15 Canadian Artists to Put on Your Radar
Canada’s next music wave is not coming from one city, one genre, or one predictable formula. It is coming from everywhere: Montreal soul singers, Toronto R&B stylists, Punjabi-Canadian producers, Indigenous pop voices, viral bedroom-pop artists, Quebec francophone R&B talents, and independent acts building their own mythology.
Here are 15 Canadian artists worth putting on your radar right now.
1. Yung Kai
Canadian artist yung kai is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable new names in indie pop, thanks to his dreamy songwriting, soft-focus production, and viral single “blue.” Born Max Zhang in Burnaby, British Columbia, the Chinese-Canadian musician grew up between Canada and Shanghai, giving his music a quietly international pulse.
Known for blending bedroom pop, indie pop, and tender acoustic textures, yung kai creates songs that feel delicate, cinematic, and emotionally immediate. His sound has drawn comparisons to artists like Laufey, Keshi, and Wave to Earth, yet his voice carries its own wistful signature. After gaining attention through social media covers and home-studio recordings, “blue” exploded across TikTok and Instagram in 2024, reaching global listeners and turning him into a breakout Canadian artist.
With his debut album Stay with the Ocean, I’ll Find You released in 2025, yung kai continues to expand his world of longing, romance, and quiet reflection. For fans searching for Canadian indie pop, Vancouver artists, bedroom-pop singers, or Asian-Canadian musicians, yung kai is a luminous name to watch.
Start with: “blue” or “Do You Think You Could Love Me?”
2. Sofia Camara
Sofia Camara is one of Canada’s most promising young pop vocalists because she already sounds built for scale. Her voice has emotional height, theatrical weight, and the kind of clean pop intensity that can cut through both radio production and stripped-back ballads. She does not sing like someone trying to disappear into a playlist. She sings like an artist aiming for big rooms.
Her rise has been steady. Universal Music Canada described her 2025 EP Was I(t) Worth It? as a project exploring heartbreak, toxic relationship cycles, accountability, and perseverance, with the viral single “Who Do I Call Now? (Hellbent)” passing 44 million global streams. The same EP included “Starlight” and the newer single “Here We Go Again.”
What makes Camara compelling is her ability to make heartbreak feel cinematic without turning it into melodrama. She sits in the same broad emotional-pop universe as artists who understand that vulnerability needs a hook, not just a confession.
Start with: “Here We Go Again” or “The Last Encounter”
3. Alicia Creti
Canadian artist Alicia Creti is becoming one of the most arresting new voices in modern R&B, pairing velvet-rich vocals with songwriting that feels intimate, wounded, and fearless. Born and raised in Montreal, the singer-songwriter and pianist first drew attention during the COVID-19 era, when her soulful online covers reached millions of listeners and earned praise from major artists including Summer Walker, Kehlani, and Sam Smith.
After studying business at Concordia University, Creti followed her creative instincts into music, eventually signing with Atlantic Records and relocating to Los Angeles. Her debut single “Congratulations” introduced her emotional precision, while later releases like “Crazy,” “Self/Less,” and “Bleeding Me Dry” showed a sharper, more cinematic command of heartbreak, accountability, and self-reclamation.
With EPs including Self/Less and Mindfields, Alicia Creti continues to refine a sound rooted in soul, contemporary R&B, and confessional pop. For fans searching for Canadian R&B artists, Montreal singers, soulful female vocalists, or emerging Atlantic Records talent, Alicia Creti is a luminous name with serious staying power.
Start with: “Bleeding Me Dry” or “Strange”
4. Baby Nova
Baby Nova is one of the more fascinating names on this list because she does not fit neatly into Canada’s usual pop categories. Her music feels eerie, textured, and slightly dangerous around the edges. It moves between alt-pop, electronic production, underground attitude, and haunted emotional storytelling.
Her 2026 album Shhugar arrived on January 16 with 12 songs, including “Cutting Up Peaches,” “Killed for Sport,” and “Death Wish.” That tracklist alone gives a sense of her world: strange, sharp, and not overly sweet despite the album title. Baby Nova’s appeal is atmosphere. She does not sound like she is trying to become everyone’s favourite pop star; she sounds like she is building a private room and daring listeners to enter.
In Canada’s emerging scene, that kind of left-field identity matters. Baby Nova feels positioned for listeners who want personality, mystery, and mood rather than predictable pop gloss.
Start with: “American Apparel”
5. Jahson Paynter
Canadian artist Jahson Paynter is emerging as one of Mississauga’s most intriguing new voices, crafting music that slips between alternative R&B, hip-hop, folk, and indie soul with uncommon ease. His sound is intimate but restless, pairing raw storytelling with textured live instrumentation and melodies that feel both wounded and warm.
Hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, Jahson Paynter has built attention through songs such as “clear blue!,” “genny please!,” “draggin’ my feet!,” “maple brown,” “403 westbound,” and “tangerine!” His 2026 EP is anybody home!? expands his sonic world, revealing an artist drawn to confession, movement, memory, and emotional friction. Rather than chasing a single genre, Paynter uses each track like a room in a larger house: acoustic corners, smoky R&B rhythms, loose rap cadences, and cinematic indie-pop details.
For listeners searching for Canadian alternative artists, Mississauga musicians, indie R&B singers, or fresh Canadian hip-hop fusion, Jahson Paynter is a name worth watching. His music feels personal, modern, and quietly unorthodox, a tender voltage in Canada’s evolving independent scene.
Start with: “Cable Guy!”
6. Tia Wood
Tia Wood is helping expand the emotional and cultural vocabulary of Canadian pop-R&B. A Cree and Salish artist from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Alberta, Wood brings a powerful sense of identity into contemporary music without letting the message overpower the melody.
Sony Music Canada describes her voice as carrying the spirit of her peoples’ songs from Saddle Lake Cree Nation while following her path from the Rez to Los Angeles. Her 2026 single “Stimulated” was released through Sony Music Canada as a soulful R&B-inspired pop jam, and the single also arrived with a video.
What makes Tia Wood special is restraint. She does not need to oversing to make the song feel alive. Her presence is warm, smooth, and quietly commanding. She feels like an artist with the potential to bring Indigenous pop-R&B into a wider mainstream space without losing intimacy.
Start with: “Stimulated”
7. Blynk
Blynk is one of the most important names in Quebec’s emerging R&B conversation because his sound feels exportable without losing its francophone identity. The Montreal-based artist blends French-language R&B with Middle Eastern, North American, and urban-pop influences, creating something sensual, smooth, and culturally layered.
Festival d’été de Québec describes him as a new voice in Quebec’s urban music scene and highlights his blend of sensual R&B, Eastern influences, and contemporary French-language music. His recent momentum has also included “Le cœur à la bonne place,” a 2026 collaboration with Souldia.
Blynk matters because Quebec R&B deserves a bigger international story. His music suggests a lane where French, Arabic texture, and modern R&B can coexist naturally. In a global market increasingly open to multilingual music, Blynk has the ingredients to travel beyond Quebec.
Start with: “Pile Ou Face” or “MTL”
8. Koko Love
Montreal artist Koko Love is carving a distinctive lane in Canada’s alternative music scene with a sound built on honesty, bilingual texture, and raw human feeling. Born in Montreal, Koko Love began by busking in the city’s metro, a street-level origin that still colours his intimate approach to songwriting and performance. His debut album, The Cost of Freedom, reflects that spirit: emotional, genre-fluid, and deliberately personal.
Rather than chasing a disposable digital rollout, Koko Love first shared the record through vinyl, Bandcamp, and live-show sales, strengthening the bond between artist and listener. That old-school strategy gave his music a tangible heartbeat before the album reached streaming platforms in 2026. As a producer and alternative artist, he blends indie rock energy, soulful vulnerability, and cinematic melodies into songs that feel both local and expansive.
For fans searching for fresh Montreal music, Canadian alternative artists, or independent musicians with a fearless creative identity, Koko Love stands out as a rare talent: sincere, restless, and impossible to file neatly away.
Start with: “Moon Rocket”
9. Zach Zoya
Zach Zoya brings a different kind of Montreal energy: soulful, stylish, rhythmic, and increasingly confident in its own hybridity. He moves between R&B, pop, rap, and groove-driven songwriting without sounding like he is chasing one fixed lane.
His recent project Misstape 2 shows an artist leaning into homegrown identity while still aiming outward. Songs like “Precious,” “Keep Tryin,” “Love Of My Season,” and “Faux Real” reveal a performer who understands melody, charisma, and emotional cool. He does not sound desperate for crossover. He sounds like he is building his own bridge toward it.
Zoya’s appeal is his ease. He has a voice that can glide over R&B production, but also enough rhythmic presence to keep the music from becoming too polished or weightless. If Canada’s next wave needs artists who can blend soul, rap, and pop with taste, Zach Zoya belongs in the conversation.
Latest project to start with: Misstape 2
Latest single to try: “Keep Trying”
10. Matt Storm
Canadian artist Matt Storm is steadily becoming one of Vancouver’s most compelling independent voices, blending alternative soul, jazz, folk, funk, and psychedelic rock into a sound that feels warm, restless, and unmistakably his own. A singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Storm creates music with a handmade quality, often recording and producing his own work while shaping songs around vulnerability, movement, and emotional clarity.
