Despite being on every radio station in the world, claiming the first dance at every wedding and breaking attendance records at almost every stadium, Ed Sheeran is criminally underrated. Yes, he’s well-known for catchy pop tunes but there’s a lot more to his discography than ‘Shape Of You’ and ‘Shivers’. While his tender debut album + and his genre bending sophomore album x garnered a lot of attention with songs like ‘The A Team’ and ‘Photograph’ – rightfully so –, there are several hidden gems on both albums that never got the love they deserved. 

Neither did the two albums he released in 2023. In –, which is the last instalment of the Mathematics series, songs like ‘End Of Youth’ and ‘Saltwater’ describe his struggle with mental health in the wake of his best friends’ death and his wife’s illness. With ‘Autumn Variations’, he promised a fan centred album and he delivered. Not only are the tracks exactly the kind of cosy, comforting songs his fans love him for, he also gave them a live album – which he recorded at fans’ houses. Proving that he’s still as humble as ever while also being incredibly talented, versatile, creative and kind, making him one of the most underrated popular artists around.

Another fantastic singer-songwriter who excels at penning heartbreak songs is Scotland’s national treasure, Lewis Capaldi. Despite currently being on a break due to his health issues, which he is very open about, he gifted his fans four new songs at the beginning of this year. The extended version of ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’ sent fans off into 2024 with two ballads about mental health as well as a devastating heartbreak song. The latter is Lewis’ specialty which is a well-known fact ever since his debut album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent dominated the charts in 2019 and 2020. 

Ironically, no one makes audiences laugh as much as Lewis. No matter if it’s concert, talk show or social media audiences, Lewis is known for cracking everyone up. And much like his pal Ed, he has stayed delightfully humble and down-to-earth throughout his stellar career. It’s no wonder that he’s remained one of the most beloved celebrities ever since his rise to fame five years ago.

No one does girl power quite as well as Little Mix. Starting with ‘Salute’ at the start of their career, they made feminist anthems their brand. LM5, widely considered to be their best album, is full of songs about self-love, strong women and friendship. Their music catalogue also has its fair share of break up songs, though. Who could ever forget the cultural shift that occurred when they released ‘Shoutout To My Ex’, followed up by ‘Touch’ and ‘No More Sad Songs’? Little Mix certainly know how to create pop perfection. 

Although it’s not just the music itself that they went all in for; their music videos are just as spectacular. They regularly delivered fierce dance choreographies, fancy and bold outfits (remember Perrie’s corset in ‘Touch’?) and stunning visuals. Plus, throughout their career, they secured plenty of amazing fellow musicians as features, amongst them Stormzy, Saweetie and Machine Gun Kelly. 

However, it’s the ballads where Little Mix really shine the most. Sadly, those were also their most underrated songs. Their powerful voices combined with their harmonies and gut-wrenching lyrics made for the perfect ballads on every album. The best examples are ‘Good Enough’ and ‘These Four Walls’, which, despite only getting a few live performances, are some of the most beloved tracks amongst their fans.

Anne-Marie wears her heart on her sleeve as she’s recently proven once again with her third album Unhealthy. Self-reflection is a recurring theme in her work, starting back in 2018 when she released her debut Speak Your Mind. A very accurately named album, because if there’s one thing that Anne-Marie is good at, it’s that. She doesn’t shy away from calling out people who did her wrong but she’s also not afraid of admitting her own weaknesses. 

Her sophomore album Therapy, which was also very accurately named, is another testament to her self-reflection. After sharing all the highs and lows of a romantic relationship and of the relationship with herself throughout the album, Anne-Marie ends the record with the title track. Which starts with a statement many can relate to: “I’m dysfunctional, it’s always been that way”. She goes on to say that she’s realised what she needs isn’t a relationship or more tattoos, it’s therapy. That makes her yet another artist who is very open about her struggle with mental health.  

But it’s no secret that she has a playful side, too. A lot of her songs, including the hit ‘2002’ and her collaboration with Shania Twain, ‘Unhealthy’, are pure serotonin boosts, and so are her live shows. For her most recent tour, the “Unhealthy Club Tour”, she brought out her theatrical side and performed on a stack of beds and on a flower swing, wore puffy dresses and fancy cowboy hats and entertained the crowd with little skits in between.

„Rock n‘roll never dies!“, front singer Damiano David promised when Måneskin won Eurovision back in 2021, and they have made sure it won’t. The four musicians, who were only 22, 21 and 20 years old when they won the contest, introduced Italian rock to Europe and have since gone on to spread it all over the world. 

One reason for their ever-growing popularity might be the fact that they’ve become the voice of the new generation. They don’t conform to gender stereotypes, they take a stand for themselves and they vocalise the fears, dreams and hopes that many young people share. Especially the rock ballads ‘Vent’anni’ and ‘Coraline’ are pieces of art that a lot of people can relate to. 

Another reason is certainly the spectacle that is their live shows. For most musicians it would be easy to vanish into the background when sharing the stage with a show master like Damiano. However, Victoria, Thomas and Ethan all easily hold their own as they all have an incredibly strong stage presence. Every single member of Måneskin is mesmerising in their own way, which makes the four of them together a captivating force.