The return of the Grammys Best New Artist class of 2022: Olivia Rodrigo, Kid LAROI and more release new music
Have you been paying attention to the Best New Artist class of 2022 lately? The highly talented group of 10, ranging from indie darlings to pop powerhouses, has been quite active recently, with a couple having music that is either out recently or is slated to be released in the coming months. As such, perhaps it’s a good time to keep an eye on these nominees, because you might end up predicting them for awards in 2024.
Best New Artist winner Olivia Rodrigo released a new single, “Vampire,” on June 16 and is rumored to be dropping her highly anticipated sophomore album soon. Rodrigo’s debut album, “Sour,” became an instant sensation; it was the second biggest album of 2022 and earned Rodrigo four top-10 smash hits. The album also won Rodrigo two additional Grammys besides Best New Artist: Best Pop Solo Performance (“Drivers License”) and Best Pop Vocal Album. Since her win Rodrigo has maintained visibility with the recording academy, presenting at both the nominations announcement livestream and the Grammy Awards ceremony this past year. While nothing is certain until it happens, Rodrigo’s comeback could net her more awards, especially given the relatively weak pop field this year so far.
Another nominee that could come back this year is Arlo Parks. The British singer-songwriter recently released her sophomore album, “My Soft Machine.” While the album isn’t as acclaimed as her first, the Grammy-nominated “Collapsed in Sunbeams,” it still has good reviews and big names behind it, like Grammy winner Paul Epworth and nominees Phoebe Bridgers and Carter Lang. Parks could return to the alternative field, perhaps for her album or for the Bridgers collab “Pegasus.”
There’s also The Kid LAROI. The Australian singer and rapper rose to mainstream prominence with his hits “Without You” and the Justin Bieber-assisted “Stay,” which became one of the biggest hits of the 21st century. Since then LAROI has been teasing a new album, which will likely feature the pop radio hit “Love Again.” If the album does well, perhaps LAROI could net some big noms this time around, especially with his more pop-centered past couple of releases.
Rapper Baby Keem, who got four nominations in 2022 including Best New Artist, has also been teasing new music, alongside his cousin Kendrick Lamar. Keem and Lamar won a Grammy in 2022, taking home Best Rap Performance for their hit “Family Ties.” This time their collaboration “The Hillbillies” could be a strong contender for the win, especially since we know how much voters love Lamar.
Perhaps the biggest surprise nominee in 2022 was Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab, who was nominated for Best New Artist, a first for a Pakistani musician. Aftab won a Grammy in 2022, taking home Best Global Music Performance for her surreal track “Mohabbat.” Aftab netted another Grammy nom the following year in the same category, although she lost that one. This time, however, Aftab is back with a full-length album, “Love in Exile,” a collaborative project with artists Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily. Aftab is perhaps the most likely of all the 2022 BNA alumni to come back, since we know voters were still into her the year after her breakthrough.
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