter, Adriana Mallya, got her name from the ancient Greek poet Sappho, whose surviving fragments include the phrase “girl sweetvoiced.”
Mallya initially rose to popularity after posting her original song “Tonight” on TikTok, which sampled “California” by Joni Mitchell.
As the video gained traction, viewers urged Mallya to release the song. Rather than abandoning the song, Mallya wrote a letter to Mitchell herself to ask for her permission to sample the instrumental. Mitchell approved the sample, and Mallya officially released “Tonight” on March 27, 2026. The song has since surpassed six million streams on Spotify.
Her debut album, “Lovesweet,” was released on July 24. In an interview with Interview Magazine, Mallya perfectly encapsulated the album in three words: “warm, exploratory and sweet.”
3) If you like beabadoobee, listen to Esme Esmerson
Esme Lee-Scott and Emerson Lee-Scott are an indie pop-rock sibling duo from Suffolk, England. Growing up, the siblings described themselves as not particularly close, with their four-year age gap often keeping them apart. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that they reconnected through music, bonding over songwriting and creating music together.
What began as a way to connect quickly grew into a creative partnership. The duo began posting covers and original songs on TikTok.
Their debut EP, “Applesauce,” was released on March 7, 2025. Their sound combines upbeat melodies and expressive vocals with an indie-pop instrumental reminiscent of beabadoobee.
The duo’s discography explores a pop rock sound and upbeat melodies on songs like “Too Far Gone,” but also incorporate a softer indie-pop sound like on “Truck Song.”
“Embracing imperfections resonates not only with how our music sounds but also with what our songs are about. The lyrics often flow like scattered thoughts and excuses, delving into contemplations of imperfection and vulnerability (or lack thereof),” the duo said in an interview with Dazed. “We like to delve into the complexities of feelings while sonically not feeling as burdensome as the content itself—our music and the act of creating it are joyous for us!”
Esme and Emerson’s debut album, “It’s All Just Noise,” is set to release on Nov. 13, 2026, with lead singles “Woof,” “Jackie” and “Centipede” being released ahead of the album.
4) If you like Olivia Rodrigo, listen to Faith Zapata
Singer-songwriter Faith Zapata has established herself as a rising talent in the music industry, building an audience through her covers and original music on TikTok.
Zapata first caught the attention of listeners when she uploaded a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” reimagined as if it had been written by Phoebe Bridgers. The cover stemmed from a viral tweet joking that Cyrus’ song looked like it had been written by Bridgers.
The cover quickly went viral, leading Zapata to officially release it under the title “party in the alps,” a playful nod to Bridgers’ debut album, “Stranger in the Alps.”
While many of Zapata’s songs lean toward a softer, indie-pop sound, she has also explored pop and pop-rock, with tracks like “running in circles” and “same guy new apartment” showcasing her versatility as an artist.
Her music is rooted in authentic, honest songwriting, with a lyrical approach similar to Olivia Rodrigo’s ability to turn personal experiences into powerful and moving songs.
Zapata’s debut album, “I’m Not Angry Anymore,” is released on Oct. 9, 2026, with songs indicating a return to her original indie sound.