[2026] Popular British Artists: Recommended Singer-Songwriters

Ottolenghi (Ft. Jordan Rakei)Loyle Carner

Loyle Carner – Ottolenghi (Official Video) Ft. Jordan Rakei

Loyle Carner is a London-born rapper known for poetic, emotional lyrics heavily influenced by jazz and soul.

His debut EP, A Little Late, released in 2014, earned high praise from critics, and his 2017 debut album, Yesterday’s Gone, was nominated for the Mercury Prize.

The following year, in 2018, he won Best British Solo Artist at the NME Awards, cementing his status as a leading figure in the UK hip-hop scene.

His music—often described as “confessional hip-hop”—carefully explores personal themes such as family, mixed-race identity, and mental health.

On his 2022 third album, hugo, he delved into issues like social inequality and knife crime, and he has been active in social impact through his music.

His fourth album, Hopefully!, released in 2025, expresses his perspective since becoming a father not only through rap but also through singing; it reached No.

2 on the UK charts, underscoring his enduring popularity at home.

His introspective, warm worldview is something we especially want to share with listeners seeking words that feel real and resonant.

fatherJim Legxacy

Jim Legxacy – father

Jim Legacy is a rapper/singer-songwriter from Southeast London who began releasing music in 2019.

While grounded in UK rap, his hallmark is a genre-fluid sound that freely traverses lo-fi, emo, alternative rock, R&B, and Afrobeats.

His 2023 mixtape Homeless N*gga Pop Music boosted his profile in the indie scene, and he signed with XL Recordings the following year.

His 2025 mixtape Black British Music reached No.

31 on the UK charts and has been highly praised as a work that engraves his identity as Black British.

He self-produces almost all of his tracks, stitching together diverse sounds with a sampling- and collage-driven approach informed by his design training at art school.

Even while confronting heavy themes such as family loss and his own experiences with homelessness, he elevates them into pop-leaning, experimental music—work that is especially worth hearing for those seeking new forms of expression.

NOT THE ONEChy Cartier

Chy Cartier – NOT THE ONE

As a young rapper from Tottenham, Chy Cartier is bringing fresh energy to the UK rap scene.

Born in 2004, she’s a natural talent who learned rap by memorizing the hip-hop, dancehall, and grime her mother played when she was a child, and reportedly wrote her first lyrics at age seven.

She began pursuing music in earnest around 2018, and a snippet of “Bossed Up,” released at the end of 2023, went viral on social media and propelled her to a rapid breakthrough.

She followed up with a string of tracks featuring an aggressive yet melodic flow—such as “YO,” which racked up tens of millions of views on TikTok, and “SHUSH,” which balances street sensibilities with a taste for luxury.

In April 2025, she released her highly anticipated debut mixtape, NO BRING INS, which earned strong praise from Pitchfork.

Favoring bass-heavy beats and her signature ad-lib—“BAP!”—her sound, combined with a striking persona influenced by Foxy Brown and Nicki Minaj, has made her stand out as a new role model among women MCs in UK rap.

Aiming to become a cultural icon at the intersection of fashion and music, she’s an ideal artist for listeners who crave both hard-hitting rap and introspective storytelling.

Black HoleGriff

Griff – Black Hole (Official Video)

From the late 2010s into the 2020s, the UK saw a surge of Gen Z singer-songwriters born around 2000, and Griff, born in 2001, is truly one of the movement’s standard-bearers.

After releasing her debut single “Mirror Talk” on Warner Records in 2019, she drew attention for a sound that fuses electronic textures with a soulful voice, and in 2021 she won the BRIT Awards’ Rising Star—known as a launchpad for young talent—at the age of just 20.

She has supported major artists like Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, and Coldplay on tour, and in 2024 she released her debut album Vertigo.

While grounded in R&B and pop, her music is compelling for its DIY spirit—leveraging beat-making and production skills she taught herself at home—and lyrics that sensitively capture the anxieties and shifting self-image characteristic of coming of age.

If you enjoy contemporary electropop or alternative R&B, she’s an artist you should definitely check out.

GorillaCat Burns

Cat Burns – go (Official Video)

Singer-songwriter Cat Burns from South London first emerged from the indie scene with her self-released 2016 EP “Adolescent,” and rose to prominence during the COVID lockdown by posting regularly from her bedroom on TikTok.

Trained at the BRIT School—the alma mater of artists like Adele and Amy Winehouse—she’s known for a “soulful pop” sound that blends simple, acoustic guitar–led tracks with gospel-inspired choral work and R&B-tinged melodies.

Her 2022 viral hit “Go” reached No.

2 on the UK Singles Chart, and her 2024 debut album “Early Twenties” was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

Speaking candidly from her perspective as a Black queer woman and about living with ADHD and autism, Cat resonates powerfully with her generation and is certain to remain a leading figure in the UK pop scene.

Highly recommended if you’re interested in themes of love, loss, and mental health.

Black MascaraRAYE

RAYE – Black Mascara. (Official Music Video)

RAYE, a singer-songwriter from the United Kingdom, is a new-generation artist active in the neo-soul and R&B scenes.

She began writing songs as early as age 14, showcasing her talent.

She gained attention by penning tracks for high-profile artists like Beyoncé and collaborating with acts such as Jax Jones.

However, she also faced a difficult period due to contractual issues with a major label.

In February 2023, she finally came into her own, releasing her long-awaited debut album, “My 21st Century Blues,” independently.

With powerful vocals and delicate lyrics that candidly reflect her personal experiences, her songs resonate with many listeners.

She’s highly recommended for those who value the essence of music.

Talkbeabadoobee

beabadoobee – Talk (Official Video)

Beabadoobee is a singer-songwriter born in the Philippines and raised in the UK.

She debuted in 2017 at the age of 16, attracting attention with a distinctive sound that fuses indie rock and bedroom pop.

Her debut track “Coffee” became a viral hit on TikTok, and she went on to release several EPs and albums.

In 2020, she unveiled her long-awaited debut album, Fake It Flowers, and won the NME Radar Award.

While her music reflects influences from ’90s alternative and grunge, it also carries a contemporary pop sensibility, offering a compelling blend of nostalgia and freshness.

In 2023, she supported Taylor Swift on tour, with even greater success anticipated ahead.