The music industry has been blowing up in 2021, making it a memorable year for decades to come. Some of the highlights include Olivia Rodrigo making it big with her debut album Sour, Taylor Swift re-releasing some of her most famous tracks, and Adele finally giving the world what they wanted with 30 after a 6-year hiatus. These are just a few of the bright stars on the scene, if you listen to them or not, you can’t deny the impact they’ve made.

Olivia Rodrigo
After testing the water with a few singles, Disney Channel Star Olivia Rodrigo released her full debut album, Sour, in May. Sour rocked the radios and charts for weeks, becoming the break-up album of the year. Now, she has even won the New Artist of the Year award at the American Music Awards and was a runner up for a few other awards. Rodrigo has surely cemented herself in the music industry, wowing the world for years to come.

Taylor Swift
This next one needs no introduction as Taylor Swift has dazzled the world with her talents and hits, but as of late, she has encountered an issue over album rights. This eventually led her to begin re-releasing some of her hit albums. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) came out in April, and Red (Taylor’s Version) followed in November. These albums include the same original songs plus some additional songs Swift added to the albums. She even released a 10 minute version of one song, All Too Well, accompanied by a well received short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. The only question we have left is what’s to come in Swift’s dominating music career.

Adele
After her last release in 2015, Adele graced the world with her fourth studio album 30 in November. The album comes at a rough spot in her life, weaving in heart-filled, personal experiences in 30. Just after three days, 30 became the number one selling album in the United States. Her strong, impassioned voice has made Adele well-known worldwide, and 30 only adds to the hype.

Doja Cat
Doja Cat released her album Planet Her in June, instantly becoming the fifth most streamed album on Spotify globally. As a rapper, singer, songwriter, and even a record producer, you’d be surprised to know that Doja Cat is a newer artist. After hits like Say So released back in 2019, Doja Cat has not let down listeners so far. She went on to perform Kiss Me More with SZA, a new release as of this year and won Top Female R&B Artist at the Billboard Music Awards.

ENHYPEN
K-pop group ENHYPEN debuted at the end of 2020, continuing this year to make an impact on the K-Pop music scene. They even won Best New Male Artist at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, along with several other awards. They released their second mini album and their first full album Dimension: Dilemma this year. As a recently new music group, they’ve had a lot of success since their debut last year. It’ll be interesting to see how they mold themselves into the music industry.

From Korea to California to London, artists new and old have released new music this year, whether they’re featured on this list or not. The music industry is thriving with a variety of many trending artists, providing a wide range of entertainment for any who look to find it. After all, music ties us together, regardless of boundaries or borders.