New Artists to Watch as presented by Obscure Agency

Some artists make music. Others build universes.

In this May edition of New Artists to Watch, Obscure Agency presents five exceptional voices from across the globe. Each brings something rare: sonic bravery, emotional honesty, and a sense of direction that cuts through the noise.

From bold rebrands and dual-release experiments to cinematic ballads and post-X Factor breakthroughs, this month’s selection reflects a generation of artists redefining identity on their terms. Here are five artists that are shaping what’s next.

IVY

With a name as sharp as her sound, Ivy steps boldly into a new chapter. Formerly known as bby ivy, the Norwegian-born, London-based artist makes her reintroduction not just with a single, but with an entire aesthetic. Gone is the softness; in its place, a razor-edged confidence that cuts through glossy Y2K nostalgia, moody pop production, and late-night electronic pulse.

Her debut under this new identity is anything but tentative. It’s a sleek, club-ready track with heat in its basslines and bite in its delivery, a track made to be felt in the chest and remembered long after last call. This is music for sweat-slicked dance floors, dimly lit mirror selfies, and the inner monologue of someone finally reclaiming their power.

This era is about trusting instincts and letting it be loud, sexy, and unapologetic. That ethos bleeds into every detail of her project, from the slick, metallic visuals to her hypnotic vocal delivery.

Blending the melodic melancholy of alt-pop with the polish of electronic production, Ivy crafts a sound that lives somewhere between post-midnight euphoria and morning-after vulnerability. It’s pop music with teeth, gloss, and grit.

Ivy isn’t just stepping onto the scene, she’s owning it. A new voice, a new name, and a fearless start to what feels like a very real takeover.

Sophie Morelli

Sophie Morelli is quickly emerging as one of the most promising young voices in contemporary music. Born in Italy and raised in Monaco, Sophie has captivated international audiences with her unique blend of experimental pop and electronic influences. A self-taught pianist and vocalist, her natural talent is matched by a sharp, conceptual approach to music-making.

Now, she’s entering her most daring phase yet.

With her upcoming project, Sophie is launching a dual-release concept that breathes new life into the classic Side A / Side B vinyl format. For each of her next three singles, including her new release, Coming Back to Life, she will unveil two versions of the same song, each offering a completely different emotional and sonic experience.

Side A delivers the song in its original form: emotionally raw and grounded in rock textures, with lyrics and melodies that cut deep.
Side B reimagines the same track as a bold, high-energy house or club remix transforming vulnerability into rhythm, introspection into motion.

What’s striking is that Sophie keeps the lyrics and vocal melodies unchanged across both versions. It’s the instrumentation and genre that flip completely, allowing the same story to live two lives: one for quiet reflection, one for the dance floor. It’s a concept that highlights both her creative depth and her versatility as a producer and songwriter.

It’s a way of showing how a single emotion can take many forms. How sound alone can change the way a story is felt.

As Sophie’s TikTok following surpasses 4.7 million, this project positions her not just as a powerful voice in experimental pop but as a true storyteller exploring how feelings move and connect through sound.

Photo By Veronique Mazzoli
Make Up By Stefania Griggi

Elnoir

Rising from the Italian Alps with a sound as shadowy and enigmatic as the landscape itself, Elnoir has carved out a distinct space in the international music scene. Her work fuses trip-hop, alternative pop, and classical undertones into a sound that’s cinematic, intimate, and emotionally fearless.

Her debut album Alias is not just a body of work. It’s a reckoning. A raw, cathartic journey through trauma and rebirth, it explores pain, empowerment, and survival themes. The album’s lead single Collision broke into the Top 150 Charts in Belgium, while Hades, its haunting final release, drew critical acclaim for both its immersive production and its arresting visual counterpart. The video, which earned multiple nominations and international honorable mentions, paired gothic storytelling with a vocal performance that invited comparisons to artists like Billie Eilish, yet remained uniquely Elnoir.

But Elnoir’s artistry doesn’t stop at her own releases. As a sought-after ghostwriter, she has helped shape the voices of other artists across genres. This behind-the-scenes role has deepened her lyrical sensitivity and refined her creative process

Now, she is entering a new chapter.