Raised across several countries before settling in Western Canada, Matt Storm brings a global sensibility to his songwriting. That nomadic background gives his music a rare texture: intimate enough for late-night headphones, but expansive enough for a festival stage. His breakthrough song “We Went Our Own Ways” helped introduce his smooth, groove-rich style to a wider audience, while projects like Major 7th Medicine, A Place to Stay, and the 2026 album SYSTEM BREAKS show an artist still mutating with purpose.
For fans searching for Canadian alt-soul, Vancouver indie music, or soulful alternative artists, Matt Storm offers something quietly magnetic: honest songs, elegant production, and a voice built for connection.
Start with: “words don’t describe” or “lie my way into the truth”
11. Sorisa
Sorisa feels like an artist still forming in real time, which is part of what makes him exciting. His music sits somewhere between melodic rap, alternative pop, emotional internet music, and self-produced experimentation. He has the restless quality of an artist who does not want to be reduced to one lane too early.His 2026 single “Melody I Can Finish” is a strong entry point. The track was described as his first-ever release fully written, produced, and composed by Sorisa himself, and he introduced it during his debut festival performance at Rolling Loud Orlando. That detail matters because self-contained artists often have an advantage: they are not just performing a sound, they are constructing it.
Sorisa’s appeal is potential. He has the tools to become a world-builder if he continues sharpening the songs, visuals, and identity around the music.
Start with: “Melody I Can Finish”
12. Soran
Canadian artist Soran is one of Montreal’s most intriguing modern pop creators, known for transforming R&B, funk, soul, and polished alternative pop into music that feels both playful and deeply intentional. A singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Soran Dussaigne has built his career around curiosity, technical finesse, and a refusal to remain creatively static.
After signing with Audiogram in 2016 and releasing “I Wish,” Soran gained wider attention with his 2018 EP, where he played all the instruments and helped craft a vibrant, self-contained sonic world. His collaboration with Belgian DJ Henri PFR on “Going On” expanded his international reach, while later projects continued to reveal a shapeshifting artist with a rare melodic instinct.
Now based in Montreal, Soran’s newer work, including Daystar, shows a more mature and luminous direction, blending personal storytelling with universal emotion. For listeners searching for Canadian pop artists, Montreal musicians, indie R&B, or genre-blurring alternative pop, Soran stands out as a nimble, kaleidoscopic talent with global potential and unmistakable Canadian roots.
Start with: “555”
13. Patrick Kabongo
Patrick Kabongo brings a vivid, genre-bending energy to Canada’s independent hip-hop landscape. His background connects Montreal and Toronto, and his sound has often moved through rap, alternative textures, rhythmic confidence, and colourful performance instincts.
Earlier coverage described him as a Canadian artist with Montreal and Toronto roots, with past releases such as “98 Degrees” showing a high-energy blend of trap bass and playful charisma. More recent platform listings show Winning Code among his 2026 releases, suggesting he is still building and extending his catalogue.
Kabongo’s strength is personality. He does not sound like someone trying to flatten himself into a trend. He brings motion, attitude, and a sense of creative looseness that could keep expanding with the right spotlight.
Start with: “DANCING IN A ROOM LIKE STRANGERS”
Also try: “BLEED”
14. Francis Skyes
Francis Skyes is building a quietly magnetic identity in the country’s independent music landscape, blending acoustic folk, electronic textures, and emotionally spacious songwriting into a sound that feels intimate yet cinematic. Born Jeremy Francis Dollemont on Canada’s east coast, the Riverview, New Brunswick singer-songwriter writes, records, and produces much of his music from his own basement studio, giving each release a personal, handcrafted pulse.
Francis Skyes first drew attention with songs that balance soft melancholy and luminous production, including “better now,” “Under the Sun,” “Hiding Place,” and “Memories.” His music often moves like a late-night drive: reflective, atmospheric, and quietly cathartic. After releasing Second Hand Love in 2024, Skyes entered a wider creative chapter through Wax Records, including the single “Brand New,” a dream-folk track shaped by driving acoustic guitars and soaring vocals.
For listeners searching for Canadian folk-pop artists, East Coast Canadian musicians, acoustic electronic music, or heartfelt indie singer-songwriters, Francis Skyes offers a beautifully unvarnished voice with a modern, meditative glow.
Start with: Northen Blue
15. Fionn
Fionn, the Vancouver-based twin-sister duo made up of Alanna and Brianne Finn-Morris, bring craft, chemistry, and attitude to Canada’s alt-pop landscape. Their music has evolved from folk roots into sharper, brighter, more modern indie-pop and alternative pop.
Their 604 Records profile notes that since signing with the label in 2018, their releases have earned millions of streams, Canadian radio support, and a No. 1 single at Canadian Alternative Radio and Billboard Canada. Recent releases listed by 604 Records include “What Do You Do?,” “I Put My Makeup On,” and “Tired Of You,” a Fake Shark track featuring Fionn.
