Meet the Class of 2026: Pandora’s Top 10 Artists to Watch

The next generation of stars is here. Meet Pandora’s top 10 artists of 2026 and learn how our data and expert curation help deliver the biggest names of tomorrow.

Feb 2, 2026

Today’s new generation of artists is impossible to define, seamlessly blending genres and cultures as they make a name for themselves. They’re setting new trends, rewriting the rules, and redefining mainstream music. But the one common thread today’s top artists share is that they first made their mark on Pandora. From Post Malone, to Dua Lipa, to Alex Warren, we predicted that some of the biggest names of the past decade would strike gold—all thanks to our advanced listening data analysis and Pandora’s programmers. This year is no different; we’ve unveiled the top 10 artists of 2026—from future Grammy winners to festival headliners to household names.

It’s here where we balance data and the human touch, helping deliver the artists of tomorrow and unmatched music curation. Meet Pandora’s class of ‘26. And remember, you heard it here first.

Get to know Pandora’s top 10 artists of 2026

Looking to claim OG bragging rights? These are the top artists for listeners to stream and for brands to keep on their radar.

1. Gavin Adcock

Gavin Adcock is part of the country rock revival, becoming one of the genre’s fastest-growing artists. His music features themes like self-destruction, heartbreak, and regret, striking an emotional chord with his fanbase. His footprint is already growing, having earned his first ACM Awards nomination for New Male Artist, embarking on his second tour, being named Billboard’s July Country Rookie of the Month, and opening for Morgan Wallen.

Adcock’s presence on Pandora continues to expand, with him earning 1.4M monthly listeners and seeing a +2x increase in station adds since January 2025. Find him on the stations The 615: Today's Country and Country Grit.

2. Kane Rodriguez

Kane Rodriguez is one of the newest faces of Regional Mexican music, the #1 Latin subgenre in the US. He’s one of the many artists today who can attribute part of their breakthrough to TikTok virality, thanks to his cover of “Se Volvieron Locos.” Blending cumbia, banda, and norteño, he has a fanbase that crosses borders.

Rodriguez currently reaches 705K monthly listeners on Pandora and has seen a +252% increase in spins since January 2025. Find him on the Activados station.

3. Pluto

While hip hop is traditionally male-dominated, Pluto is commanding attention and redefining what it means to be a modern rapper. Her career got a kickstart with her TikTok-viral hit “Whim Whamiee,” which later hit the Billboard Hot 100. Quickly obtaining career milestones that can take years for some artists, Pluto had a banner year in 2025, from signing to Motown Records to being named as Billboard's Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month to opening for Lil Baby.

She prides herself on versatility and not belonging to just one sound. Pluto currently reaches 306K monthly listeners on Pandora, seeing +1578% in UVs since April 2025.

4. Peter Burton

More than a singer-songwriter, Peter Burton is a worship leader who inspires hope with his music. After his past experiences with mental illness, Burton turned to music and religion as an outlet. His music features the daily challenges of the human experience—and after collaborating and touring with fellow artists, he’s now embarking on his solo music journey.

Burton reaches 229K monthly listeners on Pandora and has seen a +1,980 increase in spins since April 2025. You can listen to him on Pandora stations like New Christian and Today’s Christian Hits.

5. Cil

Creating music that blends R&B and pop, Cil has already checked off multiple career milestones. From opening for Stevie Nicks and Dua Lipa, to signing to Warner Records, Cil is on track to becoming pop’s next big female artist. Her music touches on mental health, betrayal, and epiphanies, and her latest EP don’t hold me accountable has resonated with many.

On Pandora, she reaches 87K monthly listeners and has seen a +156% in UVs since January 2025.

6. Kami Kehoe

With a sound that blends rock, metal, and soul, Kami Kehoe is known for her genre-bending music. Her songs draw themes from heartbreak, obsession, and self-discovery, reeling in listeners with their relatability. She’s already achieved early success, having opened for Daughtry, Seether, and P.O.D on their 2025 tour.

Reaching 83K monthly listeners and seeing a +11x increase in spins, Kami Kehoe can be found on DECIBEL! Today's Hard Rock station.

7. EJ Jones

Soul singer EJ Jones is one of the newest faces to enter the Southern Soul movement, and he’s been put on the map thanks to TikTok virality. His debut single, “Gas Station Love,” was chosen by Billboard as one of R&B and hip-hop’s fresh picks of the week in 2025.

