Top 10 Male Artists of 2025

2025 is shaping up to be a great year for music lovers, no matter what genre is everyone’s favourite. From jaw-dropping album releases to visually breathtaking live performances, it is clear that some artists are making the best of their year in the spotlight. Ranging from the Weeknd’s new album and concert film, Kendrick Lamar’s national tour with pop star SZA, to the newfound stardom of TikTok star and musician Alex Warren, these Top 10 Male Artists of 2025 are certainly following through with their New Year’s resolutions to make this the best year yet! 

Kendrick Lamar

If you watched this year’s Super Bowl, you know what I’m talking about. Standing out as deep, edgy and sophisticated, Kendrick’s performance was a monumental milestone in hip-hop history, marking the first time a solo rapper has ever headlined the renowned halftime show.

This already speaks volumes when it comes to demonstrating the greatness of this man, who is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Let’s just say we’re lucky to be witnessing a true hip-hop GOAT in action. 

His sixth studio album “GNX” is only the most recent proof of his immense artistry – it features his signature style, built on intricate wordplay and aggressive flows, but gives space as well for sonic exploration, where genres like West Coast hip-hop, Neo-soul and R&B take center stage. Not to mention his diss track “Not Like Us”, which debuted as No.1 on Billboard Hot 100 and earned him the win in the feud with fellow rapper Drake.

After dominating the charts in 2024, with more than 10 billion streams on his account, 2025 sees him busy in a co-headlining tour alongside SZA. The two artists will touch North America as well as Europe, starting from April 19. 

With 22 Grammy Award wins and a Pulitzer Prize under his belt, Kendrick doesn’t seem to be slowing down. If he’s already a living legend of the industry, you can only imagine what his next steps will be.

 

Alex Warren

Alex Warren may have started out as one of the founding members of TikTok’s biggest content creator house, The Hype House, but this year has established him as one of the industry’s rising musicians. He first started independently releasing music in 2021, with singles such as “One More I Love You”, “Screaming Underwater” and “Remember Me Happy”, before signing a record deal with Atlantic Records. Warren’s initial fame on TikTok enabled him to promote his music to a wider audience, but his musicality has enabled him to find a niche audience while still gaining momentum. A lot of his inspiration for his music and even entering the industry were Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes and David Kushner, the latter of whom gained virality right on TikTok. On a similar vein, Warren has explained that his religious identity as a Catholic Christian and worship music have inspired his discography. 

Warren’s first single to enter a Billboard chart was his 2024 single “Save You a Seat”, debuting at number 11, and it has only been up since then. June 2024 saw the release of “Carry You Home”, which topped off on even more Billboard Charts like Adult Pop Airplay, Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Canadian Hot 100. Warren even had the opportunity to perform the single live at the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which marked a shift in his status from TikTok influencer to rising breakout star. 

More recently, his latest single, “Ordinary”, has taken both social media and the world by storm. Its massive popularity led to Warren performing the song live on shows like the season 8 reunion finale for Love Is Blind and even Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show. With Warren’s passion and ever-growing fan base, it’s clear that “Ordinary” is just the first of many successes for musician Alex Warren.

Artemas

In just a few short years, Artemas has carved out a space as one of the most compelling new male artists of his generation. Beginning his career in 2020 with self-produced tracks on SoundCloud and Bandcamp, the British-Cypriot singer-songwriter spent his early years flying under the radar until 2024, the year that changed everything. His breakout track “I Like The Way You Kiss Me”, a moody, synth-heavy anthem with infectious hooks, exploded on TikTok and catapulted him into global stardom. The track now boasts over 1 billion streams on Spotify alone and hit no.1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Chart, cementing Artemas’ leap from indie to mainstream.

Artemas’ sound is hard to pin down – in the best way. With influences spanning Y2K club pop, underground techno and alternative R&B, his music is both nostalgic and futuristic. His 2024 debut albums, “pretty” and “yustyna”, showcase a striking emotional and stylistic range. “Me n My Girl” channels lovestruck summer nights, “I’ll Make You Miss Me” aches with raw longing, while “if u think i’m pretty” delivers sex-positive, bass-heavy energy, perfect for the dance floor.

Beyond his solo work, Artemas has proven himself behind the scenes. He’s credited as a co-producer and creative contributor on “AFTERCARE”, the latest album release by his current girlfriend and alt-pop princess Nessa Barrett. Their work on “MUSTANG BABY” has been praised for its cinematic mood and polished production, expanding Artemas’ growing creative influence.

With a cult-like Gen Z following, a fast-paced release schedule and a chameleonic sound that keeps evolving, Artemas is not just one of the standout male artists of 2025 – he’s shaping the future of pop itself.

