Shazam has just unveiled its Fast Forward 2026 class — and Asia’s next wave of breakout talent is right at the forefront.
The annual list, curated through Shazam’s predictive data and Apple Music’s editorial insights, highlights 65 emerging artists across 20 genres and 22 countries who are primed to blow up in the year ahead. With past alumni like Ice Spice, Ayra Starr, and Benson Boone seeing massive success, Fast Forward is quickly becoming a key radar for fans looking to discover the next big thing.
Indonesia’s no na is riding a wave of regional buzz, thanks to their dreamy banger ‘shoot’, which hit #14 on the Shazam chart in Indonesia and charted for over 100 days, even peaking at #155 in Malaysia. The group's sound — hypnotic and emotionally raw — marks them as one to watch in the fast-evolving Southeast Asian alt-pop scene.
Meanwhile, South Korean K-pop acts CORTIS and KickFlip are turning heads globally. CORTIS made a stellar debut with ‘GO!’, which hit #1 on the South Korea Shazam chart just a month after release and cracked the Top 10 of the Global K-pop chart alongside ‘FaSHioN’. Their debut EP COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES fueled a 345% jump in Apple Music plays, with ‘GO!’ also landing in the Top 10 charts in South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Thailand.
What is Shazam Fast Forward?
Shazam Fast Forward is more than just a playlist drop — it's a data-backed snapshot of the music industry's future. Artists who made the 2025 list saw, on average:
-
67% increase in Shazam discoveries
-
70% more radio spins
-
Over 100% growth in Apple Music plays
Among the highlights this year are:
-
Alessi Rose (UK), with viral pop hit ‘First Original Thought’
-
Kidd Carder (Nigeria), whose Afrobeats anthem ‘Calculate’ entered Shazam’s Global Top 200
-
Clarent (Puerto Rico), whose trap-infused urbano hits are lighting up Latin America
-
Liim (USA) and Florence Road (Ireland), both pushing genre lines with style and edge
Check out the Shazam Fast Forward 2026 playlist on Apple Music and head to Shazam to see the full list and in-depth breakdown of the 65 artists.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-