Gen Z has always had an obsession with small, underground artists. Whether it’s gatekeeping a bedroom pop singer to prove that you’re an original fan or advocating for the growth of a future rock sensation, teenagers are obsessed with the next-gen artists on the rise.

I’ve seen countless lists of “Small Artists You NEED to Check Out!” and repeatedly seen relatively well-known artists, like Beabadoobee or Dominic Fike. The reason for these inconsistent lists could be a misunderstanding of the alternative or indie genres; so, what are they?

An indie (short for independent) artist writes, performs, produces, and releases music on their own or with a small team. An alternative artist deviates from the flow of mainstream music— creating something entirely new, unique, and true to their own style.

I began to scroll through social media, looking for a few artists promoting their releases. With the help of recommendations from a few friends, here are some truly small, indie/alternative artists you should check out (and soon, if you want to consider yourself an OG fan before they make it big). And, to help you out a bit, I’ve arranged them in order of increasing Instagram followers (as of current).

Image Credit: David Lee on Wikimedia

Saga Faye

Though she only has three tracks released at the moment, you may already be familiar with at least one of Saga Faye’s (@saga.faye) songs. After hearing her TikTok-viral sound, “Who are You?”, I was surprised to learn that Saga Faye is still a minute artist. Although she only began to release music in November of 2024, she's made impressive progress in terms of her avid following.

With a knack for the bossa-nova flow and a similar sound to beabadoobee, this Swedish singer is beginning to make a name for herself in the indie-pop crowd. Her next EP, East Of The Sun, will be out September 12th, 2025. Could it contain her next viral song?

"Thought that I knew, now I don't have a clue / Who are you? Who are you? Who are you?" - Saga Faye, "Who are You?"

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lilo

If you’re looking for a truly underground artist, you can’t go much deeper than a small indie singer with a single release— in this case, lilo (@ch3rryapplez). Lilo began her social media presence by promoting her debut song, Shirt. At the time, she targeted her music toward fans of beabadoobee, Laufey, grentperez, and Clairo.

Since then, she has continued to grow her audience, though she is still on the rise! Recently, lilo has been teasing some new upcoming music— which I, along with her many fans, look forward to hearing.

“Can I wear your shirt?” - lilo, "Shirt"

Unflirt

From West London, Unflirt (@unflirt) has mastered the art of bedroom pop (notably Clairo’s genre), despite her relatively small audience. In the past, the artist has opened for beabadoobee, with whom she shares a similar style of music. In 2023, the singer released two short EPs, Bitter Sweet and April’s Nectar. A more recent single, “talk2me”, took a different, more upbeat path than her past songs, in a flow similar to that of more popular artist PinkPantheress.

In the future, I look forward to seeing whether Unflirt will continue with this new fast-paced technique or remain exclusive to her original shoegaze style. Either way, I hope her audience will continue to grow as she grows as an artist.

“‘Cause I’ll see you someday, won’t change my mind / I’ll paint a picture of better times…” - Unflirt, "Someday"

Cam Rao

Although this rising artist caught my eye when he had under 3,000 followers on Instagram, Cam Rao (@oarmac) has gained over 20,000 more followers within just a few weeks. He describes himself as an indie pop artist, with his music aligning with a style similar to artists such as Malcom Todd. The artist has a single album released, Silver Lining, along with a few singles, including the recent “USED GUITAR”. On social media, Cam Rao highlights the life of a growing New York City artist— with a 9-5 during the day, working on musical projects in the evening.

Given the artist’s recent growth in popularity, I can expect that he’ll continue to gain fame within the next few months-- and hopefully, it’ll relieve some of the stress of the 9-5.

"You told me that you'd be fine without me / While you're eyein' the clock, can't go hours without you" - Cam Rao, "YOUUU"

Liang Lawrence

Based in London, Liang Lawrence (@lianglawrence) skillfully blends indie pop and indie folk into the perfect upbeat blend. Since the beginning of her musical career during the pandemic, Lawrence has slowly been growing her audience of loyal, adoring fans. Her first EP, letters to myself, gained a wave of traction online; her second EP, What’s Dead and Gone, came just under a year later.

Lawrence’s third EP, It’s A Funny Thing, will be released on September 26th, 2025. I encourage you to prepare for this release by listening to some of her older music; maybe you’ll have a new artist to add to your list of favorites.

“Oh to be in it, oh to be in it with you…” - Liang Lawrence, "(not) a love song"

Keni Titus

I consider myself very lucky as I was able to see Keni Titus (@kenititus) as she opened for beabadoobee’s tour in 2024. Before attending the concert, I made sure to prepare by listening to Titus’ releases. These included songs from her album, mud on my superstars, as well as her EP, juliet, which was brand-new at the time. To me, Titus’ music feels like a blanket— whether it’s the one that covers you as you read in the winter, or the one you sit on for a spring picnic with friends.

Though Titus gained traction from beabadoobee’s tour, she continues to grow. Hopefully, upcoming releases of hers will bring her the attention I believe she deserves.

“If you want, I can fit right in the gaps of your teeth…” - Keni Titus, "if u want"

If Gen Z could be described in one word, it would be creative. Whether it’s in music, writing, production, or painting, this generation contains the musicians of the future—and they won’t be able to find success without their young supporters. So whether you plan to gatekeep a new artist or share them with your friend group, give a small, rising songbird a listen! Your stream could lead to their big break.