This Summer's 25 Hottest Music Stars

Although it’s been four years since the release of “Lemonade,” Beyonce’s critically acclaimed last solo album, she has been hard at work on other projects including the Grammy-winning visual album and musical film “Black is King,” released in 2020. Fans can look forward to a series of virtual performances this summer from Queen Bey that will promote her new music.

After her last LP, “Rare,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Gomez, though a native English speaker, honored her Mexican roots by releasing her long awaited Spanish-language EP “Revelación” in March of this year. After stating in a March interview that she is considering retiring, the artist has hinted on Instagram that she may release one more album before she does.

On August 26, 2020, two days before releasing her most recent studio album “Smile,” Katy Perry gave birth to her first child, Daisy Dove Bloom. As the new mom has recalibrated her life and career to make space for her family, fans can’t wait to hear how her music evolves. Perry is starting a three-month Las Vegas residency on December 29 of this year.

To promote their newly released album “Jordi,” Maroon 5 is kicking off their next U.S. tour this August in Auburn, Washington. The album is named after the band’s former manager Jordan Feldstein, who died in 2017, and features collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion and Stevie Nicks, as well as the late rapper Juice WRLD.

After the success of SZA’s first studio album, “Ctrl,” in 2017 — which earned her five Grammy nominations, including one for Best New Artist — fans have been eagerly awaiting her next LP. Scheduled to drop later this year, it will feature collaborations with multiple artists, including Post Malone and Justin Timberlake.

Although U.S. fans won’t see this French DJ on their home turf until 2022, he will be touring Europe this summer and fall, with concerts scheduled in Ukraine, Germany, Serbia, and the UK. Guetta has been DJing since the late ’80s and became an international star after his fourth album “One Love” was released in 2009.

Known as the Prince of Reggaeton, J Balvin is one of the biggest Latin musicians in the world. Although he released his first song in 2004, he rose to fame in 2015 and has sold over 35 million records worldwide. His 2019 album “Oasis,” which is a collaboration with rapper Bad Bunny, debuted at the top of Billboard’s Latin albums chart. Fans can catch J Balvin at a few select dates around the U.S. this summer and fall.

This British rock band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands in the world. After their last album, “Everyday Life,” debuted at the top of the UK albums chart in 2019, the band released a single, “Higher Power,” that is expected to be featured on their upcoming ninth studio album.

Since he hit the charts in 2019 with his certified diamond single “Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X has been making a splash. Named one of the most influential people on the internet by Time and one of the Forbes 30 under 30, the social media-savvy rapper is releasing his first studio album this summer. Entitled “Montero,” the album will feature his hit single “Call Me By Your Name,” which was released this March.

This 18-year-old actor and singer spent the pandemic writing and recording songs in her home, including her first hit singles “Drivers License,” “Deja Vu,” and “Good for You.” She compiled these singles and more into her first studio album “Sour,” which came out in May. On June 29, Rodrigo — who never got to attend her prom — hosted an online prom-themed concert called Sour Prom, to promote her debut album.

After releasing his critically acclaimed 2019 album “Music to Be Murdered By,” Eminem became the first musical artist to have ten albums in a row debut at number one on Billboard 200. His 2020 surprise release “Music to Be Murdered By – Side B” includes the single “Tone Deaf,” which the singer recently released in a music video responding to a TikTok campaign that aimed to cancel him for some of his famously controversial lyrics.

The Puerto Rican rapper, who was discovered after he released his music on SoundCloud, is currently on tour in Europe and will hit the United States in early 2022. His 2018 debut album, “X 100pre,” was included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time last year. In addition to his musical renown, Bad Bunny is also known for his outrageous fashion sense and his activism, both for the people of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria and for LGBTQ rights.

Despite having had to cancel her 2020 tour, this 11-time Grammy winning artist kept busy during the pandemic and released two surprise albums in 2020 — “Folklore,” and “Evermore.” Both albums are a slight departure from her recent electro-pop leanings, exploring indie folk and alternative rock instead. Swift, who has sold over 200 million records worldwide, is one of the best-selling recording artists in history.

In addition to being the highest paid female rapper of all time, Minaj is considered by many musical authorities to be one of the most influential rappers ever. Although her latest album, “Queen,” came out back in 2018, Minaj has been collaborating with other musicians including Doja Cat and Ty Dolla Sign, and working on her next album.

“Bad Habits,” the newest single from Ed Sheeran’s upcoming fifth album, was released on June 25. Although it’s been four years since the prolific songwriter and four-time Grammy winner has put out a solo album, he did release a 2019 collaborative album that featured over a dozen other artists including Chance the Rapper, Chris Stapleton, and Cardi B.

Although rising star Doja Cat had to cancel her 2020 “Hot Pink” album tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she won multiple awards that year and made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Her next studio album, “Planet Her,” will drop some time this summer and fans can catch her at a handful of rescheduled shows in the United States and the UK.

Rihanna, a nine-time Grammy winning singer and fashion designer, has sold over 250 million records, placing her among the top ten best-selling recording artists ever. In March this year, the Barbadian pop singer confirmed that her latest album, which has most likely been complete since 2019, will be released “soon.”

After the success of her debut album in 2017, Dua Lipa received five nominations at the Brit Awards, winning British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act. Her latest album, “Future Nostalgia,” was released in 2020. In 2021, this songwriter, model, and rising star was named one of the future 100 most influential people in the world be Time magazine.

One of the most successful artists of the 2010s, this 19-year-old singer/songwriter has received seven Grammys and broken multiple Guinness World Records as the youngest recording artist in numerous categories. Eilish, who got her start posting music on SoundCloud with her brother and collaborator, Fineas O’Connell, will be touring from fall 2021 into summer of 2022 to promote her upcoming album “Happier Than Ever,” which drops July 30.

Known for his showmanship and energetic performances, Bruno Mars has released eight No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and has received 11 Grammy Awards. He recently released a collaborative album with rapper Anderson .Paak called “An Evening with Silk Sonic,” and will be starting a Las Vegas residency on July 3.

After postponing his 2020 tour, Canadian singer/songwriter The Weeknd has announced new tour dates across Canada and the United States in 2022. The tour will promote his 2020 album “After Hours,” which featured the hit single “Blinding Lights” — which broke records when it spent over a year in the top ten on Billboard Hot 100. The Weeknd has recently hinted that he has new music on the way.

The 28-year-old singer and actress, who got her start on Nickelodeon’s “Victorious,” is the most streamed female musician ever, as well as the most followed woman on Instagram since 2019. Grande has released five platinum albums and has had 16 top ten debut singles. She is known for her multitude of philanthropic efforts and activism, including support of LGBTQ rights.

Named Artist of the Decade at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, Drake holds several Billboard records, including most entries in the Hot 100 and most Hot 100 debuts in one week. His latest studio album, “Certified Lover Boy,” was set to be released in January of 2021 but has been postponed until an unspecified date later this summer.

This seven-member K-pop band has achieved worldwide fame, bringing notoriety to a genre known for its upbeat style and narrative music videos. In 2017, BTS became the first K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards. The band released three albums in 2020 and fans can look forward to their upcoming world tour, dates TBD.

This former teen idol, who released his first EP at age 15, has proven himself as a serious musician. At age 27, Justin Bieber has six studio albums under his belt, the most recent being “Justice,” which was released in March. Although the Justice U.S. tour has been delayed until 2022, fans can catch Bieber July 9 at Encore Theater in Las Vegas.