EJ Jones reaches 57K monthly listeners and has seen a +215x in UVs since March 2025. Find him on the Pandora stations PLATINUM and R&B/Soul.

8. CORTIS

BTS who? CORTIS is the first boy band in several years to debut under BIGHIT MUSIC, the same label behind several K-Pop groups. Blending K-Pop, hip-hop, and rock, the band has just barely hit the limelight, having first debuted in mid-2025 with their single “What You Want.” Despite this, their first EP Color Outside the Lines reached #15 on the Billboard 200, and they’re quickly gaining traction in the US.

Reaching 42K monthly listeners, CORTIS has seen a +6x in station adds since August 2025.

9. Ian Asher

DJ and producer Ian Asher has quickly risen in the dance music space, shining bright under the spotlight with his remixes and mashups of hit songs. The Gen Z artist gained global recognition with his remix of Jain’s “Makeba,” which became the most-used sound on Instagram and TikTok in the summer of 2023 and inspired various social trends. He’s already hit the main stage, having performed at EDC Mexico and Lollapalooza—and with a current TikTok following of 7M, he no doubt has more viral hits ahead of him.

Ian Asher reaches 27K monthly listeners on Pandora and has seen a +22x in station adds since January 2025.

10. Florence Road

Irish rock band Florence Road was born out of a friendship between four women. Having established initial popularity by posting covers on social media, they’ve quickly become one of alternative music’s most popular bands and are leaning on their large following to continue the momentum.

They’ve received the seal of approval from some of today’s biggest pop artists, having opened for Olivia Rodrigo, supported Sombr on tour, and collaborated with producers who’ve worked with Shakira and Chappell Roan.

Florence Road reaches 17K monthly listeners on Pandora and has seen a +81x in spins since April 2025. Find them on stations like Alt XL, New Alternative, and Alt Pop.

The top 10 Pandora country artists to watch

Country is seeing a major evolution, with growing subgenres like pop country, trap country, Americana, and country rock. It comes as no surprise that it’s the fifth most popular genre on Pandora, reaching 12M monthly listeners. To reach country music fans, find them on none other than streaming audio, where two in five are listening more than they did a year ago.

From male artists and female artists to singer-songwriter duos, these are the top country artists to watch on Pandora this year:

Atlus
Zach John King
Gavin Adcock
Elizabeth Nichols
Blake Whiten
Kevin Powers
Greylan James
Thelma and James
Jackson Wendell
Brandon Wisham

The top 10 Pandora Latin artists to watch

Latin music is the fastest-growing genre on streaming audio platforms in the US, which is all the more reason we had to create a separate list for Latin artists to keep top of mind. Latin music is incredibly diverse, and artists are taking over and blending genres like Regional Mexican, pop, electronic, and trap.

These are the top Latin artists to watch on Pandora this year:

Hamilton
Rubio
NXNNI
Milo J
Kane Rodriguez
Wampi
Esau Ortiz
Yan Block
Raul Beltran
Niko Rubio

A proven track record of finding the next household name

Music moves fast, but we move faster. Our 2025 artist picks foreshadowed chart-topping hits, platinum records, and major award wins for artists like Alex Warren and Zach Top.

Stroll down memory lane and take a look at the past artists we predicted would become a big deal:

2016: Post Malone
2017: Lizzo, Dua Lipa
2018: H.E.R., Ashley McBryde
2019: Summer Walker, Rauw Alejandro
2020: Doja Cat, Roddy Ricch
2021: The Kid LAROI, Tate McRae
2022: PinkPantheress
2023: Kim Petras, Coco Jones
2024: Tyla, Reneé Rapp
2025: Alex Warren, Zach Top

Pandora is the destination for music discovery

Pandora is in a league of its own, from keeping tabs on the biggest moments in pop culture to personalizing the listening experience for our users. It’s here where expert curation meets algorithmic precision. We celebrated our 20th birthday in 2025, marking two decades of dropping the perfect track.

With the Music Genome Project powering Pandora, we’re motivated by understanding each listeners’ audio experience and personalizing every session. Today, we house 600+ music genres and 2M tracks. Our data is continuously studied, with Pandora analyzing 10K tracks per month and 450 traits per track, ensuring we’re customizing suggestions, curating the perfect playlist, and breathing new life into older tracks.

When major moments break out in pop culture, we’re one of the first to know. Highly anticipated movie release? Listeners come flooding here for the soundtrack. The week after a music awards show? Audiences flock to Pandora to listen to the night’s biggest winners. New album release from an artist? Fans come here to be one of the first listeners.