Benson Boone

If there’s one artist determined to cement his place in pop history in 2025, it’s Benson Boone. From small-town Washington to the world’s biggest stages, Boone’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. His breakout single “Beautiful Things,” released in early 2024, became an emotional anthem that resonated globally. Topping charts in 20 countries, and earning him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist – a massive feat just four years after his debut. The song’s soaring vocals and raw vulnerability proved Boone’s ability to blend mainstream appeal with singer-songwriter depth.

He recently delivered one of the most talked-about performances of the year at Coachella, where he stunned the crowd during his finale by covering Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The tribute wasn’t just bold – it was legendary. Joined onstage by Queen guitarist Brian May, Boone paid homage to one of his biggest musical influences, while also proving he has the vocal range, theatricality and command to match rock royalty.

Boone’s sound fuses emotional pop balladry with indie rock and glam influences, drawing inspiration from Harry Styles, Elton John and early Sam Smith. His rich, expressive tenor – capable of both gentle falsettos and powerhouse belts – is at the center of his appeal. Whether through stripped-back piano tracks or full-band anthems, Boone crafts songs that are both intimate and cinematic.

As he prepares to release his next album later this year, fans can expect deeper personal storytelling and a sound that leans further into live instrumentation and classic pop-rock stylings. With charisma, vocal power and a clear reverence for musical icons, Benson Boone is more than a breakout star – he’s an artist built for longevity.

Tyler, The Creator

If you’ve been vibing to fuzzy synths, pastel suits, or trying to score a pair of Golf le Fleur* loafers, you know Tyler, The Creator is in a league of his own. Since bursting onto the scene with Odd Future in the early 2010s, he’s rewritten the rules of hip-hop and creativity at large.

His 2019 album “IGOR” earned him a Grammy for Best Rap Album, followed by a second Grammy in 2022 for “Call Me If You Get Lost”. In 2024, Tyler dropped “Chromakopia”, a genre-blurring project praised for its lush instrumentation and vulnerable lyricism. Critics hailed it as a masterwork of psychedelic orchestration and personal storytelling, with standout tracks like “Like Him” and “St. Chroma.”

Tyler’s influence extends beyond music. His 2024 Louis Vuitton collaboration was a major moment, blending Pharrell’s luxury vision with Tyler’s irreverent style into The LV x Tyler, The Creator Capsule. The capsule featured hand-drawn graphics, pastel palettes, and playful takes on luxury staples, earning praise from Vogue as “a perfect blend of streetwise rebellion and luxury whimsy.”

Meanwhile, his Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival returned with genre-blending lineups and surprise guests, keeping fans guessing and culture shifting. Rumours even suggest another album might drop in late 2025.

Tyler isn’t just making music or fashion – he’s curating an entire cultural vibe. With each release and runway moment, he continues to define what cool looks, sounds, and feels like at the time.

Ed Sheeran

One of the best songwriters and influential artists of the past decade, Ed Sheeran, makes a much-awaited comeback. The “Perfect” singer has indeed announced that his eighth studio album “Play” is coming up on September 12, surely a moment to dwell upon for this 2025. Given the colossal success and achievements the British pop star has racked up over the years, we’ll easily see him owning the scene once again.

Spanning across three decades, Ed’s career boasts over 50 billion Spotify streams, as well as 7 Brit Awards and 4 Grammy wins. Numbers that prove how much his music has had a global impact. 

After cementing his status as a pop icon with albums like “X” (Multiply), “=” (Equals) and “÷” (Divide), the latter earning the title of global best-selling album of 2017, he’s ready to make history yet again. His first single, “Azizam”, taken from his upcoming album, is a catchy crossover experiment that instantly hooks the listener, merging Middle East vibes with his staple Brit pop sound. Surely a worthy follow-up of past hits such as “Shape of You”, “Thinking Out Loud” and “Photograph”.

Whether he’s singing romantic ballads or exploring new sonic timbres, his gifted songwriting won’t let us down. Rest assured – 2025 is going to be Ed Sheeran’s.

Shaboozey

Coming off as the revelation artist of 2024 according to People’s Choice Awards, Shaboozey is swiftly making his way up to the top of the music industry, thanks to his skillful blend of Hip-Hop, Country and Americana. 2025 started at full-throttle for him – he received 5 GRAMMY nominations and announced a tour across the US titled the “Great American Roadshow Tour”. 

2024 was his breakthrough year – he stole the spotlight with the unexpected smash hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, showcasing his versatility and depth as an artist. The song became the longest-standing number one song on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart, a milestone only tied by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”. In April of the same year, he released his third studio album “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going”, silencing any doubts about his rising star status.

Shaboozey’s latest steps within the musical landscape have been nothing short of exciting – he performed live at the Grammys with a high-energy rendition of his “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and just released “Amen” featuring Jelly Roll, a good-vibes-only song inspired by Country sound and has already been pre-announced to be a summer anthem. He’s also ventured outside music, making waves in the fashion world. His Met Gala participation yielded him massive praise for his unique style, donning a stunning turquoise ensemble that paid homage to Black Dandyism.