Currently working on new music, Elnoir is stepping boldly beyond her comfort zone. Her next body of work embraces sharper textures, unexpected sonic shifts, and lyrics that lean into confrontation and contrast. With a clear nod to the alt-pop scene, sonically darker, rhythmically bolder, and vocally more exposed, this upcoming project marks a strong evolution in both style and spirit. It’s not a break from her past, but a deepening of her identity.

What sets Elnoir apart is her ability to merge darkness with elegance, vulnerability with control. Whether performing her truths or ghostwriting for others, she builds entire emotional landscapes through sound. Now, with her gaze turned outward and a fearless approach to experimentation, Elnoir is ready to expand her world and invite her listeners into the next one.

Mimì

At just 17 years old, Mimì is already rewriting the trajectory of Italian pop. Winner of X Factor Italia 2024, the Bamako-born, Italy-raised singer blends R&B, soul, and urban pop with a voice that commands both emotion and presence. Her journey from gospel choirs and local competitions to prime-time stages has been anything but accidental, Mimì is the kind of artist who was never meant to stay in the background.

Her breakout track Dove si va, written by Madame, set the tone: introspective yet powerful, melodic yet full of grit. But it’s Brooklyn, her latest single released in April 2025, that signals where she’s headed; a sound that leans into sleek production, moody textures, and emotional depth, crafted alongside producers LEO and FAFFA under the creative direction of LAVA and Warner Music Italia.

Raised with a deep respect for storytelling and songcraft, Mimì honed her skills through years of choral singing and vocal study, eventually storming through festivals like Mimì Sarà, Voci d’Oro, and Fantastico Festival before capturing national attention. But it was her fearless performances of Figures by Jessie Reyez and Godspeed by Frank Ocean on X Factor that showcased a rare mix of artistic maturity and raw vulnerability.

La voce di Mimì ci è scoppiata dentro al cuore con Mina | X FACTOR 2024 SEMIFINALE

Now, she’s stepping into summer with a full schedule: featured on the Shablo Street Jazz Tour alongside Tormento and Joshua, and set to take the stage at MI AMI Festival on May 23. She’s also the face of TIM’s new Sanremo-week campaign, proof that her reach extends well beyond the music.

With her unique blend of cultural influence, creative instinct, and unfiltered emotion, Mimì isn’t just Italy’s next big voice. She’s already here.

Drew Schueler

Drew Schueler doesn’t just make pop music, he sculpts it with care. Based in Nashville but emotionally rooted somewhere deeper, Drew brings intention to every lyric, note, and texture he creates. His sound is sleek but sincere, polished yet painfully human, a rare balance that’s earned him the grand prize in both the American Songwriter and NSAI Song Contests, and placed him on the radar of global audiences.

His upcoming EP Vulnerable For Once is a masterclass in emotional precision. Opening with This Is Where — a sweeping ballad that secured the top honor in the American Songwriter competition — Drew leans into timeless vulnerability with grace and restraint. Meanwhile, Hurtable (winner of the NSAI Song Contest) explores the rawness of emotional risk with melodic clarity and lyrical weight. Both songs are heartbreakingly elegant, the kind of tracks that feel personal even on first listen.

Drew’s music has also resonated beyond his own catalog — he co-wrote Somebody for D.O. of EXO, a track that’s now surpassed 50 million streams. It’s proof that whether he’s in the spotlight or behind the scenes, Drew brings a distinct fingerprint to every project he touches.

Drew Schueler – Head Start (Official Music Video)

Working from his own studio, Drew continues to shape his evolving pop identity not through trends, but through timeless storytelling. Vulnerable For Once isn’t just a title — it’s a promise, and he delivers on every note.

As these five artists move forward, they remind the scene that today’s most exciting music isn’t just being made in studios, it’s being imagined at the edge of comfort zones, between borders, and across genres.

Obscure Agency will be watching as they grow, perform, and continue breaking the rules that don’t serve them. Follow them now. The future sounds like this. Want more? Follow the playlist Hidden Gems to stay updated.