Fionn’s appeal is their personality. They can be witty, melodic, biting, and emotionally direct without losing the sister-duo chemistry that makes them distinct. Canada has a long history of strong sibling and duo acts, and Fionn feel like they could carry that lineage into a more modern alt-pop space.
Start with: “What Do You Do?”
Honourable Mentions
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Honourable Mentions ◆
◆ Kojo Kay
Canadian artist Kojo Kay is carving out a vivid place in the independent music scene with a sound that feels colourful, restless, and emotionally switched on. A first-generation Canadian-American creative, Kojo Kay began his music journey in 2021 before stepping back to sharpen his voice, style, and self-produced approach.
That pause now feels like part of the architecture. His newer releases, including “UNDERWATER FIRE,” “THE BOYZ ALL WENT TO JUPITER,” and “THE HUMMINGBIRD TOLD ME IT’S ALL GONNA BE ALRIGHT SO I GUESS IT REALLY WILL BE SO…,” reveal an artist unafraid of eccentric titles, melodic risk, and genre-blurring energy. With his debut mixtape TONEBOW on the horizon, Kojo Kay is presenting music as both self-expression and sonic world-building.
For listeners searching for Canadian indie artists, alternative pop, experimental hip-hop, or emerging Canadian musicians, Kojo Kay offers something refreshingly unvarnished. His work carries personality, feeling, and a slightly astral imagination, making him a name worth watching closely.
Start with: “THE BOYZ ALL WENT TO JUPITER”
Also Try: “THE HUMMINGBIRD TOLD ME IT’S ALL GONNA BE ALRIGHT SO I GUESS IT REALLY WILL BE SO…”
◆ Waveendz
Waveendz may be the most mysterious name in this roundup. Also known as Guff Lavander under his producer name, Waveendz was originally supposed to be a trio. After the other two members backed out, Guff continued operating the name alone — and that gives the project an unusual underdog mythology.
His latest single “iCare” grabbed our attention immediately. The track sounds silky, seductive, and atmospheric, sitting in a lane that could appeal to fans of moody alt-R&B, late-night pop, and stylish bedroom production. There is a sensual ease to the record, but also a sense that Waveendz is still deciding how far he wants to let people into the world behind the music.
That may be his biggest challenge. The anonymity gives the project intrigue, but it can also limit growth. In today’s music climate, artists need more than good songs; they need visibility, storytelling, social media presence, and a recognizable identity. If Waveendz truly wants to shine, he should seriously consider showing himself more and using social platforms as a creative tool rather than something to avoid.
Start with: “iCare.”
◆ Félix Collin
Canadian artist Félix Collin is quickly becoming a name to watch in Quebec’s independent music scene, blending indie rock, folk, and alternative pop into songs that feel sincere, youthful, and emotionally direct. From Quebec City, Collin has gained attention through viral TikTok videos and a growing online community drawn to his distinctive voice and unpolished melodic instinct.
His 2026 single “i still replay” shows the heart of his appeal: intimate guitar textures, a groovy bassline, laid-back drums, and lyrics shaped by memory, repetition, and heartache. Released May 12, 2026, the track positions Félix Collin as more than another social-media discovery; it presents him as a developing songwriter with a clear emotional compass.
With radio attention from WKND 91.9 and roots in Quebec’s young creative scene, Félix Collin is building momentum one honest song at a time. For listeners searching for Canadian indie artists, Quebec City musicians, francophone-adjacent folk-pop, or emerging Canadian alternative pop, Félix Collin offers a fresh, authentic voice with room to grow.
Start with: “i still replay”
Why These Artists Matter
What connects these artists is not one sound, but ambition. Sofia Camara and Alicia Creti bring vocal power. Baby Nova and Yung Kai offer atmosphere. Sorisa and Ikky show how self-production and global fusion are reshaping Canada’s sound. Tia Wood brings Indigenous pop-R&B into a wider conversation. Blynk points toward Quebec R&B as a francophone export story. Zach Zoya adds Montreal soul-pop charisma. Fionn bring alt-pop craft and twin-duo chemistry.
The honourable mentions widen the picture even more: Kojo Kay pushes future-R&B experimentation, Matt Storm brings organic soul, Félix Collin offers intimate indie-pop sensitivity, Patrick Kabongo brings colourful rap energy, Soran adds Montreal multi-instrumentalist pop finesse, and Waveendz brings late-night mystery.
Canada’s next wave is not one scene. It is a constellation — and it is already glowing.
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Canada’s next music wave is not coming from one city, one genre, or one predictable formula. It is coming from everywhere: Montreal soul singers, Toronto R&B stylists, Punjabi-Canadian producers, Indigenous pop voices, viral bedroom-pop artists, Quebec francophone R&B talents, and independent acts building their own mythology…