The last decade has brought the spotlight to Canada's music scene thanks to the rise of artists such as Drake and The Weeknd. Now, more than ever, Canadian artists have been utilizing the increased attention to release their music from coast to coast. Listed below are four up-and-coming Canadian artists within the Ontario region who's music has the potential to go viral over the next year.
1. Jon Vinyl
The first up-and-coming Canadian artist on the list is 22-year-old singer Jon Vinyl. The Toronto native began his music career over four years ago and has since accumulated a wide fan-base with over 336,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, and Otis Redding, Vinyl's songs hold an air of emotion and vulnerability. When listening to his music, listeners get absorbed in stories of nostalgic moments of teenage love. Vinyl's soulful voice accompanied by sounds of strummed guitar chords and waving synths is perfect for fans of R&B. Currently, Vinyl's most famous hits include "Addicted" and "Moments", both of which have reached over 1 million streams on Spotify.
2. Riley Michaels
Next on the list is singer-songwriter and guitar player, Riley Michaels. The 20-year old musician from Niagara, Ontario combines soulful vocals and funky guitar riffs to create his own take on blues music. When Michaels was just 18 years old, he made a considerable impression in the Niagara region and was the recipient of the 2018 Niagara Music Award for "Blues Artist of the Year." In September 2020, Michaels released his new single "Now I Know", his first song released since 2017 following his self-produced EP, "Toxic Love". His new song has already amassed nearly 50,000 streams on Spotify. Following the release of "Now I Know," Michaels posted another song on January 15th, 2021 called "Turn off the Lights."
3. Shantel May
Aspiring R&B singer Shantel May has been making moves in the music industry this past year. Raised in Toronto's east end housing projects, May went from performing covers in her building's stairwell to becoming a backup singer for Toronto-duo DVSN. In 2020, May featured on DVSN's album, "A Muse in Her Feelings". The ballad titled, "...Again" reached over 2 million streams on Spotify and is one of the album's most notable nods to the 90s era that the album was tributed to. Now, May has worked to launch her own solo music career and has dropped multiple songs in 2020 including "Don't Wanna Pretend" and "Until I Say So."
4. Saveria
The last singer on the list is London, Ont. artist, Saveria. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter and producer has achieved considerable success following her appearance on CTV's, "The Launch." Saveria was the third artist chosen from season two which led to the production and release of her version of the song "Down to the Roots." Following the success of her debut on "The Launch", Saveria auditioned for the popular music TV show, American Idol. Although she was not given the golden ticket to progress forward, she left a lasting impression on pop star, Katy Perry. Currently, Saveria has released a few of her own original songs, including "Pity" and "Harsh Lights." Since her appearance on the two shows, Saveria has built a larger fan base and is perfect for fans of the soul/r&b/ and pop genre.