We’re halfway into 2025, and Shaboozey is already lighting up the scene, proving he’s not a shooting star; he’s here to stay.

Bad Bunny

Calling Bad Bunny a global superstar feels like an understatement when looking at his career milestones. After dropping his debut album, “X100PRE”, the Puerto Rican artist continues to break records in 2025 with his music. 

Although his lyrics are entirely in Spanish, Bad Bunny manages to appeal to fans across the world, uniting music listeners with compelling rhythms, genre-blending innovation and undeniable charisma. The 31-year-old artist dropped his most recent album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos”, on Jan. 5, and it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in its first week. All 17 songs from the album made it on the Billboard Hot 100, and he became the first artist who primarily records Latin music to join the 100 Hot 100 hits club, according to Billboard. 

On May 5, Bad Bunny announced he would be embarking on a world tour to promote the album, starting on Nov. 21 in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The 23-date “Debí Tirar Más Fotos Tour”, which will make stops in five continents, comes after he announced a 30-day residency in Puerto Rico, which sold 400,000 tickets. 

While other artists prefer to follow the trends, Bad Bunny continues to make them, as he paves the way for more Spanish-language artists to reach similar global success. With sold-out residencies, chart-topping hits and a tour projected to fill up stadiums across the world, 2025 is just a small chapter in the unstoppable rise of the Puerto Rican musician. 

Post Malone

Upon his introduction to the spotlight in the 2010s as an auto-tuned, tatted-up and party-ready hip-hop artist, it might have been hard to guess Postie’s pivot into country music over the last few years. However, from 2024 to 2025, he’s shown his versatility, swapping braids and baseball caps for cowboy hats and flannel shirts. He put out “F-1 Trillion”, showing a shift in his musical style to the country genre.

The record hosted hits such as “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and claimed the top spot for six weeks. It was subsequently crowned “Song of the Summer” by Billboard, owing to its success during the hot months. The album itself included a range of features, from newer talent like Luke Combs and Jelly Roll, to the queen of country, Dolly Parton. The record raced to number one on both the Billboard 200 and the UK album charts, moving a strong 250,000 units in its first week.

As well as his style-switching album, Post just played the Sunday night headline set at both weeks of Coachella. The Guardian praised his performance, commending his “charming and energetic 90-minute headliner set” that dove into his more recent style as well as his hip-hop roots. He’s just announced his “Big Ass Stadium Tour” with Jelly Roll and special guest Sierra Ferrell, running through April to July this year across the U.S. Ahead of his headline slot, he confirmed that there’s new music on the way too – it seems like Post Malone is definitely putting in his “9 to 5” to keep his country dream kicking throughout this year.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd may have branded his sixth studio album as a potential farewell to his stage name, but if that’s the case, then he’s gone out on a note as high as his iconic falsetto. “Hurry Up Tomorrow” featured a sense of movement and urgency similar to its title. Yet, the massive 21-song tracklist took us on a cinematic journey, twisting through fast, futuristic R&B and the darker, downbeat numbers that he’s been known for since “House Of Balloons”. He assembled a star-studded production team for the album, ranging from Metro Boomin, Mike Dean, Justice and Pharrell Williams, to the ‘Father of Disco’, Giorgio Moroder. Even within the first track, “Wake Me Up”, you’re taken through Scarface soundtrack synths, Thriller-esque funk and French House stylings – showing his ability to be both accessible and avant-garde at the same time.

Fans and critics alike loved the bold, brooding record, with The Independent stating that “The transitions here are remarkable; skipping a single track feels akin to jumping three chapters in a novel.” The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 490,500 units in its first week, and topping charts in 16 countries, including the U.K., Canada and Australia.

With his complementary film hitting theatres soon, claiming a cast list of acclaimed actors such as Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, it seems as though Abel is really trying to put some blockbuster breath into the lungs of his ambitious, larger-than-life LP. If this really is the swan song of his Weeknd persona, as he says, he’s certainly seeing it out with a bang, a fitting ceremony for one of the kings of modern R&B.

And There You Have it – The Top 10 Male Artists of 2025!

Funktasy’s Top 10 list of Male Artists for 2025. This year has already proven unforgettable, with Kendrick Lamar’s groundbreaking halftime show, Bad Bunny’s genre-blending global takeover, and Artemas’ meteoric rise from indie sensation to pop powerhouse. Whether it’s Ed Sheeran’s return to the spotlight or Post Malone’s surprising country reinvention, these artists are not just making music – they’re making history. With half the year still ahead, we can only imagine what other unforgettable moments are yet to come.

Stay tuned, because in a year like this, the hits just keep coming and be sure to check out Funktasy’s choice of Top 10 Female Artists of 2025.