Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak released his second album, "Malibu," in mid-January, and announced at the end of the month that he was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label. The rapper/singer had performed on six songs off of Dre's acclaimed 2015 album, "Compton." He performed on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" in February and is hitting up the Spotify House at SXSW. He has 1.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. He was listed as one of Billboard's artists to watch at SXSW.
Jack Garratt
A one-man band who also produces his own music, Garrett has been generating attention following the release of his debut album, "Phase," on February 19. The British artist won the critics choice award at the 2016 Brit Awards. Garrett played at the Spotify House at SXSW and currently has 3.4 million monthly listeners on the streaming service. His song "Worry" has more than 20 million streams.
"He not only has tremendous talent, but momentum is on his side, and he's only going to get bigger," Cook said.
Wet
This Brooklyn-based trio's album "Don't You" was released in January, and they have several tracks streaming in the millions on Spotify.
"They are one of those bands that at the end of the year, people will be saying they killed it in 2016," Cook said.
Gallant
Gallant, a singer-songwriter from Maryland, has a fan in Skrillex and has been gaining popularity in recent months. He opened for Kygo, collaborated with Seal, and is joining ZHU on his nearly sold-out tour this spring, which includes a performance at Coachella. Though not performing at the Spotify House, he is performing at SXSW.
"He has momentum on his side, and I think things are going to get even bigger for him when his album drops on April 6," Cook said.
Låpsley
Holly Lapsley Fletcher is a 19-year-old singer/songwriter and electronic artist from the UK. She released her debut album in March and has 2.4 million monthly listeners, as well as 500,000 plays a day. She is performing at the Spotify House at SXSW.
"She wants her listeners to know she’s not just the face and voice; she’s very involved in the production of her music," Cook said.
MILK TEETH
MILK TEETH is rock band from the UK that draws heavily on '90s rock and metal influences. "This band will keep you on your toes," Cook explained. "One song will sound melodic and have great hooks and another will be hardcore and thrashing." They released their debut album in January and are getting particular attention from males in the 18-22 age range on Spotify. They are playing some shows at SXSW.
Allan Rayman
Based in Toronto, Rayman is an independent artist and is currently being courted by major labels, Cook said. He was one of Spotify's "Spotlight Artists," which has featured musicians such as Hozier and Sam Smith. He's performing at the Spotify House at SXSW and his album will be released in the fall.
Lewis Del Mar
This duo from Rockaway Beach, New York (originally from Washington, DC), has been gathering a sizable following since the release of their single "Loud(y)" in 2015. The single has been pinging on Spotify's viral charts, which "measure how songs are being shared, and that's usually an indicator of potential hit success," Cook explained. That song peaked at number one at Hype Machine. They signed with Columbia Records’ imprint Startime International and debuted their EP in January. They are performing multiple shows at SXSW. They were listed as one of Billboard's artists to watch at SXSW.
MUNA
MUNA is a trio of ladies from LA and describe themselves as "punks or rebellious spirits making pop music." The band has been featured on Spotify's "Fresh Finds" playlist. Their song "Loudspeaker" was featured and now has more than 3.5 million streams. The group is performing at the Spotify House at SXSW.
Day Wave
Day Wave — real name: Jackson Phillips — is an indie-rock act from Oakland, California. "He's about as DIY as they come, because he makes all of his music by himself," Cook said. He released his second EP in January, and his streams have been steadily building. He's performing at the Spotify House at SXSW. He was listed as one of Billboard's artists to watch at SXSW.