Top Irish Artists for 2020

Dermot Kennedy 

Over the past few years, Dermot Kennedy has taken the world by storm. After attaining viral success on Spotify in 2016, the singer-songwriter from Rathcoole amassed followers and fans from around the world as he self-published his work. 2018 and 2019 saw Kennedy tour the United States, Australia, and Europe, performing in packed houses night after night. He’s made a huge splash in the festival scene with gigs at Bonnaroo, Coachella, and South by Southwest.

Kennedy’s debut studio album dropped in October of 2019 and quickly became the fastest-selling album in Ireland in 2019.

Aimée

Although also inspired by modern pop stars such as Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, Aimée is no imitation and her tracks are a true reflection of the important messages she wants to spread. She takes the upbeat inspo of pop culture and gives it that extra gritty substance. People come for the tempo, and stay for the lyrics.

 

Tracks like ‘Don’t Call Me Pretty’ and ‘Break Me’ are exactly the kind of tracks many of us yearned for in our youth. Her Debut EP Confession is out now

Inhaler

Over the past year, the Dublin quartet Inhaler has been all across the globe, touring the UK, Europe, and the United States. Their sound draws influence rock and alternative sounds like The Cure, Kings of Leon, Depeche Mode, and The Strokes, bringing energy and impressive musicianship to every stage they touch. Frontman Elijah Hewson, who happens to be Bono of U2’s son, met Josh Jenkinson, Rob Keating, and Ryan McMahon in school, and the foursome have been perfecting their unique sound ever since.

Daniel Blume

At just 21-years-old, the Dublin-born, London-based Daniel Blume has an impressive collection of accolades to his name. At age 15, he won BBC’s Young Composer of the Year award, essentially guaranteeing him a successful career in classical music, but the draw toward electronic dance music was too alluring to resist. He teamed up with Cheat Codes to produce a US Billboard Dance chart-topping hit, “Who’s Got Your Love.” Now, Blume is pursuing a solo career. His energetic single “Nights Like This” has made him a popular staple on dance floors, setting him on a trajectory toward global stardom.

LYRA

Hailing from Cork, Lyra has been making waves with her unique brown of dark, emotive electronic music. Over the last few years, she’s supported acts like Dermot Kennedy and James Bay, and has been honing her sound with some of music’s most talented teams who have produced talents like Hozier and Ellie Goulding. Dubbed by The Independent as “Beyonce with a Cork accent,” Lyra was first to prominence thanks to the likes of 2FM and feature on the Guinness campaign with her song Emerald, and we can only expect greatness from her in the years to come.